In the epic story Beowulf, the epitome of the character Beowulf faced three battles in which tested him in areas of power, weakness, and death. Beowulf was known as a courageous warrior in so many different situations. Throughout the story of Beowulf the reader can depict from the battles that Beowulf dealt with finding his true power during his battle with Grendel, the adversities of weakness with the battle with Grendel's mother, and then the ultimate battle which was his death which resulted in the birth of a new hero. .
Beowulf was considered a hero for many reasons. In his youth, he displayed strength and courage as defined by the Germanic heroic code that showed loyalty, pride, and courtesy. Even though Beowulf grew up as somewhat a king in training, in his youth he never stopped showing the noble characteristics that were needed for a genuine and dedicated warrior. Beowulf showed several reflections of help for the needy and willing to sacrifice his life for the benefit of others. His many defeats and courageous acts proved him to be deemed a true hero of his times. The major battles he conquered helps attest to why he had the strength in battle. .
One of Beowulf's major battles was against Grendel. This was a battle of power. Grendel was a demon that sought out and murdered many people while also being a target of death himself. Many people that had sought out to battle Grendel for his dictatorship ruling wore an abundance of armor and used weapons to protect themselves, even though most of the battles were a defeat. When it came time for Beowulf to battle Grendel he boasted and stated he would not wear any armor at all. He was known in the village for being the strongest man ever. The book depicts this by stating "The caption of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth" (749-752). It also goes on to say, "He was overwhelmed, manacled tight by the man who of all men was foremost and strongest in the days of his life.