pdf,  p. 18)

Beowulf is clearly loved by his men, and they will follow him even into great danger.  Beowulf provokes bravery in his men.

Beowulf has amazing physical prowess.

An epic hero is usually strong, often unusually so.  Beowulf is strong enough to battle monsters with his bare hands, without a sword. 

The monster desired to fling himself free, if at all he could, and fly far away to the fens—he knew that his fingers' power was in the grip of a fearsome foe; this was a dire march to Heorot that this devastating beast had made! (ch 11, p. 17)

Grendel doesn’t stand a chance!  Beowulf’s strength leads to even more bravery, and makes others admire or fear him, depending on what side they are on!

His exploits are sung of and heralded.

Every good hero has to have a cheering section!  All of Beowulf’s triumphs are sung, especially the defeat of Grendel.

Then gray-haired clansmen, many youths, and stalwart warriors rode back in high spirits on horses from the mere, and Beowulf's victory was recounted. Many a man said that among all the seas of the world, south or north, that none of the other shield-bearing warriors under the expanse of heaven's vault were more valiant or more worthy to rule! (ch 13, p. 19)

By recounting Beowulf’s glory over and over, he becomes a folk hero to all of the people.  They admire him and love him for saving them. 

The hero also gets gifts, of course.  Often these are useful to him later.

Then did the son of Healfdene present to Beowulf a banner woven of gold as an ensign for the victory, an embroidered flag of battle, a helmet and a coat of mail, and a precious sword that was seen by many when they brought it before the hero. (ch 15, p. 21)

Beowulf gets a heroic sword to fight Gredel’s mother with.

The epic hero “dies” and is resurrected.

A significant part of the hero’s journey is where the hero is reborn.  Beowulf kills Grendel, but then has to face and defeat Grendel’s mother.  He does so by going deep under the dark waters, a symbolic death.

The life of the son of Ecgtheow, prince of the Geats, would have ended there underneath the wide earth if his armor of war, hard net of battle, had not aided him; and the Holy God, wisest Maker, wielded the victory. The heavenly Ruler championed his cause, and he soon stood on his feet again. (ch 22, p. 28)

So you can see that the epic hero is more than the sum of his parts.  He is an inspiration to others.

Beowulf is above all courageous and loyal. These two traits inform most of his actions over the course of the poem. He is courageous in that he is willing to face monsters that give even other warriors pause. He thinks nothing of fighting Grendel bare-handed or going to confront the dragon alone even as an old man. Beowulf's loyalty often drives his courage: he does what he does to rescue the Danes from destruction. Their welfare is important to him, though it must be noted that loyalty and protective instincts are not his only motivations in facing monsters.

Beowulf's third major characteristic is a hunger for glory. He hopes that by defeating many monsters he will be remembered after his death. This trait is part of what brings him to Heorot Hall in the first place. This is ultimately a double-edged trait. His hunger for glory is good because it drives Beowulf to accomplish amazing things and further work in service of the greater good. But it is bad because it causes him to act recklessly at times. Some critics have argued that Beowulf's final battle with the dragon is driven as much by a desire to add to his legacy as it is to protect his people. While his death in battle does temporarily save his people from destruction at the hands of the dragon, the people themselves observe that without Beowulf, they are left vulnerable to the attacks of other tribes; in this sense, Beowulf has been reckless in his final actions.

The epic of Beowulf illustrates the characteristics the Anglo-Saxons desired in their leaders. As the protagonist of the epic, Beowulf possess all of the traits the Anglo-Saxons embraced.

Beowulf was a polished speaker, a great warrior and leader, brave, strong, desired to help others, and noble. His battle speeches excite and band together his men. He has proven to be a great warrior based upon his multiple victories over foes of equal or greater strength than he. He leads his men without fear across great expanses of water. He refuses to leave Hrothgar's lands until evil has been defeated.

Time and time again, Beowulf proves the worthiness of his name, his ancestry, and his rise to king.

Beowulf has a great sense of pride and will not leave a battle unfinished.  This is revealed in big and small ways throughout the text.  He kills Grendel, but he makes sure that the battle is done by taking Grendel's arm and nailing up on the mead hall front door.  He then doesn't shy away from Grendel's mother who could be just as menacing -- he finishes the battle of Grendel by eliminating any threats from her as well, putting the final touch on this conflict.

