Anglo Saxon And Beowulf Comparison

250 Words1 Page

I think if I were to compare and contrast the values of modern hero's to those of a hero during the Anglo-Saxon, I would likely find that there was more contrast than comparison. The Anglo-Saxon period, was a time where one was heroic for the battles they would take place in and how big of an impact they would make in that battle.
Using an example, Beowulf in the eyes of many is someone to admire for all of his "courageous" acts of heroism. Beowulf knows that if he could slay a monster, in the eyes of everyone he would be a hero. With this one simple, and cliché thought Beowulf goes ahead with his plan. When Beowulf succeeds(and after he desecrates the body) he immerses in the glory given to him, because of the great strength and intelligence

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Epic Of Gilgamesh And Beowulf

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    In both Ancient Anglo-Saxon and Ancient Mesopotamian cultures, works of literature portray heroes such Beowulf and Gilgamesh, and the heroic values that they possessed. The heroes, Beowulf and Gilgamesh, had both similar and dissimilar heroic values, however, Beowulf was by far a better hero than Gilgamesh. While Beowulf and Gilgamesh both possessed remarkable strength and courage, Beowulf was fearless and selfless, which makes him a true hero. After comparing the two texts, it is fair to say that Ancient Anglo-Saxons abide by stricter guidelines in terms of heroic values.

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf And The Last Kingdom

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the poem Beowulf, which Seamus Heaney translates to modern English, the character Beowulf bravely conquers all enemies thrown at him, including sea monsters and other perilous creatures. This allows him to gain fame throughout Geatish and Danish lands. His righteous deeds cause the previous heir, Hygelac, to appoint Beowulf to king before he dies, and Beowulf bravely leads his country until he perishes protecting it. On the other hand, in The Last Kingdom, by Bernard Cornwell, the Danes capture a young English boy by the name of Uhtred, and integrate him into their war driven society. Uhtred learns various battle tactics by general Ubba, whose ruthlessness in battle grants him fame and riches. When Uhtred goes back to the English,

    Read More

  • A Comparison Between the World of Beowulf and Modern America

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite numerous cultural and technological advancements, life in modern America continues to bear resemblance to the Anglo-Saxon world. Although it may take time and some loss of pride to admit it, since characteristics of human nature have stayed the same, from work place to personal relationships, the similarities between the two worlds are uncanny.

    Read More

  • Beowulf, a Classic Example of an Anglo-Saxon Hero

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    The clear definition of a hero is often open to interpretation and has never been clearly defined. In the translation of the epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, it is often debated whether the main character Beowulf is actually a hero or not. Beowulf displays hero-like characteristics through his bravery, loyalty, brute strength, confidence and protective nature. He is a crystal clear example of an Anglo-Saxon hero in his time period. In the present day he should be considered a hero as well. He displays heroism through his fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon while managing to protect his people and eventually sacrifice himself.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Abraham Lincoln And Beowulf

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each hero is a resemblance of their culture 's values and time period. Beowulf is a perfect figure to represent the warring and bloodthirsty era of the Anglo-Saxon whcich did not believe in life after death and had to live a life worth talking about for many years after death. On the other hand, Lincoln is a wonderful example of a modern day hero. He preached about God many of times in his debates within the government and even his Second Inaugural Address. The belief in God led him towards a more humble lifestyle in order to live a happier afterlife in Heaven. Heroes can be very identical on the surface, but what separates them is the civilization 's value and honor

    Read More

  • The Greek hero vs. The Anglo-Saxon hero

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hero stands as an archetype of who we should be and who we wish to be. However, the hero has inherent flaws which we do not wish to strive towards. In literature, these flaws are not used as examples of what we should be but rather as examples of what not to be. This is especially dominant in the Greek hero. While the Greek hero follows his fate, making serious mistakes and having a fairly simple life, the Anglo-Saxon "super" hero tries, and may succeed, to change his fate, while dealing with a fairly complex life. The Greek hero is strong and mighty while his wit and intelligence are highly valued. In the Greek tragedy, the hero struggles to avoid many flaws. Among these flaws are ambition, foolishness, stubbornness, and hubris-the excessive component of pride. He must overcome his predestined fate-a task which is impossible. From the beginning of the tale, it is already clear that the hero will ultimately fail with the only way out being death. In Oedipus, the hero is already confronted with a load of information about his family and gouges his eyes out. At this point, when he tries to outwit his fate he has already lost and is sentenced to death.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Beowulf And Hamlet

    1617 Words  | 4 Pages

    Societies construct heroes that represent and embody the ideals of those who create them and read about them. Their is a stark contrast between the hero in the time of Beowulf and Hamlet’s creation and heroes created in modern times. Current literature, movies, and television portray a different kind of hero from those created in 1000 AD to 1600 AD. A hero is defined as someone who is "admired for achievements and noble qualities"," shows great courage", and in historical texts such as Beowulf and Hamlet is a "legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability" or an "illustrious warrior" (Merriam-Webster). Despite the popular belief that the time for heroes has passed away, based on the needs of society, today's heroes still exist and have evolved into something new.

