Beowulf: The Hero An epic is a long narrative poem about a serious subject. These are usually a hero's adventurers. The hero is generally a figure of high social status and often of great historical or legendary importance. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is the hero. He shows that he is a great man by always putting others before his own needs. He is important and necessary to his people and many know him as a brave and helpful person. Beowulf is a good example of a brave and strong hero. He shows all the qualities and traits that a true hero possesses. Beowulf is a very brave and courageous person. His actions towards the monster Grendel who terrorized the Danes show that he is willing to help others. In an epic, we usually find that the hero often determines the fate of a nation or a group of people. Beowulf definitely aided the Danes and his own people, the Geats, in their triumph over evil by killing Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. He helped humanity a lot and that's why he became king of the Geats. Beowulf's courageous deeds and achievements contributed to the survival of the Danes and the Geats. Another feature of the epic poem is that the hero performs scandalous and sometimes superhuman acts. Beowulf is a great example of this type of hero. He volunteers to fight Grendel and when Grendel's mother seeks revenge, he goes to the lake and takes up the challenge. He shows great qualities of strength and power when, after fifty years, he faces the dragon who has become a threat to the Geats. He always fights his enemies with pride. When Beowulf and Wiglaf fight the dragon and everyone else becomes cowardly and runs away into the forest and hides. This shows that they possess courageous traits and are genuinely ready and willing to help. Often in an epic poem the plot is complicated by supernatural beings and events. Good examples of this are when Beowulf fights Grendel. Grendel is a monster and there is no such thing as a monster. The same goes for the dragon. Throughout history, there has never been a dragon who became angry because a thief took some of his treasure. Additionally, when Beowulf dies, he asks Wiglof to show him the treasures before he dies. Everyone knows you can't delay your death just to see treasure. These examples show the complications found throughout the plot of an epic poem. An epic poem usually presents situations of good and evil, life and death. The epic poem Beowulf has both of these things. Good is shown through the actions of Beowulf and Wiglaf as they defeat evil, shown by Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. Good and evil always lead to life or death. The good guys live and the bad guys die most of the time. In Beowulf, good conquered evil. Beowulf was known by the Geats and Danes as a very generous, kind and strong person, who would give anything for the survival of the people. These characteristics help classify Beowulf as a true epic hero..