Beowulf and Grendel: The Hall Heorot Is Attacked By Grendel
Beowulf is one of the greatest surviving epic poems. It was composed by Germanic people more than twelve hundred years ago. Although it is written in Old English, it deals with the Scandinavian forebears of the Anglo-Saxons, the Danes and the Geats. This epic poem concerns itself with Christianity, internal and external evils, and the warriors defeating monsters.
The first passage of this story basically describes the building of Heorot. Hrothgar, decides to build a Valhalla-type of sanctuary for his warriors that he names "Heorot", or the Hall of the Hart (deer hall). This is in the first main passage of the story of Beowulf and this is the first place we find the theme of internal versus external evil. The passage implies that internal evil will ultimately destroy the hall, rather than being attacked by monsters: "The hall stood tall, high and wide-gabled: it would wait fierce flames of vengeful fire: the time was not yet at hand for sword-hate between son-in-law and father-in-law to awaken after murderous rage. "(Norton 28) This foreshadows the internal evil that will destroy the Danes. Another theme in this story is the theme of men versus monsters. This theme comes to light when Grendel is described: "The creature of evil, grim and fierce, was quickly ready, savage and cruel, and seized from their rest thirty thanes".(Norton 28)
Heorot is a drinking hall, where warriors gather for parties and to get drunk. Heorot is a creation of civilization made by Hrothgar, for men to gather as a meeting place and a place to sleep. Hrothgar builds the biggest hall ever made. Grendel then attacks the hall for twelve winters straight, destroying more and more men every night with no remorse, and the men are afraid to sleep in the hall, thinking that maybe Grendel will eat them. Grendel is a ruthless caniball: "I think that if he may accomplish it, unafraid he will feed on the folk of the Geats in the war-hall as he has often done on the flower of men."(Norton 32-33) Grendel is a savage, and he ruthlessly eats his victims. The Hall Heorot is a drinking hall, and most of the warriors stand no chance against Grendel. They are drunk and are not able to attack Grendel.
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
The Roman Empire had a social system that was based on autonomy, heredity, citizenship and property as well as distinguishing men and women by their social status. The women had the lowest position in society which were depended on the status of their husbands and fathers. They lacked independence and ...
Beowulf begins with a history of the Danish kings. Hrothgar is the present king of the Danes. He builds a hall, called Heorot, to house his army. The Danish soldiers gather under its roof to celebrate and have fellowship with each other. Grendel, who lives at the bottom of a nearby swamp, is awakened and disgusted by the singing of Hrothgar's men. He comes to the hall late one night and kills thirty of the warriors in their sleep. For the next twelve years Grendel stalks the mead hall known as Heorot.
The two prominent empires, the Roman Empire in the west and the Han Dynasty in the east ruled over large sections of the world population. The significance of these empires on
The poem Beowulf is a renowned story that displays many different surroundings and religious beliefs. Some may believe the story of Beowulf portrays pagan beliefs or customs and others believe that the poem is more in agreement with Christian ethnicity. The author of Beowulf uses both Christian and pagan elements in the poem to define the heroic warrior, Beowulf, and the evil dragons. After reading Beowulf the author clearly shows how Beowulf is a man who is filled with Christian customs and is willing to die and defend the world against evil using the help of God.
To begin, the setting of where Beowulf and Grendel live, are very distinct. Beowulf creates a lavish hall, called Heorot, to house his army of men, when the hall is finished the Danish warriors gather together
The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire were two grand empires that rose out of preexisting territories and provided relative peace over wide areas. The collapse of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), which was the first great land-based empire in East Asia, came after a period of war, confusion, and tyrannical rule. Due to the political disorder that stemmed from the early dynastic activity, the emergence of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 228 CE) sprung to focus on restoring order. On the other hand, the rise of the Roman Empire (44 BCE- 476 CE) originated from consolidating authority over aristocratic landlords and overriding the democratic elements of the earlier Republic. Instead, the Roman Empire redefined the concept of “citizen” as subjects to the Roman emperor. Both empires shared similar agendas to exploit their vast territories and resources, which helped them expand their political dominance; however, despite having similar political goals and foundations, their government system, cultural ideologies and imperial expansionist natures diverged.
