A folk epic is a long narrative poem, which has distinct elements written by an unknown author. Those elements include telling of a complete story, the inclusion of magic versus reality and heroes that seem super-human, yet are mortal. There are seven in all and they all can be found in the Old English tale of Beowulf. Because of this, Beowulf has been classified as an epic.
             The first element of an epic that Beowulf includes is that it is a long narrative poem. It tells the entire tale of Beowulf, a hero who is summoned to the kingdom of Hrothgar to battle the evil monster Grendel. The story continues after Grendel's defeat, and recounts how Beowulf kills Grendel's mother, becomes king, and is finally slain in defense of his lands by the fire-breathing dragon. It is extremely long and is narrative poem form for the entire story.
             Another principle of the epic that can be found in Beowulf is that it begins in the middle and has flashbacks. The first episode of the poem is the history of the Grendel and how Hrothgar became king. It then skips ahead, to the present and the tale of Grendel and his attacking of the kingdom. But throughout the play there are flashbacks, and the some of the events are told this way.
             In Beowulf, Anglo Saxon culture is clearly seen throughout. The Saxons had certain cultural idiosyncrasies that play a major role in the play. First, the notion of excellence that their warriors displayed is common. The king is brave, skills with weapons, sailing, swimming and building of the great hall are all Saxon culture traits. Plus, Beowulf accepting Hrothgar's plea for help shows his generosity, which was important to the early English. Also, rewarding warriors was a major part of Saxon life and it is shown when Beowulf is made king.
             Another epic feature of the poem is Beowulf's possession of incredible super-human strength but also that is he is mortal. Beowulf displays his overwhelming power du...