Beowulf And The Epic Hero

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There are many ways in which Beowulf and the epic hero have affected our society since its conception. The poem’s tone and underlying themes show that even though a vast amount of time has passed, most of the values that we hold dear are still the same. One of these themes would be that actions speak more than words. As seen in Beowulf, when Unferth mocks Beowulf for losing the race against Breca. (Heaney 35-37) Another example could be that life is a continuous struggle and whenever you conquer one obstacle, another one pops up to challenge you. In Beowulf, this is seen after Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel’s mother seeks revenge and then Beowulf kills her. This eventually ends with Beowulf facing an even greater danger later on in his
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