Beowulf, a true Germanic hero
...upper hand. “I have heard that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapon and fears no none. Nor will I. My Lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet are afraid to, if I hid behind some broad linden shield: my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster.” This feat took great courage and skillful fighting. Beowulf was a very loyal hero. He showed fairness to all he came across, including his enemies. He believed that everybody was equal and no one was greater or better than anybody else. While in battle, Beowulf showed great loyalty to his enemy by fighting without a weapon and without the help of his men so no one has the upper hand. Beowulf also showed his loyalty to Hrothgar and his people by journeying to Herot and setting forth a goal to defeat the evil Grendel and stop him from killing anymore of Hrothgar’s men. Beowulf’s loyalty to everyone is the major factor in Beowulf's greatness. Beowulf possesses many superhuman abilities, such as the amazing power to hold his breath under water for an unlimited period of time. In his argument with Unferth, Beowulf explains the reason he "lost" a simple swimming match with his youthful opponent Brecca. Not only had Beowulf been swimming for seven nights, he had also stopped to kill nine sea creatures in the depths of the ocean.A hero fears neither death nor destruction of his own being, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. The poem took place during the Anglo-Saxon era when heroic deeds and loyalty to one’s leader were traits of a person that lived on forever. Beowulf is an epic and tells the story of a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as though he was immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. However, his mortality is exposed by his death. Heroes all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their attempt to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. With everything Beowulf had in his personality traits, he still could not ignore the fact that he was only human, that is why he had the ability to die. But dying as a noble person, as a leader, and a courageous man is what made Beowulf the hero that he was. Dying for the well being of his fellow warriors made him a hero. As heroic as Beowulf is...