Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The attitudes of beowulf
Beowulf as an ethic hero
Beowulf as an ethic hero
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The attitudes of beowulf
Christian & Pagan Influences
There are Christian influences in the episode of "Grendel's Mother's attack." Primarily, the Christian influence is seen Norton text(43):
Grendel's mother, woman, monster-wife, was mindful of her misery, she who had to dwell in the terrible water, the cold currents, after Cain became sword-slayer of his only brother, his father's own son. Then Cain went as an outlaw to flee the cheerful life of men, marked for his murder, held to the wasteland. From him sprang many a devil sent by fate. Grendel was one of them, hateful outcast who at Herot found a waking man waiting his warfare. There a monster had laid hold upon him...Then he went off wretched, bereft of joy, to seek his dying place, enemy of mankind. And his mother, still greedy and gallows-grin, would go on a sorrowful venture, avenge her son's death".
Grendel is the spawn of the greatest sin in the Anglo-Saxon era -- fratricide. Fratricide is the slaying of one's own brother. Cain was cursed by God, forced to have hardship in tilling the soil and was given a mark on his head. God's wrath would not allow Cain to abandon his sin, by death, and his curse carried on throughout the life of mankind. To read the complete story of Cain and his brother Abel, click here The sin of fratricide did not only mean blood-related family, but applied to the murder of kinsmen.
This portion of the Norton text deals with Beowulf and his root to God's grace:
...but he was mindful of the great strength, the large gift God had given him and relied on the Almighty for favor, comfort and help. By that he overcame the foe, subdued the hell-spirit.
This quotation provides a sense of Christian values and shows the hero's dependency on God. According to the poet, Beowulf realizes that his strength comes from the Almighty rather than from his own merit. Beowulf is shown as a brave warrior.
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
Despite her evil actions, it is evident that there is less malice in her than Grendel and she is less of a symbol of pure evil than he is. For example, her attack on Heorot is somewhat appropriate and could be considered honorable by the standards of warrior culture, as it marks an attempt to avenge one’s son’s death. In fact, the motive for her attack is similar to Beowulf’s motive for his attack on her: avenging the death of a loved one. One of the most interesting aspects of Grendel’s mother’s attachment to this vengeance-demanding code that the warriors follow is that she is depicted as not entirely alien or monstrous. Her behavior is not only comprehensible but also justified. In other ways, however, Grendel and his mother are indeed portrayed as creatures from another world. One aspect of their difference from the humans portrayed in the poem is that Grendel’s strong parental figure is his mother rather
The setting for Beowulf is Scandinavia, before the time Christianity had spread its course. Beowulf, the title character is the hero in this tale. He possesses many of the typical heroic traits such as strength, courage, loyalty and the ability to conquer evil. A “superhero,” by today’s standards, Beowulf proves these characteristics in the confrontations he has during this legend. His strength is said to be that of thirty men. Beowulf is confident about his strength, not hesitating to boast of his accomplishments. Even to Hrothgar, the king, he tells of his great victory in a swimming match. Beowulf encounters monsters many times his size. The great courage that he possesses allows him to fight them with an enormous amount of confidence. Grendel and Grendel’s mother are slain by Beowulf. The dragon, although is dies, also mortally wounds the always confident Beowulf. Regardless of who Beowulf battles, his courage is a major force in his numerous victories. The last of Beowulf’s qualities, and possibly the most important is his loyalty. Beowulf’s loyalty is always on the side of good. He aligns himself with this side, which happens to be Hrothgar, and the people in which Beo...
Education is a topic that can be explored in many ways. Education is looked at in depth by both Richard Rodriguez in his essay, “The Achievement of Desire”, and by Paulo Freire in his essay, “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education.” After reading both essays, one can make some assumptions about different methods of education and exactly by which method Rodriguez was taught. The types of relationships Rodriguez had with his teachers, family and in life were affected by specific styles of education.
Almost all of the characters in the movie, besides one Christian missionary, seem to have declared a faith in pagan ideology. In the movie Beowulf and Grendel there is a part of the movie where a man is talking to Beowulf about Christianity and he states, “The Celt (missionary) says that Jesus Christ never sleeps, that he walks amongst us.” and Beowulf replies “Oh, that’s all we need, a god gone mad from lack of sleep”. Switching from reader of the poem to watcher of this film one can completely tell a difference in the manner that Beowulf addresses Christianity, and that one quote is the tone that Beowulf has towards God and the Christian religion in the entire film. Despite all of the negativity in the movie many of the characters in the movie decide to get baptized and to give their lives to Christ, but not Beowulf. In the epic poem Beowulf essentially presents himself to God, granting all of his glory to God and thanking him for all of his fortune, but in the movie Beowulf blatantly disregards God and doesn’t have any desire to partake in the Christian
This gratitude towards God is also shown in the final moments of his life. Beowulf thanks God for the life he was allowed to lead, and for all the battles that he won because of the grace of God. “For this, this Gold, these jewels, I thank/ Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth/ for all of this that his grace has given me”(109). This humble attitude is a great asset for a leade...
