In Tolkien’s Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, he offers many points of criticism toward Beowulf. Furthermore, he also critiques those who have previously offered criticism for the poem. He largely praises the poem, claiming that most of its beauty is lost with readers’ interpretations, namely their considering it more of a piece of history than the amazing piece of art that it is. In his own words, Tolkien states that “Beowulf is not an actual picture of historic Denmark or Geatland or Sweden about A.D. 500. But it is (if with certain minor defects) on a general view of a self consistent picture, a construction bearing clearly the marks of design and thought” (Tolkien). Additionally, Tolkien disagrees with other critics on the idea that Beowulf fighting enemies based in fantasy detracting from his many heroic deeds. He says that “it would have been preposterous, if the poet had recounted Beowulf’s rise to fame in a ‘typical’ or ‘commonplace’ war in Frisia, and then ended him with a dragon” (Tolkien). …show more content…
The difference between an epic and an elegy being that an epic is a narrative poem, usually very long, that tells the story of a larger-than-life hero performing incredible feats of strength and valor through involvement of the supernatural. On the other side of this coin, an elegy bares resemblance to the more commonly known eulogy, involving a lament, in which the poet show grief and sorrow, followed by praise for the newly dead, ultimately ending with a great deal of solace. He explains that the majority of the poem, “its first 3,136 lines,” (Tolkien) are simply an extended lead up to the lines in which Beowulf’s funeral is prepared which read “the Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf, stacked and decked it until it stood four-square”
Frank, Roberta. “The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History.” In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in the late tenth-century, at the kingdom of the West Saxons. The two main characters are Beowulf, a young man; and Grendel, a furious dragon. Beowulf's world is a very violent society with wars as a dominant part of daily life. Dragons and monsters are a constant threat to the Danes and the Geats. Warriors are a necessity to this war-like society. Beowulf is a hero as well as a great, and honorable, warrior.
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
Every different type of persons have different opinions is what a monster really is. In my opinion a monster would be someone that doesn’t stop hurting someone until they get what they want. It all depends what the situation would be though. For an example this past few weeks we’ve been reading two different monster packets, one was Grendel and the other one was Beowulf. Now its asking us, who is the real monster? Beowulf would be consider a monster in many different ways. First of all Beowulf is a powerful warrior of the Geats, he is known for his bravery. Was a symbol for the heroic qualities most admired in early england. Between Grendel and Beowulf, Beowulf would be the monster in many different reasons. He is known by being a hero, is he really one though? That’s the question.. Beowulf is the longest and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. For 12 years, a huge man-like ogre named Grendel, a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain, has menaced the aging Hrothgar.
In the novel, there is a whole different representation of the character Beowulf, he is viewed as a conniving snake that is feared by his fellows. People see him in an unsettling manner, with tense attitudes, and resented feelings. “The Danes sat sulking, watching the strangers eat, wishing some one of them would give them an excuse to use their daggers.
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
In Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.
In the lecture Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics by J. R. R. Tolkien, he discusses Beowulf through a different aspect. Tolkien argues that the epic poem is infact, overlooked and not seen by the true aspect of the poem. He argues that Beowulf is a piece of literature that should be viewed as a piece of art, an epic poem, rather than just a composition of history. Tolkien supports his argument by carefully analyzing the text, including literary elements and themes the creator includes in Beowulf.
There are three prominent monsters in the Beowulf text, Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. While the dragon proves to be the most fatale of foes for Beowulf, Grendel and his mother do not simply pose physical threats to the Germanic society; their roles in Beowulf are manifold. They challenge the perceptions of heroism, a sense of unrivalled perfection and superiority. Moreover, they allow the reader to reconsider the gender constructs upheld within the text; one cannot help but feel that the threat that these monsters present is directed towards the prevalent flaws in Beowulf’s world. Moreover, what makes these monsters is not their physical appearance; it is what they embody. Both Grendel and his mother have humanlike qualities yet their monstrous appearance arises from what their features and mannerisms represent. The challenge they pose to societal paradigms makes them far more terrifying to our heroes than any scaled flesh or clawing hand. These monsters provide the ‘most authoritative general criticism […] of the structure and conduct of the poem’. Their presence provides contrast and criticism of the brave society (Heaney 103).
In any classic story about heroes and villains, the monsters involved are often characterized as the evil ones and, consequently, receive no justice under the law. Throughout the epic story Beowulf, the hero of the story encounters three monsters that are threats to society: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. The monsters in Beowulf are quickly targeted and destroyed because of the harm they cause to society. However, upon further examination of the monsters and the motives for their actions, the reader can view the monsters not as the cutthroat villains they may initially appear to be, but perhaps as victims of society. In today’s society, murderers and robbers are also portrayed as “monsters” because of the atrocious crimes they commit. While it is undeniably wrong to commit any kind of crime and I do not wish to condone murder or theft in any way, there may also be an ulterior explanation for why these modern “monsters” cause harm to society. In comparing and contrasting the monsters of Germanic epic with criminals of today, perhaps we can gain some insight into the motivation of both.
Tolkien, J.R.R.. “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
You may have heard people say things like“Who needs English class, there 's not much to it, all you can do is read it.” “ Writing is like math, some people are just born with the talent.” There are now innumerable jobs requiring a writing paper off any source to confirm that one is set for the company. If a customer service company were to have unprofessional representatives, the company will lose more than half of its customers. Throughout my educational years, I’ve been assigned many papers; some examples are research papers, lab reports, summary papers, and analyzing papers. During my last year of high school, I was introduced to a new type of writing, named “Analyze with Reflection”. In class, the teacher would hand out articles, to read through; which then followed with by analyzing the summary and reflecting it on everyday life. I understood the assignment very well, maybe because most of the assignments were about
direction is like trying to hit a cloud with a bow and arrow. A hero is also
Courage is a theme that is shown throughout the entire epic of Beowulf. By definition courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes on ones own will and determination. There are many things form the epic that could be used to prove this statement, but I chose to use the section entitled "The Final Battle." In this section there are two great speeches given by both Beowulf and Wiglaf. I believe that in both of these monologues courage is portrayed by the two warriors, and it is easy to see why.
Beowulf is a story that has stood the test of time. Its history is extensive and our fascination with it appears never-ending. As mysterious as it is epic, the poem tells the tale of a man on glorious and unimaginable quests. Beowulf is a warrior capable of slaying the most horrifying monsters of his time. He is a great hero and later a great king (Greenblatt 2006). Yet, is there something lacking in his character? What of the people around him? How do they stack up against the creations of modern day writers?