Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 long alliterative lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of the Anglo-Saxon literature due to the fact that it is the oldest epic poem in Old English and also the first vernacular English literature. Tragedy and epic have been much discussed as distinct genres, but critics have not hesitated to designate certain characters and events in the epics as tragic. For the most part, they assumed or affirmed an identity between epic tragedy and drama. Even in The Odyssey, Penelope and Telemachus suffer enough to awaken their deep passions and force them, like the tragic patient, to reflect on their own difficulties in the world in which they live. CL Wrenn wrote of Beowulf: "A Germanic hero is a tragic hero, who shows his greatest greatness not only by gaining glory through victory, but rather by finding his qualities supremely noble, especially at the moment of death in fight” (Wrenn 91). Beowulf's pride, the depiction of wealth as a feature of village profiling, and Beowulf's ability to find his power at the moment of his "death", all show the very nature of the poem that defines it not only as an epic poem , but also as an epic poem. a tragedy. One of Beowulf's major flaws is his large ego. His inordinate pride, or excessive pride, is the tragic flaw that causes his death. It is important for Beowulf to demonstrate strength even when there is no important heroic task to accomplish. When there are no demons or dragons to fight, he engages in “swimming contests” with other warriors: “Well, friend Unferth, you have a say in Breca and me. But it was mainly the beer that spoke. The truth is this: when the middle of paper ...... actor for whom Beowulf is called a tragedy is presented in a light that may not be considered tragic by normal 21st century standards, but rather 8th century Scandinavian standards: the supreme discovery of Beowulf's true power in his moments of "death". By normal standards, this work is considered an epic, but in light of the very characteristics that Beowulf exemplifies while carrying out his arduous tasks, the "epic" can also be classified as a tragedy. Works Cited Foster, Edward E. “Beowulf, the Epic Hero” Masterplots, Second Revised Edition, Salem Press, Ed.Salem, Mass. 1996. Langer, Susanne K. Problems of Art; Ten philosophical lectures. New York: Scribner, 1957. Print. Wrenn, Charles L. Beowulf: With the Finnesburg Fragment. London: Nobel, 1953. Print. Wright, David. Beowulf. Baltimore, MD: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England, 1957. Print.