One thing we see about Beowulf is his desire for fame- or to be remembered.  When de dives into the lake to fight Grendel's mom, the book even tells us, "Beowulf, longing only for fame, leaps into" the lake.  Even our modern day heroes may pause and think about the best plan to fight the monster's angry mother, but not Beowulf.  Pausing would make it seem as though he doubted his own abilities, and so he grabs Hrunting and a helmet, throws on his mail shirt and dives in ready to fight.

In addition to the qualities mentioned in the citation linked below, we can find other typical qualities of epic poetry in Beowulf.

We expect an epic to begin in media res, in the middle, and for the most part we can see that this poem offers first a prologue on Shield Sheafson but then jumps into the tale of Hrothgar. We don't start with Beowulf's history, which is somewhat shrouded, nor do we learn much about Hrothgar other than that his meadhall is under siege. We get flashbacks on culture-defining moments and the backstory of Grendel as we go. In this epic, the value of looking back to Shield is important as he is an exemplar of a good king, the theme of the poem. The focus on the epic theme of what a good king must do is important in epic poetry and this poem offers Shield, Hrothgar, and Beowulf as examples of those who are admirable but not perfect in their execution of political leadership.

The elevated language of alliterative verse, kennings, use of epithets, and statements defining cultural values are also important qualities in an epic. This poem seems to have been part of the oral tradition and we see the way its majestic poetry would enhance conversations about what the Anglo-Saxon tribes valued. In particular, the ideal of the comitatus, or the duties of bravery, loyalty and generosity or hospitality, runs throughout the poem. The culture is strong when all do their part, with the king and the thane each performing an appropriate role in keeping the land safe. Beowulf's tragedy in the end seems to emerge from his willingness to fight the dragon—a thane's battle, not an aged king's—thus leaving the Geats unprotected once Beowulf dies.

Beowulf is an epic because the hero of the story is exceptional. Beowulf is seen battling and slaying great monsters. He also demonstrates outstanding physical abilities such as staying underwater for hours, wielding a heavy sword forged by giants, and tearing Grendel’s arm from his body.

The setting of the poem is considerably vast. It covers different countries, and Beowulf is seen traveling to the Danes across a great sea to fight Grendel.

Beowulf demonstrates supernatural power and significant courage because he reaches out to the Danes and offers his assistance at a time when no other warriors were forthcoming. He not only fights Grendel, he also faces off with the mother.

The story features supernatural beings in the form of monsters and dragons. Beowulf fights sea monsters, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon that fatally wounds him.

Beowulf embodies the heroic ideal of both the Geatish world he inhabits and the Anglo-Saxon Christian world that valorized him in the epic poem of his name. On the one hand, he bears the values of the Scandinavian pagan culture in which he lives. He is powerful, fearless, ambitious, and driven by honor. Moreover, he takes pains to ensure that his reputation is untarnished. For example, when he arrives at the court of Hrothgar to offer his assistance in the struggle against Grendel, he delivers a speech citing his resume of accomplishments. He says the Geatish elders supported his intentions to sail to Denmark,

because all knew of my awesome strength.
They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies
when I battled and bound five beasts,
raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea
slaughtered sea-brutes. I have suffered extremes
and avenged the Geats (their enemies brought it
upon themselves, I devastated them.)

Indeed, Beowulf does not hesitate to highlight his qualifications. When one of the Hrothgar’s men, Unferth, then questions Beowulf’s bravery, Beowulf’s boldness and tendency for self-aggrandizement comes to the fore again. He not only falsifies Unferth’s account of Beowulf’s swimming race against Breca, he calls Unferth’s worth into question:

Now I cannot recall
any fight you entered, Unferth.

On the other hand, Beowulf’s consistent selflessness makes him a model of Christian heroism, reflecting the Anglo-Saxon culture that codified his achievements in Beowulf. His assistance to Hrothgar can be seen as an act of immense service and sacrifice, arguably in the name of eradicating evil—specifically Cain's kin—from the earth. And at the end of the poem, his killing of the dragon represents an act of ultimate sacrifice in that he gives his life to protect his people. From this perspective, Beowulf is a kind of Christian hero, even though the world he lives in is actually pagan. Thus, Beowulf’s characteristics reflect the text’s tension between pagan and Christian values.

Ah, Beowulf. A great hero who has probably type cast thousands of heroes after him. Honestly, the list of Anglo-Saxon hero characteristics is surprisingly similar to characteristics of modern day heroes. I teach a unit in my popular culture studies class on exactly this same topic. You could have asked about Captain America, and my answer wouldn't change much.  

