A Literary Analysis Of Beowulf

Emily Gudino

Ms. Rivers

AP English 12

16 September 2016

Beowulf Literary Analysis There aren't many instances when you're reading a complex and appealing poem or novel that you look deep into the meaning of said story. In the epic poem “Beowulf,”, translated by Burton Raffel, it is easy to interpret what it shows us as readers. It is a larger-than-life heroic tale of the main character and hero Beowulf. “Beowulf” show us how to go beyond the human experience, battling our own devils and feats. The author of this story shows us that sacrifices need to be made in order to fight against evil. The quest that is shown in this epic poem is also shown in other heroic tales. In pretty much every story there is a quest and a deeper meaning. Beowulf

The novel symbolizes the journey he has to take. His journey includes defeating Grendel and learning what his existence means. Grendel is simultaneously learning what his place is. In chapter 2 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, the idea of communion is introduced. Foster reveals “In fact, literary versions of communion can interpret the word in quite a variety of ways” (Foster 8). Foster in fact saying that the communion isn’t necessarily religious. It can mean and be at looked at in different ways. For example in Beowulf the communion is having to face Grendel. The unity and close factors of the community is then lost. Communion can be when people eat and drink together. So it has that tie to religion which is a insight into the human experience. In this case it looked at in a variety of ways. It does not always have a religious connotation.

The significance of the feast is that Beowulf would meet Hrothgar met to defeat Grendel and his mother. Symbolism is a device that plays a great role in Beowulf. In chapter 12 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster describes how symbols are used and states that “in general a symbol can’t be reduced to standing for only one thing” (Foster 55). There are several symbols throughout the poem being used. Examples of these symbols are each and every character. They are used to symbolize an aspect or experience