    Read More

  • Heroism and Leadership: Beowulf

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    In medieval literature, heroes are defined to be courageous, valiant, courteous, generous, and loyal. According to Napierkowski, he adds more to the nature of an Anglo-Saxon hero; a hero should be able to have the:

    Read More

  • Beowulf Dynamic Hero

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    For instance, Beowulf displays a daring hero while he tells Hrothgar he has no plan against the demon Grendel, ‘What is your plan?’ ‘The best plan...No plan.’ ‘You are the bravest man I have ever met...If anyone can kill grendel it is you,’(Nye 33). In this quote, the mighty hero Beowulf, represents the qualities of a hero, bravery, because he comes up with a plan while he is fighting grendel. He doesn’t need to plan out a cunning because he uses the strength and light of his hands. In addition, Beowulf announces to his men bravely, ‘Wait ...for me for two days and two nights… and do not risk your lives in coming to look for me,’ (Nye 64-65). In this passage, Beowulf, recklessly jumps in the fen. He tells his men only to wait for him for two days and two nights. Beowulf is a brave hero because he puts himself before his men and risks his life for everyone. To sum it all up, Beowulf’s heroism is represented while he was a young warrior with his reckless

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Beowulf And Anglo Saxons

    396 Words  | 1 Pages

    Of course, monsters may only exist in a fantasy, but these barbarians are archetypal symbols for some problems. A number of people may say that the Anglo-Saxons are similar to Beowulf because they were invaded many of times by the Romans, Celts, Vikings, and Normans. In Beowulf these people were inundated by Grendel, trying to relate Beowulf's battles with the invasions of England. So, what are the differences and similarities between the book of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons? Who is Beowulf and why is he so great? What makes this blonde haired geat warrior and Wiglaf son of Weohstan so similar?

    Read More

  • Beowulf vs. The Canterbury Tales

    532 Words  | 2 Pages

    For centuries, children stories have been a valuable tool in teaching lessons and morals. Like most stories that one was read as a child, there lies a life lesson that the author is trying to portray. Whether it was told orally like the story Beowulf or written by an author like Chaucer who wrote The Canterbury Tales, there are life lessons that are being taught through the characters and their challenges that they endure.

    Read More

  • Beowulf as a Reflection of Anglo-Saxon Values

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.

    Read More

  • Modern Day Hero VS. Anglo-Saxon Hero

    573 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Anglo-Saxon period, people worshiped Hero's. Here are a couple of ways how a modern day hero can be compared to one in the past.

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast: Beowulf and Grendel

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many similarities and differences between the movie "Beowulf and Grendel", to the poem. Major differences between the movie and the poem would be Grendel himself. In the poem, he is described as an evil monster born from two demons. In the movie, Grendel is actually human, but known as a troll to the warriors and Danes. The poem doesn’t give the background of Grendel or show how the Danes killed his father and the possible reason of his revenge, like in the movie. If the witch, Selma, was not included in the storyline of the movie, the audience would not have known key information that she was used to show from more flashbacks. The witch gives more of an idea about Grendel’s past life that could have been the possibility to reasons for his actions. Some major similarities are the battles. Both epics include the battles between Beowulf and Grendel, as well as Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. The end results are the same, leading to their death, but the journey and process to the two tales are different.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Beowulf and Grendel

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story of Beowulf is a heroic epic chronicling the illustrious deeds of the great Geatish warrior Beowulf, who voyages across the seas to rid the Danes of an evil monster, Grendel, who has been wreaking havoc and terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulf is glorified for his heroic deeds of ridding the land of a fiendish monster and halting its scourge of evil while the monster is portrayed as a repugnant creature who deserves to die because of its evil actions. In the epic poem, Beowulf the authors portrays Grendel as a cold-hearted beast who thrives on the pain of others. Many have disagreed with such a simplistic and biased representation of Grendel and his role in the epic poem. John Gardner in his book, Grendel set out to change the reader’s perception of Grendel and his role in Beowulf by narrating the story through Grendel’s point of view. John Gardner transforms the perceived terrible evil fiend who is Grendel into a lonely but intelligent outcast who bears a striking resemblance to his human adversaries. In Grendel, John Gardner portrays Grendel as an intelligent being capable of rational thought as well as displaying outbursts of emotion. He portrays Grendel as a hurt individual and as a victim of oppression ostracized from civilization. The author of Beowulf portrays Grendel as the typical monster archetype as compared to John Gardner’s representation of Grendel as an outcast archetype.

    Read More

More about Anglo Saxon And Beowulf Comparison

Open Document