First, an Anglo-Saxon hero has to appear to look like a hero. What does that look like? Then, and now, hero characters are generally good looking, young, white males. They tend to have a lot of muscles, too. They have to look like a warrior. Does it apply to Beowulf? Yep. He's a young, white male that looks like a warrior.  Early in the poem, Beowulf is on his way to see Hrothgar. He is stopped by a guard that demands to know his purpose. Here's one thing he says about Beowulf:

Nor have I seen
A mightier man-at-arms on this earth
Than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken,
He is truly noble.  This is no mere                             
Hanger-on in a hero’s armour.

As for muscles, I don't have a picture of Beowulf, but he's got to be strong.  Hrothgar says that Beowulf has the strength of 30 men. 

"Who valuable gift-gems of the Geatmen carried
As peace-offering thither, that he thirty men’s grapple
Has in his hand, the hero-in-battle."

That's pretty strong.  Oh, and don't forget that Beowulf ripped off Grendel's arms.  

Another characteristic of the Anglo Saxon hero type is bravery. Yep, Beowulf has that, too. He willingly goes to fight Grendel for one, and Grendel is described as being a demon possessed thing that eats humans. No current warrior has been able to stop Grendel. That's scary, and Beowulf is confident that he will be able to handle it.  

Lastly, the hero must be humble. This one always cracks me up. You have a guy that is crazy strong, brave, good looking, protects everybody, puts his life at risk, is a super celebrity, but is still humble. This is why Beowulf and Captain America are fiction. That character type is next to impossible to find in real life. So is Beowulf humble? Yep. After defeating both Grendel and Grendel's mother, Beowulf is offered the Danish throne and great wealth. Beowulf turns it all down and returns home in essentially the same state in which he arrived.  

"The mildest of men and the gentlest, kindest to his people, . . ."

Beowulf contains nearly all the elements of an epic. An epic focuses on the heroic achievements and exploits of an individual. This individual exemplifies morality and daring. The epic of Beowulf meets these criteria by centering on the character of Beowulf. Throughout the story, Beowulf disregards his own safety to vanquish the monsters that are terrorizing the Geats. He is strong and intelligent, the very model of the epic hero.

Furthermore, an epic is a lengthy poem told in a stylized format. Beowulf is a typical epic in that it employs flowery yet stylized language, drawn-out descriptions, and lengthy monologues.

Epics often have a spirit of nationalism to them. They tell of the mythic past of a people and their deeds. Beowulf includes many allusions to legendary kings and heroes of Anglo-Saxon heritage. It is meant to tell the history of the people in the way that many epics do.

Epics involve supernatural forces that interact with mortals. This is certainly the case with the two villains of the story, Grendel and Grendel's mother. They are monsters of mysterious origin that must be vanquished by the story's hero.

This great work clearly fits into the category of an epic. It is in a sense similar to the Iliad and the Odyssey in that it is the first great work of the English national literature, which is why it is studied so much. The other texts, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are the first great works of the Greek national literature. Beowulf is the mythical and literary record of a formative stage of British English civilisation. It is also an epic of the heroic sources of English culture. Because of this, it shares many archetypes with other similar epics from all over the world, such as the epic hero, the quest, the monster and the battle.

It tells the story of a famous warrior called Beowulf who comes from Sweden to Denmark in a quest to free the people of King Hrothgar from the tyranny of a monster called Grendel. It, like other epics, started off as a piece of oral literature in that it was never written down but instead passed down from generation to generation from one bard to another. As such, because of the communal nature of such storytelling, it was a familiar story incorporating legend, incredible weapons, and a community threatened by the powers of evil with only one heroic individual to stand in the way of that evil.

Part of this answer depends on what your definition of a hero is. Plenty of people say that their mom or dad is their hero, but those people rarely fit the stereotypical Hollywood media definition and image of a hero. Beowulf shares many characteristics with modern day heroes such as Captain America, Thor, and Batman.

First, Beowulf is strong. His strength isn't hidden either. He looks like a powerfully built warrior type person. Early in the poem, Beowulf is on his way to meet Hrothgar. A guard stops Beowulf, and the guard demands to know what Beowulf is up to. Beowulf must present an inspiring image because the guard comments on Beowulf's heroic looking image:

Nor have I seen
A mightier man-at-arms on this earth
Than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken,
He is truly noble. This is no mere
Hanger-on in a hero’s armour.

If you need further evidence of Beowulf's actual strength, the following quote works quite nicely:

Who valuable gift-gems of the Geatmen carried
As peace-offering thither, that he thirty men’s grapple
Has in his hand, the hero-in-battle.

Finally, keep in mind that Beowulf is strong enough to literally rip Grendel's arms off.

