Beowulf as a Tragic HeroBy definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist who, due to a tragic flaw, loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing a tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth's tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet's tragic flaw is his need for revenge for his father's death at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh's tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and a search for glory, which ultimately leads to his demise. Beowulf was a great, highly skilled fighter, but because of his overconfidence, a fire-breathing dragon killed him. Beowulf's excessive pride is evident from the beginning of the epic. He is almost always bragging to one person or another. In the first part of the epic, when Beowulf first goes to Hrothgar's kingdom to rid it of Grendel, he speaks of the mighty deeds he has done in his life. “Hail, Hrothgar, health always keeps you! I am the thane and kinsman of Hyglelac; the great deeds that I accomplished in my youth... they themselves saw how I came out of a fight bloodied by enemies where I crushed five of them, killed a tribe of giants and on the waves at night killed aquatic beasts; it was not an easy task, but I stirred up trouble from Geatland - they asked for it, the enemies I killed. accomplished during his life. Beowulf has no doubt in his mind that he is more than capable of killing the wretched Grendel. But because of his overconfidence and popularity... middle of paper ... soon after his death, his kingdom was taken over. Beowulf fits the definition of a “tragic hero” perfectly, as evidenced in the epic poem Beowulf. . He is undoubtedly the hero of the story, but due to his tragic flaws, namely his too much pride and his search for glory, he loses his life and his kingdom falls into the hands of the enemy. Introduction. Cambridge: Univ. Press, 1967. Emmerson, Richard K. and Bernard McGinn. The Apocalypse in the Middle Ages. Ithaca: Cornell, 1992. Garmonsway, et. al. Beowulf and his analogues. New York: Dutton, 1971. Gang, T. M. “Approaches to Beowulf.” RES 3 (1952):.6-12. Hieatt, Constance B. "Envelope Patterns and Structure of Beowulf", English Studies in Canada 1 (1975): 249-265. Sandars, NK, trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin, 1972.