Beowulf as a Tragic HeroBy definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist who due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters who possessed some 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 poem Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and pursuit of fame, which ultimately leads to his death. Beowulf was a great and highly skilled fighter, but due to his overconfidence the fire-breathing dragon kills him. Beowulf's excessive pride is evident from the beginning of the epic. He almost always boasts about himself to one or another person. In the first part of the epic, when Beowulf first travels to Hrothgar's kingdom to free him from Grendel, he talks about the powerful deeds he has done in his life. “Hail, Hrothgar, may health always protect you! I am the lord and kinsman of Hyglelac; mighty deeds I performed in my youth... they themselves saw how I returned from a fight bloodied by enemies in which I crushed five, killed a tribe of giants and on the waves at night I killed aquatic beasts; it was not an easy task, but I got out of trouble from Geatland: they asked me, the enemies I killed. "(Beowulf p73) One can easily imagine him standing proud and tall in front of a multitude of fellow warriors, proclaiming all his deeds he has accomplished in his life. Beowulf has no doubt in his mind that he is more than capable of killing the miserable Grendel. Because of his overconfidence and popularity... middle of paper... soon after his death Beowulf fits the definition of "tragic hero", as evidenced in the epic poem Beowulf. He is defiantly the hero of the story, but due to his tragic flaws of being too proud and seeking fame, he loses his life and his kingdom falls into the hands of the enemy see Chambers, R.W. Beowulf: An Introduction. Cambridge: Univ. Press, 1967. Emmerson, Richard K. and Its Analogues York: Dutton, 1971.Gang, T.M. "It Comes Closer to Beowulf." RES 3 (1952):.6-12.Hieatt, Constance B. “Envelope Patterns and the Structure of Beowulf,” English Studies in Canada 1 (1975): 249-265.Sandars, N.K., trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin, 1972.