Like other stereotypical heroes, Beowulf is brave. Grendel is a scary, demon possessed monster that eats humans. Along with that bravery is the fact that Beowulf intentionally seeks the danger out. That is an important hero characteristic. It's not seen quite as heroic to fight for your life when you have no other options; however, intentionally seeking out danger in order to protect others is definitely heroic. From firefighters to Thor, those heroes run toward danger. Beowulf does the same thing. He chooses to fight Grendel.

A third heroic quality of Grendel is that he is humble. He is definitely confident in his abilities, and he might brag a bit about his battle prowess; however, he doesn't abuse his hero status. He is offered the Danish throne and riches beyond his imagination for his heroism, yet Beowulf turns it down. He returns to his land the same way that he left it, and that is very common for media heroes. Spider-Man goes back to being picked on as Peter Parker, the Incredibles go to Dash's track meet, and Shrek returns to his swamp.

Beowulf, the main character of the Old English poem Beowulf, fulfills many, but not quite all, of the usual characteristics of the epic hero.

Most importantly, he exhibits the qualities esteemed by his culture. When Beowulf was composed, England was primarily an Anglo-Saxon area. The Anglo-Saxon culture was significantly influenced by warfare. This warrior-based culture fostered values like courage and loyalty, both traits that Beowulf possessed in abundance.

Epic heroes often battle supernatural enemies, as Beowulf did with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and finally the dragon that terrorized his kingdom.

A long and dangerous voyage is also a hallmark of the epic hero's experience. We don't really see a lot of this in Beowulf, although his journey to and from Hrothgar's kingdom is briefly referred to.

Epic heroes often have a noble birth. While Beowulf is not born to a king, and is therefore not a prince, he is related to the Geat king Higlac. When Higlac dies in battle, Beowulf ascends to the Geat throne.

Some sort of exceptional ability is often attributed to the epic hero. Beowulf is probably the strongest warrior in the world. He can defeat Grendel single-handedly. He kills sea monsters by himself. He even battles a dragon as an old man.

The one characteristic of the epic hero that Beowulf most certainly does not possess is humility. In terms of our modern sensibilities, Beowulf looks like an arrogant braggart as boasts of his many feats of bravery and strength. However, he is telling the truth—he really is capable of doing all the things he says he can do and has done.

Taken as a whole, Beowulf is an epic hero, even if he does not meet all the criteria. Even Odysseus, the star of the Greek epic The Odyssey, was known to blow his horn about his exploits from time to time.

Beowulf is the epitome of the epic poem. Its protagonist, Beowulf, possesses many characteristics which define him as a true epic hero. 

Beowulf enters into the text "in the midst of turmoil." He comes to the Danelands after hearing about Hrothgar and his troubles with Grendel. Grendel has already murdered many of Hrothgar's men and forced the closing of Heorot (Hrothgar's mead hall). Traveling to the Danelands in the first place also illustrates Beowulf's desire (and heroic trait) of helping others. 

Beowulf possess both arete (excellence) and aristeia (finest moment in battle). Both his arete and aristeia are illustrated and proven through Beowulf's battle with Grendel. Beowulf, not wanting to have an upper hand over the beast, decides to fight him without any weapons. This levels the playing field (makes the battle equal). Since both Grendel and Beowulf both possess the strength of thirty men, the fight must be even for Beowulf to prove his aristeia and arete. 

Bewoulf's journey into Grendel's mother's lair depicts his figurative journey into the underworld. Every epic hero must make a long journey which, at one point, leads him into the underworld. In Beowulf, his journey from the Geatlands to the Danelands to the underworld proves a long journey is made (and it takes him into the underworld). 

In my personal opinion, Beowulf is an extremely strong example of an epic hero. Whether or not he is the ideal example is up to individual opinion. I think a strong case could be made that he is the ideal and many other heroes are often imitations of him in several regards.

A common characteristic of an epic hero is nobility. Beowulf can check this box. He is the prince of the Geats.

A second characteristic is that epic heroes are capable of great feats of strength and bravery. Beowulf has no problem meeting this standard. He physically rips off Grendel's arms, and the poem says that he has the strength of thirty men.

Who valuable gift-gems of the Geatmen carried
As peace-offering thither, that he thirty men's grapple
Has in his hand, the hero-in-battle.

A third characteristic is that the epic hero is a great warrior. Beowulf is a great warrior. It's why he comes to fight Grendel. It's why he hasn't been killed yet. He even looks the part of a fierce warrior.

