Characteristics Of Bilbo In The Hobbit

Nobility, bravery, loyalty. These characteristics describe a true epic hero who people admire for their great achievements. In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien illustrates Bilbo’s ‘journey’ of becoming an epic hero. Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who loves the comfort of home, as well as food even more. As a Baggins, Bilbo does not go on adventures until Gandalf, a wizard, claims Bilbo the burglar of the dwarves adventure to the Lonely Mountain. Many readers like to believe that Bilbo Baggins becomes an anti-hero throughout the epic poem, but Tolkien shows more evidence to conclude that Bilbo becomes an epic hero instead. Through courage and spirit, Bilbo fights off the great spiders, helps the dwarves escape the palace of the elvenking, and enters Smaug’s lair first, to prove that Bilbo undeniably becomes an epic hero. To begin with, Bilbo Baggins demonstrates courage in order to fight off the giant spiders. With the help of his invisible ring and his sword, Bilbo is able to scare and kill the great
When the elves leave the palace to go feast in the woods, the guards drink too much wine and Bilbo steals the keys of the dwarves cells. At first, Bilbo explains that the dwarves will break out of the palace by hiding in empty wine barrels and they reply, “We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain!’ they muttered. ‘We thought you had got some sensible notion when you managed to get a hold of the keys. This is a mad idea!” (Tolkien 179). Sooner or later, the dwarves agree to Bilbo’s arrangement. They all realize that this is their only chance to escape, since they are already out of their cells. Although all of the dwarves were sore, their escape was successful and Thorin and company could continue their expedition to the Lonely Mountain. Once again, Bilbo achieves the title of an epic hero because of the dauntless escape from the palace of the elvenking justifying Bilbo’s