Discuss evidence of Beowulf's loyalty to his king and queen and examine the attributes that make him a classic hero.
Beowulf's loyalty to the king comes because of his father. When he was younger the king helps his father in a feud and because of it, Beowulf feels as though he needs to be loyal to him. The king had said "Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance" and so Beowulf feels like he has a debt to pay.
A classic hero is the main character that faces danger but goes through it with bravery and makes scarifies for the greater good instead of being selfish. Beowulf presents these characteristics more than once. He shows it through his loyalty to the king, when battling Grendel, and lastly in his last battle with the dragon where
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The darkness and the light represent the good and bad that is occurring in the scene and the entire poem. For example, in lines 849-852 it says "With his death upon him, he had dived deep into his marsh-den, drowned out his life and his heathen soul: hell claimed him there.", which shows that Grendel was the bad. Grendel's evil can also be seen in the description of his lair as a dark and lonely place.
The light can be seen after Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother when we see the "ring-marked" sword and the flaming light which symbolized the victory of his battle. We also see the good in the 50-year reign that Beowulf had and in the end when Wiglaf went in to help him defeat the dragon even though all the other men ran away.
Analyze the symbolism of the terrain and the creatures in the lake where Grendel's mother dwells.
The area is described as many horrible things. In lines 1368-1389 it says things like "On its bank, the heather-stepper halts: the hart in flight from pursuing hounds will turn to face them with firm-set horns and die in the wood rather than dive beneath its surface. That is no good place... wind blows up and stormy weather makes clouds scud and the skies weep...dirty surge is pitched towards the heavens... the gap of danger where the demon waits is still unknown to you. Seek it if you dare." Things that would usually warn someone off but still Beowulf decided to go
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writhing sea-dragons and monsters slouching on slopes by the cliff." In lines 1425-1427. These animals and terrain structures are put there so that no one enters or wants to go further. They are meant to be a warning of what is to come.
Discuss Beowulf's final address to his companions and analyze why he resolves to fight the dragon alone.
Beowulf's speech is mainly about how he achieved his goals and won so many battles. He is giving this speech because he knows that he is about to die when he goes into this battle against the dragon and he wants them to know that he wishes that he could fight him "hand-to-hand" like he did with Grendel but it will be a lot harder.
I think that he was just being a good king and since he knew how dangerous this battle was going to be he decided to go on his own "for the glory of winning" (2514). He didn’t want to put his men in danger and would have rather done it by himself even if it meant that he would die in the process.
Examine Wiglaf's rationale for staying with Beowulf, and discuss his speech to the deserters
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
Grendel, as a character, has a much more complex identity than just a monster and a human. Some, such as Ruud, classify him as a mixture of three different characteristics, but alone, they tend to conflict with each other. By making the connection that Grendel represents immorality, the previous idea makes more sense, while simultaneously incorporating more aspects of the character into the analysis. In either case, Grendel represents much more than meets the eye, and provides a fascinating insight into
Damrosch, David, and David L. Pike. “Beowulf.” The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Compact Edition. New York: Pearson, Longman, 2008. 929-970. Print.
These are just a few of the qualities that make Beowulf a hero, however they are his strongest ones. Although his acts of greatness may not be entirely for the right reasons, Beowulf could be viewed as a true archetypal hero figure. His bravery, arrogance, brute force all tie into his greatness. And provide undeniable evidence to his
Early in the poem, Beowulf hears accounts of Grendel’s destruction of Herot, Hrothgar’s majestic mead hall. Knowing his strength and military prowess, Beowulf immediately devises a plan, recruits men, and orders boats, thrusting himself into a battle that was not necessarily his to fight. Beowulf felt obligated to end Grendel’s reign of terror. Though he knew the death of Grendel would bring him fame and honor, the idealized Beowulf was able to set aside personal ambition in order to end the suffering of the Danes. Shortly after slaying Grendel, Beowulf again displays an awareness of duty when Grendel’s mother extracts revenge upon Herot, killing one of Hrothgar’s best men, Aeshere. Instead of leaving Herot in a state of frenzy, Beowulf comes to King Hrothgar’s side, pledging allegiance and service. Bolstering the defeated king’s moral, Beowulf boldly addresses the older King Hrothgar saying, “So arise, my lord, and let us immediately set forth on the trail of this troll-dam. I guarantee you: she will not get away, not to dens under ground nor upland groves nor the ocean floor. She’ll have nowhere to fall to. Endure your troubles to-day. Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.” Beowulf could not set aside his duty and obligation, though he knew full well the suffering and pain that might result from his actions. Thus, Beowulf is a portrait of
