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Examples Of Superhuman Courage In Beowulf

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An epic is defined as; A long narrative poem on a great and serious subject, related in an elevated style and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depend the tribe, a nation, or the human race. Epics were usually stories that were performed aloud and passed down through many generations. Only eventually did they get written down. These poems promoted the values of a great hero and how good will always conquer evil. It does so by creating situations with mythological or supernatural creatures as the villain and having the hero slay the villain, then eventually ending with either a happy ending or a noble death. Along with these there are many other characteristics that are required for a poem to be an epic. Some of which include; a figure of great importance, actions of superhuman courage (especially in battle,) supernatural forces, catalogs and genealogies and extended formal speeches given by the main characters. In the poem Beowulf, all of these characteristics are prevalent throughout the text. The first …show more content…

These actions are usually, but not always, completed by the figure of great importance and take place in a battle of sorts. In this poem there are many examples of superhuman courage showed by Beowulf. When Beowulf is first introduced he is journeying to a strange land to assist in fighting a beast that has overthrown a kingdom for over fifteen years. He then later fights this beast with no weapons and no armor eventually ripping off his arm with his bare hands. In the text it says “The captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth.” L 750-753. He later dies for his kingdom battling a dragon. Even after all of his men had cowered away from the beast he stood fighting still until eventually he received a venomous bite to the neck. He died in the barrow of the dragon fighting for his

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