Epic Beowulf
Traditionally an epic is a long story; an adventure. To be more accurate, an epic is a long narrative poem, lofty in style. ... An example of this can be seen in Beowulf where the main character [Beowulf] was the former prince of Denmark. An epic also has the central figure of the poem be the hero, and contain heroic proportions. An epic hero is always mortal, meaning that he is able to be killed. ... Spiderman was not an epic hero, he had special powers. Batman on the other hand would be considered an epic hero because he was a human, who could bleed, and die. ... Anglo-Saxon ideals of an epic hero are; strong, fearless, bold, loyal, and stoic in his acceptance of fate. Beowulf matched this criteria perfectly. The Scandinavian epic, Beowulf is credited to be the first and oldest poem of English Literature. What makes this poem such a controversy is that the author is unknown and whether Beowulf was written with Christian aspects, or whether they were added later. ... Beowulf has served as a cornerstone in British literature simply because the poem intertwines both Christian and Pagan values. Beowulf also serves as a prologue to British literature and introduced new concepts that have been built upon and altered throughout the centerties; two of these concepts include the rhythem and the fact that history and literature correspond.