Beowulf is an Epic
The early English epic Beowulf is filled with a marvelous hero, ghastly
villains , far off lands , and deeds of great valor. These are some of the
reasons why Beowulf is a great example of an early English epic. Beowulf is an
epic because it has action that consists of deeds of great valor , the setting
of Beowulf is in vast scope covering great lands and far off places , and the
hero of the story , Beowulf , is of imposing stature of international and
international importance.
One reason that Beowulf is an epic is because the action consists of
deeds of great valor. Beowulf told a story of when he killed nine sea-beasts
with his sword. He also said," I returned from a fight when I destroyed five a
family of giants ," which proves the great strength that Beowulf had. When
Beowulf talked about going to fight Grendel , he denied himself the use of a
sword because he wanted a fair hand-to-hand fight with Grendel. When one of
Hroathgars' coast guards set eyes upon Beowulf he said ,"I have never set eyes
on a more noble man , you are no mere retainer."
Although the action in Beowulf consists of great deeds , the setting of
the story is vast scope covering great lands and far off places. Beowulf said
that his father was favored far and wide because he was a very noble lord. "The
swift current , the surging water carried me to the far off Land of the Lapps ,"
said Beowulf as he told a story to one of Hroathgars' retainers. When Beowulf
talked of where Grendel lived he said ,"These two live in a little known country
with wolf-slopes , windswept headlands where a mountain stream plunges."
The protagonist of Beowulf , Beowulf , is a figure of national and
international importance with great historical and legendary significance. "Then
he who feared no man , the proud leader of the Geats," said the author about
Beowulf before he went to seek Grendel. Another example the narrator uses to
show the importance of Beowulf is ,"Truly , the leader of the Geats fervently
All epic heroes tend to be in a way super human and use their “power” to battle evil to save people. An epic hero comes in during strenuous circumstances. Many epic heroes have a god-like complex to them which can make them seem arrogant. Their inhuman abilities allow them to battle with monster no one man could. Beowulf’s extraordinary characteristics make him well known, yet in the end, his need for fame becomes his terrible downfall.
From 1805 until the present there have been introduced an abundance of paraphrases, translations, adaptations, summaries, versions and illustrations of Beowulf in modern English and in foreign languages due mostly to two reasons: the desire to make the poem accessible, and the desire to read the exotic (Osborn 341). It is the purpose of this essay to present a brief history of this development of the popularity of the poem and then compare some of the translations with respect to some more difficult passages in the poem Beowulf.
In the reading it described that epics are known for their extravagance and that often they have the characteristics of heroism and bravery. I...
Throughout the course of history, there have been many heroes and stories about said heroes. Beowulf is one that is included among these heroes as he exhibits many qualities of a hero, such as honor, bravery, and strength. These qualities are all shown several times throughout the story of the hero Beowulf.
the adventures of a hero. The hero is usually a figure of high social status
Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined as an ideal epic hero and Anglo-Saxon hero. He is courageous, loyal, wise, and physically powerful. Beowulf puts himself through difficult situations just to keep his people safe from evil. He battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon for his people, though he does it for honor as well. Beowulf shows honor in all of his acts, but he is constantly seeking fame and glory through all of his accomplishments. Beowulf has the perfect qualities and characteristics it takes to be an epic
Effective competition is widely seen as a key to the development of telecommunications services. The ability of new telecommunications networks to interconnect fairly and efficiently with existing networks is critical to the development of competition. AT&T has undergone numerous changes since its inception in the late 19th century. The McKinsey 7 S framework as applied by Pascale is recommended to manage the changes they are facing to adopt a greater competitive presence in the global economy. In conjunction with this framework, numerous other models were applied to analyse the global competitive position of AT&T. Recommendations for a revised strategy and direction for AT&T have been made throughout this document including two scenarios of how the telecommunications industry might develop towards 2000, while outlining the impact on AT&T.
The story of the epic hero, Beowulf, has been translated by many authors throughout the years. Among the many authors is Burton Raffel. Burton Raffel tried to instill or incorporate and project an emphasis on the importance of the qualities that a hero should posses. Burton Raffel translated Beowulf in 1963 after 44 other translations of Beowulf. As a translator, Burton Raffel faced what many other translators had to capture – the ideas of the author.
The most supporting quote from the epic poem Beowulf, is on page 48, lines 264-269. Beowulf says, “My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were too afraid to, if I hid behind some broad linden shield: my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster.” It is in this moment that Beowulf shows that he doesn’t want Higlac’s respect for him to drop or be any less. He would rather fight by hand than to let someone, especially the lord think any less of him or lose any respect. To Beowulf, it seems that respect from not only highly respected people, but the common people as well, means a lot to him. He earned the respect that he has and to do something to make him seem like a weaker or lesser person is not an option for him. Although Beowulf uses armor and weapons to fight other monsters, this does not lower anyone’s thoughts for him. This is due to the fact that both Grendel’s mother and the dragon are stronger, more difficult battles to face and the people don’t want to see him fail. Simply by being able to defeat these monsters and keep the Dane’s safe earns their respect for him. Although Beowulf may not have known it, he was extremely respected, even in death. So much that they buried him with the silvers, jewels and treasures that were taken once he killed the dragon. It’s quite clear that Beowulf was respected throughout
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
Beowulf displays his heroic traits of bravery, strength, and glory as he fights the monster Grendel and earns the respect of the Danes. Before going into battle Beowulf decides that he needs no weapons and his “hands / alone shall fight for [him]” (Raffel 172-3). This shows Beowulf’s trait of bravery, instead of hiding behind a shield Beowulf is willing to fight with only his hands against a monster who in twelve years has not been harmed by any other man. Beowulf shows his strength as he causes “[Grendel’s] shoulder [to] / snap, muscle and bone [to] split” (497-8). The fact that Beowulf is strong enough to rip off Grendel’s arm shows that his strength is extraordinary, no ordinary man can rip off the arm of a monster who can
The epic poem, Beowulf, a work of fiction, offers more insight into Ancient Anglo-Saxon English culture than the work of Bede, who wrote, A History of the English Church and People. The epic poem Beowulf gives an enhanced illustration and clearer understanding of the culture of the Ancient Anglo-Saxon’s. The epic poem gives the audience a picture of what the Ancient Anglo-Saxon English valued; seafaring, warriors, heroes, and paganism.
Beowulf, as an epic, can be demonstrated through examples in the writing of the story. Beowulf is often described as a national hero who embodies the ideals of his race or nation. He is referred to as, “…the strongest of the Geats, greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world,” and is shown as displa...
When the story begins, Beowulf has gone to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel for the people, not for the glory. Beowulf brings his own hand picked, group of soldiers with him throughout his battles, and refuses to allow help from others. Beowulf also tells the readers he will not use weapons unless necessary. Before the battle against Grendel, a Denmark officer states, “A chosen warrior who bravely does battle with the creature haunting our people, who survives that horror unhurt, and goes home bearing our love” (ln. 210). Also, when Beowulf’s men abandon him in the battle against the dragon, he does not choose to run in fear, but to continue fighting. In this moment much like in his past, Beowulf shows how honorable he really
The epic poem of Beowulf is a tale of bravery and devotion. Beowulf was a God fearing man and encouraged his men to be of the same, he fought bravely against many foes and won all but his last. The story of Beowulf is just that a story. It is not certain whether he really lived or not but the story of Beowulf came about shortly after Higlac led a military raid around the year 525. During the time period Beowulf was written, there were many epics being written about the same types of things. The Odyssey by Homer was another great fictional epic. Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet was a romantic epic written in this time.