Beowulf - A Literary EpicThere are ten basic elements that help classify a poem as an epic. While Beowulf does not contain all of these elements, it has enough to still identify it as an epic. There are ten characteristics of an epic: the central character has heroic or superhuman qualities, the action takes place on an immense scale, the action involves the fate of an entire people or the entire human race, gods or semi-divine creatures help one or the other part, the author announces his theme at the opening, a character invokes the help of the muses, the poem begins "in media res", the style of the poem is often noble and majestic, the characters speak in long speeches, in some cases there is a literary inventory that forms part of a descriptive passage. The main character of a true epic possesses heroic or superhuman qualities. As the central character, Beowulf was a brave and powerful warrior. Beowulf believed that his fairness and courage would help him defeat the fiercest of adversaries. He had the strength of ten men and was willing to face any battle because he knew he was stronger than any other being, man or beast. Before his battle with Grendel he stated: "Grendel is not braver, nor stronger than I!" When Grendel and Beowulf met, he kept his word and tore the beast's arm from the rest of his body and sent Grendel running cowardly back to his hellish home. While fighting Grendel's mother, Beowulf managed to kill the beast with a single blow from an immense sword, so massive that few men could even lift it. Before his confrontation with Grendel, he had declared: "I could kill him with my sword; I will not, easy as it would be... I will meet him with... middle of paper... .rk, George. Beowulf. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. Leyerle, John. “The Conflicting Demands of Heroic Strength and Royal Wisdom.” Shippey, T.A. “The World of Poetry.” Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom Publishers, 1987. Shippey, Thomas A.. “Structure and Unity.” edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. Tharaud, Barry. .: Greenhaven Press, 1998.Tolkien, JRR. "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics." Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.