A Description of Beowulf

During the Anglo-Saxon period of history in England, not much literature was produced or recorded in any form. However, the druids, Celtic priests, began a literary tradition by telling stories and reciting poems. Few of these stories and poems were recorded, and even fewer have survived until today. One famous, surviving piece of Anglo-Saxon literature is the epic poem Beowulf. The poem features the classic fight between good and evil, and the poem’s main character, Beowulf, is the first literary example of an epic hero. The

poem presents Beowulf"tms ordinary appearance, his super-natural strength, and his self-confidence. Unlike most heroes, Beowulf appears to be an ordinary man. Beowulf"tms appearance, strength, and confidence made him an epic hero. He does not stop after one battle; Beowulf continues to kill the beasts that threaten his fellow Geats and the Danes, such as Grendel"tms mother and the fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf must be a large man to be able to grasp an arm that can handle thirty soldiers, but he must also have super-natural strength. Furthermore, Beowulf"tms great self-confidence comes with his tremendous strength. He approaches King Hrothgar with boldness when he asks for permission to fight Grendel. Though he is much larger than most of them, the Geats do not know that he is not as typical as he appears. Beowulf is the embodiment of good just as Grendel is the embodiment of evil. He was not afraid to be aggressive and confront his enemies. It was then that they realized he was not an ordinary man. Beowulf is special; he is superhuman. He lives, eats, and sleeps just like the traditional Geat people. After he defeats Grendel, he becomes even more confident and this continues on when he defeats Grendel"tms mom and the dragon.