Epic Heros In Beowulf and Roland An epic hero, such as Beowulf or Roland, possesses the qualities of valor, military prowess, loyalty, generosity, and honor. He is a man who fights because he must, for the survival of his tribe or nation. Although the hero is constantly aware of his own mortality, he never shirks "from threat or peril .... It is a hero's duty to preserve his life by valour". It is in battle that the mettle of the epic hero is tested. The epic hero lives in a "shame culture", or an honor/shame society, where a man's 'good name' is his most prized possession. The society is "hierarchical, that is, controlled by a military aristocracy whose highest good is in the warrior's code". It is partly for this reason that Beowulf needs to kill the dragon and that Roland refuses to blow the horn. Genealogy in a hierarchical society is of great importance....

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