Beowulf has been living at his home land taking on challenges that others may not have wanted to take on. He has always been a man of action, always looking for adventure that challenges his strength. When Beowulf was told of the rumors that a demon is tormenting Hrothgar famous mead serving hall he accepted the wise men decisions to help him rid them of the demon. This is where step two of the hero’s journey comes into play. There is a call to adventure that affects the hero in some way. Beowulf may have formed a personal connection to the cries of Hrothgar reason being his father was once had history with Hrothgar . When Hrothgar helped Beowulf 's father settle things with the Wulfings Beowulf may have felt a need to repay his father’s debt. When Beowulf and his men finished the feast the king provided in the mead hall that was closed due to Grendel’s blood lust. ¨Epic heroes possess qualities that mere mortals lack. Bravery beyond compare, superhuman intelligence, strength or skills and a driving desire to find success¨(Connie Jankowski). In this part of the story Beowulf and his men have proven that they do contain the courage
Once Grendel and his mother are killed, the king showers Beowulf in gifts. Beowulf shows humility and accepts the gifts, and quietly returns to his home. He does not want to bask in his glory. "So they went on their journey, and Hrothgar 's generosity was praised repeatedly"(Beowulf 1885-86). This quote symbolizes the relationship between the King of Danes and Beowulf, because he is constantly thanking him for the gifts. It is not just seen as a business deal where Beowulf has come to provide a service, and collect his reward. There is much more to his actions, he genuinely provides services to the king for the greater good. He is humble in nature, where he is not looking for attention. He does not gloat that he is truly the best warrior he sort of just thanks the king. The king of Danes states to Beowulf "In all things you are even tempered, prudent, and resolute"(Beowulf 17056). It is already known that he is a great warrior, so there is no need for him to overly express
In the famed epic, Beowulf, the author creates a vivid sketch of the struggle between light and darkness. He highlights these topics and metaphorically reveals light’s eventual victory in Beowulf’s battle with Grendel, in Beowulf’s first skirmish with Grendel’s mom, and with the imagery created at the beginning and end of days.
While fighting the Dragon Beowulf shows feats of strength and courage that define him as a hero. The classical hero displays a special quality that separates him from the rest of
This passage, spoken by Beowulf himself, illustrates not only his confidence in himself, but also in God. He knows that he is strong, but he also knows that it is God who really grants victory. He must be in good graces with God in order to win his battle. He knows that he cannot survive without God’s approval.
(P) Beowulf humbly gave everything to his people, and shared his wealth and wisdom to help his people prosper. His fatal flaw was more fatal than it was a flaw, and because of it he lost his life to protect those who were not willing protect him. (Q) Listening to the advice of others, rather than ruling alone, is what made Beowulf so great in the end. He may have been boastful when he was young but as he matured he became wise and humble. When Beowulf became king, he did not live through past actions, instead he continued to give his people reasons to serve him. (R) A lesson from this is that the past does not make the future, people can go from bad to good and from good to great if they take the help given, by those who want to see the great in
The first opponent Beowulf must face in the land of the Danes is Grendel, textually described as “a fiend out of hell … [a] grim demon / haunting the marches, / marauding round the heath / and the desolate fens” (Beowulf, line 100 – 104). The author also provides us with a moral description, explaining how Grendel is “merciless … malignant by nature, he never showed remorse” (line 135-137). As we can see here, the author’s physical and moral portrayal of Grendel is rather unforgiving. We also resent Grendel further once we learn that he has wreaked havoc upon the Heorot hall for twelve years, “inflicting constant cruelties on the people / atrocious hurt” (line 165).
Pythagoras once said: “ If there is light, then there is darkness” Whenever over the past or in the modern society, light and darkness follows each other. Of course, the light always defeats the darkness just like good overcome all the evils. Same thing happens in the epic of Beowulf which tells a story of the ancient hero Beowulf came to destroy the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. To show the conflict between the light and darkness, the author uses imagery and symbolism.
This essay is the comparison between Beowulf and a modern day hero. I consider any American soldier to be my modern day hero. In this essay I will explain in three paragraphs of how my modern day hero is like Beowulf. With in these three paragraphs I will go over how they are both fighting for a good cause, how they are both rewarded for what they do, and how they are both treated with much respect.
Beowulf was born to lead and not follow. Beowulf’s character from youth to old seeks out battles with all his devotion to win as a great leader would do. “I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open” (Beowulf 2011-15). Beowulf claimed his right as a king to his people and battled against the dragon to protect his people.