One thing which all three men, Stalin, Trotsky, and Bukharin, all shared was a common error. After Vladimir Lenin’s death, they contributed to the wishes which Lenin had not wished for which were to build a personality cult around Lenin for his consistent Marxism. This process which the men did became sanctifying communist leadership which Lenin had not done and instead examined the reality of facts instead of what the powerful, overshadowing leader proclaimed. The Marx theory laid the foundation to the science of socialists.
When Nussbaum refers to ‘human capabilities’ she is referring to the people’s “abilities to do and to be certain things deemed valuable”(Nussbaum 275). In other terms, a capability is the ability to choose the way one leads one’s own life without constraints on any of the available choices. For instance, to be capable of choosing which political party to identify with or of practicing a religion of one’s choosing is to be fully human. In Nussbaum’s view being rational and being happy is not sufficient to define humanity. It is being able to make choices which defines a truly human life, and is accompanied with dignity. This presents the question of, “What is A actually able to do and to be?” (Nussbaum 285).
College athletes should be paid! College athletes are often considered to be some of the luckiest students in the world. Most of them receiving all inclusive scholarships that cover all the costs of their education. They are also in a position to make a reputation for themselves in the sporting world preparing them for the next step. The ongoing debate whether student athletes should be paid has been going on for years. These athletes bring in millions of dollars for their respective schools and receive zero in return. Many will argue that they do receive payment, but in reality it is just not true. Costs associated with getting a college education will be discussed, information pertaining to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and benefits student athletes receive. First, I’ll start with costs associated with college and most of all why student athletes should be paid!
This quote is one of many examples of Beowulf’s pride. Beowulf, a strong warrior, wants to fight Grendel, a malicious monster. Although his adventure is seen to benefit his honor and glory, he is thoughtful of others and gives his time, labor, and treasures to them. The Anglo-Saxons hold a high respect for pride and sacrifice. Beowulf’s lust for glory and pride is obvious he wants to be known and feared. But throughout the story there is an unspoken tone about his constant charity. When he fights a monster for
The argument that college athletes should be paid as been ongoing for many years. With the growing rise of college athletes’ popularity in the media, many people believe that college athletes should be paid, but they do not see the negative effects of the payments. The payments of college athletes could cause their price of enrollment to rise, forcing many students to transfer to other universities or not attend college at all. It may also cause fan ratings to drop because the relatability factor would disappear. Along with university budget cuts appearing, academic scholarships and athletic scholarships would disappear. College athletes should not be paid because college athletes are students and not professional players, the deep connection
College athletes are undoubtedly some of the hardest working people in the world. Not only are they living the life of an average student, they also have a strenuous schedule with their specific sport. One of the most discussed topics in the world of college athletics is whether or not student-athletes should be paid money for playing sports. The people who disagree with the idea have some good arguments to make. Primarily that the athletes get to go to school for free for playing sports. Another argument is that if student-athletes were to get paid then it would ruin the amateurism of college sports. People who are against paying the athletes do not want to see the young people become focused on money. “Paying student-athletes would dramatically shift their focus away from where it should be - gaining knowledge and skills for life after college” (Lewis and Williams). This is very understandable because one of the biggest reasons college sports are so popular is because the athletes play for school pride and for bragging rights. They play because they enjoy the game, not because it is their job. Most people that disagree with the idea of paying the athletes fail to realize what really goes on behind the scenes. At most Universities around the country the bulk of the income the school receives is brought in through the athletic programs. In fact the football and basketball teams usually bring in enough money to completely pay for the rest of the athletic programs all together. To get a better understanding of how much has changed in the world of college sports a little history must be learned.
...ho, and The Rolling Stones. The Who electrified the grunge scene, while The Rolling Stones emphasized their punk attitude. By contrast, The Beatles were the fresh, clean British boys who sang sweet, innocent songs that even conservative parents could embrace. This accessibility undoubtedly contributed to their long-lasting fame. Their music is still incredibly famous to this day, and influenced tons of musicians for years after reaching their peak popularity, making them--and the British invasion as a whole--part of one of the most significant musical upheavals of the 20th century.
During their feast, they confess their beliefs in God and bond spiritually. The narrator of the poem shows sorrow for the pagan ancestors simply because they are bitter and come from a line of jealousy. Grendel is an ancestor of the pagan god Cain; Cain was jealous of his brother Abel because God favored Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s, so he decided to kill his brother.
Through Grendel's own hatred and anger, he brings his own downfall. The "sin-stained demon" has his roots in the vile creature Cain. Since Grendel is spawned from Cain, he can never feel the love of God or of people: ". . . God, / Whose love Grendel could not know." (84-85). It is because of this, that Grendel hates every mortal being he lays his eyes upon. Hatred leads to anger, constant anger, ". . . bearing God's hatred, / Grendel came, hoping to kill" (393-394). Fear is Grendel's other major flaw, "His mind was flooded with fear . . ." (435). Through his hatred and fear, Grendel seals his own fate.