Heorot, the mead-hall, represents a big part of the culture of the Danes, because it is where the people eat, celebrate, and where many great stories are told. It symbolizes the might and power of the Spear-Danes under Hrothgar, since it is the largest mead-hall in the world. It is also a seat of government, and is where the first battle takes place. Contrary to Grendel’s cave, it represents light and happiness, the ‘heart’ of the Danes.
When comparing different societies in ancient history you may not think that Han China and Ancient Rome had a lot in common. These two great societies had many similarities and differences, especially in their social structures. These similarities and differences are all due to Han China’s and Ancient Rome’s governments, family structures and religions. Both of these wonderful empires lasted for approximately 400 years and had lasting effects on the lands they conquered.
Grendel is the embodiment of all that is evil and dark. He is a descendant of Cain and like Cain is an outcast of society. He is doomed to roam in the shadows. He is always outside looking inside. He is an outside threat to the order of society and all that is good. His whole existence is grounded solely in the moral perversion to hate good simply because it is good.
In the story Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, Grendel is a slimy green swamp monster that has human emotions but is portrayed as a hideous beast and an outcast of the Anglo-Saxon society.
Vaccines have been an issue of controversy for most of this short century. Many people speak out against vaccines without doing the proper research. For the greater good of public health, children and adults should be vaccinated against preventable illnesses regularly. There are many reasons to be vaccinated, that will be explained in further detail below. Many people fear vaccinations because of the inactive cells or viruses contained in vaccinations. Other people are afraid that the vast increase in Autism is due to vaccinations. I am able to see that there has been a large increase is Autism but I do not believe that it is due to vaccinations. I won’t begin to speculate on the reason Autism has increased in the last 50 years. Vaccination is used all around the world and there are certain standards that must be met so that all vaccines remain effective and pose minimum risk. Vaccines help your body recognize and fight germs and protect against infection from preventable and deadly diseases. It is important to fully understand how vaccinations work, what makes them effective to ensure your child, receives the best possible care and to ensure a happy, healthy life.
Beowulf is the single greatest story of Old English literature and one of the greatest epics of all time. Ironically, no one can lay claim to being the author of this amazing example of literature. The creator of this poem was said to be alive around 600 A.D. and the story was, since then, been passed down orally from generation to generation. When the first English monks heard the story, they took it upon themselves to write it down and add a bit of their own thoughts. Thus, a great epic and the beginning to English literature was born.
The key to understanding the impact marital rape has on women is to recognize what marital rape actually is. For many people, this is a foreign concept that they do not fully comprehend because it is something we rarely discuss. It is also helpful to define the act of rape before discussing marital rape because it can benefit one in comprehending the act. According to Babalola Abegunde, author of the article “Re-Examination of Rape and Its Growing Jurisprudence under International Law” published in the Journal of Politics and Law, the word rape, “originates from the Latin verb ‘rapere,’ meaning to ‘seize or take by force” (qtd. in Abegunde). Likewise, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online defines rape as “unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent” (“rape”). In short, rape is forceful sexual assault against an unwilling participant. Similarly, Abegunde defines marital rape, or spousal rape as it is sometimes called, as “a non-consensual sex in which the perpetrator is the victim’s spouse” (Abegunde). In addition, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network states th...
Marital rape is a form of intimate partner violence, an abuse of power by which one spouse attempts to establish dominance and control over the other. Because of the attackers own insecurities, rape can control the other person's state of mind by instilling fear into the individual, leading to a number of psychological problems such as depression, fear, anxiety, and concerns with sexual orientation. As described by a few marital rape victims, other main issues caused by marital rape include: longer recovery from trauma, higher likelihood of repeated assaults, pressure to stay with perpetrator, negative effects on children in the household, and difficulty identifying what happened as a crime.