Beowulf Ideal Hero

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In the wise words of Christopher Reeve, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” The idea is that anyone can be a hero if they chose to put a higher cause above themselves, and this is not a new belief. It stretches as far back as the Anglo-Saxon people, and one man in particular by the name of Beowulf, a Germanic warrior of the Geats, set himself above the rest of his peers through his actions and feats in battle. Due to his strength, undaunted perseverance, and willingness to sacrifice himself for his people, Beowulf could be described as the ideal example of an Anglo-Saxon superhero. “Greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (l. 110 - 111), is …show more content…
The King of the Danes, Hrothgar, described the monster’s murky lair saying that, “A stag with great horns, though driven through the forest from far away places, prefers to die on those shores, refuses to save its life in that water” (l. 436 - 439). This description would inspire fear in the heart of any other lesser man but not Beowulf. He heads out on his journey and vows he will slay this beast. In the lines 489 - 496, it becomes apparent that no weapon of man can harm Grendel’s mother, but Beowulf is not the least bit unnerved and decides that he will just have to use his bare hands to defeat her. The two are fighting a fierce battle with neither gaining the upper hand when Beowulf chances to glance a sword, made by giants, hanging on the wall. With fate in his favor, Beowulf perseveres, lifts the mighty sword off the wall, and slices clean through the neck of Grendel’s mother, ending her reign of terror (l. 513 - 525). Peace ensures and Beowulf returns to his people to enjoy the lavish treasure he was given in his …show more content…
Throughout his life, Beowulf demonstrates fierce strength in battle such as when he defeats Grendel with only brute force and his bare hands when faced with no other options. His heroic lifestyle also gave way to his undaunted perseverance when faced with almost unconquerable obstacles, that inferior men would have crumbled under the weight of, such as slaying the dragon and killing Grendel’s mother. These two abominations were true monsters but they could not defeat Beowulf in the end. The final quality that makes Beowulf a true superhero is that his enduring devotion was so strong that even as he lay dying, his last thoughts were still of his peoples’ well being. You should use the story of Beowulf as a reminder that you do not have to be extraordinary to be a hero, you just need to be willing to step outside your comfort zone in order to
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