Nor have I seen
A mightier man-at-arms on this earth
Than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken,
He is truly noble. This is no mere
Hanger-on in a hero's armour.

Trait four is that the hero travels over great distances. Basically, the epic hero can't be a hometown hero. That is also true of Beowulf. He travels quite far to take care of Grendel and Grendel's mother.

Characteristic five is that the hero's name is widely known. I think Beowulf's victories probably took care of this trait. He also eventually ascended the throne, and that elevated his name even more.

The sixth trait is that the hero demonstrates humility. Beowulf is offered riches and the Danish throne as a reward for defeating Grendel and Grendel's mother, but he turns it down.

Finally, the hero faces enemies of supernatural ability. Grendel definitely counts, because he is part-man, part-demon, and no blade can hurt him.

The epic hero is a literary convention that defines a specific type of character. This kind of character typically possesses a number of particular traits, including some sort of extraordinary ability.

Beowulf’s extraordinary ability is his strength--no man alive, and almost no monster alive, can match it. The most famous image demonstrating Beowulf’s strength comes early in the story when he fights the monster Grendel:

He twisted in pain,
And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder
Snapped, muscle and bone split
And broke.

This passage shows Beowulf defeating Grendel. But Beowulf doesn't simply win the battle; he does so in grand style (or we might say, in “epic” style) by ripping Grendel's arm from his body. The image of Grendel's arm slung over a rafter in Herot is one of the most famous in all of English literature.

Another key trait of the epic hero is his embodiment of his culture's ideals. Beowulf, as part of the early Middle Ages warrior culture, shows the courage that was so highly prized. We see this most poignantly in the poem's final battle, as Beowulf and his trusted friend Wiglaf battle the dragon. Beowulf is an old king now, no longer the fearsome warrior of his youth. In this passage, he has been mortally wounded by the dragon, but continues to fight on, with Wiglaf's help:

And Beowulf drew
His battle-sharp dagger: the bloodstained old king
Still knew what he was doing. Quickly, he cut the beast in half, slit it apart.
It fell, their courage had killed it.

This is Beowulf's last act on Earth. Moments later he dies from the dragon-inflicted wounds. But, as we can see, his courage holds until the end.

Beowulf was born to be extraordinary.  His early heroic deed involved setting off into the sea with a friend and being the only one coming back alive.  He “proved more might in the sea than any other man, and more endurance in the ocean” (ch 8, p. 14) when he outswam his friend and fought off the sea-fish.  An epic hero usually does have an early deed that shows his ability to accomplish an amazing feat.

Of course, it was Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel that cemented him as the epic hero.

His sinews ripped apart and his bone-frame broke. victory was now given to Beowulf, and Grendel, sick unto his death, went hence and sought his den in the dark moors, that vile abode; he knew full well that his life had reached its end and that the last of his days on earth had come. (Ch 12, p. 18)

Beowulf is able to kill Grendel with his bare hands and brute strength, and his exploits are sung in praise throughout the kingdoms.

An epic is a story centered on a heroic figure who partakes in a sequence of exceptional events and "Beowulf," the most important work of Old English literature, certainly qualifies. The central characters of this epic are defined by their status and their actions. For instance, King Hrothgar is know for both his wealth and influence and for his leadership on the battlefield - including his policy of leaving the "common man" untouched by warfare, which brings him great honor. Prince Beowulf, the central figure, proves his worth as defender of the Danes as he combats and defeats Grendel (which brings him power, wealth, and honor), Grendel's mother, and the Dragon. By contrast, Grendel is represented as having no honor or wealth, which defines Grendel as evil and corrupt. This type of contrast is typical of epics. Another contrast in Beowulf is the distinction between Man and Wild; Grendel's wild and evil nature is defeated by the goodness and purity of Beowulf's civilized ways. These are just a few of the themes in Beowulf that are typical of an epic.

Beowulf is in many ways a typical hero of oral-traditional epic. Such heroes were usually described as "speakers of words and doers of deeds." Their primary characteristics were a combination of physical prowess, moral virtue, intelligence, and persuasive speaking. Their physical prowess is demonstrated in battle or conquest, as in Beowulf's triumph over Grendel, Grendel's mother, the sea monsters and the dragon. Persuasive speaking and leadership talents are seen in the way in which Beowulf manages to organize and lead his followers. His intelligence in seen in his figuring out and using tactical solutions rather than  simple brute force. Finally, as is typical of heroism, he displays the the virtues of courage and self-discipline as well as piety and generosity.

Unlike the protagonists of modern novels, epic characters are rarely three-dimensional or fully realized, but instead represent "types".