Amber Garcia
5th/6th
One event that exemplifies many heroic characteristics of the epic hero Beowulf is when he battles against the ferocious dragon. It starts off when a slave stole a jeweled cup from the dragon's tower and awoke the mighty beast from it's hundreds of years of slumber. In a fiery rage, it took out its anger on the innocent lives and spread terror across the land on Beowulf's people. When Beowulf caught ear of the dragon's rampage, he went forth to put a stop to it in order to protect his people. Walking the path of carnage, Beowulf knew that there was no point in fearing an unnatural death now. Old in age, he knew that his life was now in fate's hands. Geared with his iron battle-shield and mail shirt, he fought against the enormous beast. The dragon's fire-spewing breath had overwhelmed Beowulf, melting his shield, and its hard scaly hide had broken Beowulf's sword when it pierced into its skin. When all seemed hopeless for Beowulf, Wiglaf, a great warrior, had stepped in to aid his king. They both fought fearlessly against the dragon, and even though Beowulf had sustained a fatal blow to the neck, they emerged victorious and had slain the beast. Beowulf had died a noble king and knew his legacy would be carried on. Throughout his life, he has been on a quest for glory and fame and in the end, Beowulf truly was the greatest of heroes of his time. The first characteristic I believe stood out the most was Beowulf's superhuman strength because he fought a very powerful dragon. He kept his ground and defeated it, just as he killed many other demonic creatures in his lifetime like Grendel and his mother. No ordinary human would be capable of taking on such strong foes unless he was Beowulf. Another characteristic would be Beowulf's unmatched bravery because he has never shown fear in the face of danger. He had stood up against the intimidating dragon that others would not dare face (besides from Wiglaf, the Geat's future king). In page 72 line 2538, the author wrote, "Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong, and with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast, strode calmly, confidently, toward the tower, under the rocky cliffs: no coward could have walked there!" And finally, the third characteristic that makes Beowulf a worthy epic hero is that he risks his life to protect his people and for glory. In pages 73-76, Beowulf struggles against the dragon, an opponent he was sure to lose against, but he would take the scaly fiend down with him nonetheless. And when he needed help, only the brave and faithful Wiglaf stood by his king's side while the rest of Beowulf's followers ran away to save their behinds. None of them would have sacrificed their lives like Beowulf had done. In conclusion, these three main characteristics of superhuman strength, bravery, and risking death for glory and for the greater good of society are qualities that make Beowulf an epic hero.
