Question

HOW DOES EPIC HERO BEOWULF CONFRONT AND DEFEAT EVIL?

Answer 1

Answer:

Beowulf confronted three demonic beasts, Grendel, his mother, and the Dragon without sparing a thought for his own life.  In the epic poem of the same title, Beowulf is depicted as an epic hero, who fights and kills Grendel and stops him from killing any more of Hrothgar's men.  This courageous confrontation with a demonic beast proves Beowulf's great loyalty and love to Hrothgar and his people.

On his own part as an epic hero, Beowulf shows that he is a brave, loyal, responsible, and strong warrior-leader by risking his life for the greater good and glory of his people and his kingdom.  He utilized his great courage, inhuman strength, and faith to also defeat Grendel’s mother, who fought to revenge her son's death, by using the sword that Grendel’s mother kept at her disposal, but was unable to use.  He had earlier defeated Grendel himself and later he also defeated the Dragon.  By traveling great “distances to prove his strength at impossible odds against supernatural demons and beasts,” Beowulf proves that he is indeed an epic hero.

Explanation:

The poem "Beowulf " (c1200) dates back to a very different era.  But, the poem gives modern day readers a historical view of Anglo-Saxon life.  It also emphasizes universal human characteristics and themes of life that are still relevant to the modern day readers.  For instance, it teaches readers that Anglo-Saxons believe in revenge and battle more than life because life is fleeting, but fame is not.