How does his believability affect your sympathy for him?

Throughout the majority of the epic, Beowulf is seen as an epic hero. He is portrayed as a courageous, strong leader. A later section in Beowulf, titled "The Last Battle," is where readers can really see where sympathy is encouraged for the brave leader of the Geats. As indicated by the title, the section in which Beowulf battles the dragon is indeed his last and final battle. In just the first eight lines of the section, he says goodbye to all his followers for the last time; and his age and determination are revealed.