Beowulf, the national epic of England, was passed down from generation to generation tells the legend of a mighty hero. This folk epic portrays the ideas of 16th century Anglo-Saxon culture until the early 8th century when a monk transcribed it into written form. Housed in the British Museum, the manuscript is considered to be a historical document as well as a great piece of literature. This tale narrates a story about a man who saves two nations from terrible beings which embody evil. Beowulf contains many themes such as the fantasy of supernatural creatures and the role of woman. However, the main focus of this tale presents both Christian and Pagan ideals. While the epic shows evidence of patristic influences, it more clearly depicts ideals associated with pagan culture and society.
Beowulf blends patristic references into a pagan narrative that previously focused only on Anglo-Saxon ideals. For 12 years, king Hrothgar has suffered at the hands of the terrible monster Grendel, who no man has been able to kill. However, when the mighty monster slayer Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s plight, he at once goes forward to put an end to Grendel. Soon after they received fervent greetings on the Danish coast, the men prepare for the night, and Beowulf realizes that “God in His wisdom must allot the victory as He thinks fit” (43). Beowulf knows that he serves God, the resolver of all problems. The monks who altered the story taught that the pagan god Wyrd does not exist but merely acts as a capability of God. By getting rid of the main pagan god, the monks show God’s almighty power and his ability to control good and evil and decide right from wrong. All evil beings exist because they battled against God and lost; and for rebel...
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...imself to do so. The heroic code states that the more glory a person wins in life, the greater and better afterlife they will have.
Beowulf and the dragon die together, and with his last words Beowulf requests a burial within a giant tumulus so his grave can guide sailors from the sea. Beowulf also crowns Wiglaf, who will bring years of prosperity to the Geats. Although having patriastic elements, Beowulf is predominately a pagan, as evidence with one of the closing lines that “twelve chieftains, all sons of princes, rode round the barrow lamenting their loss, speaking of their king, reciting an elegy, and acclaiming the hero” (101). The story of Beowulf teaches much about the ancient Anglo-Saxon times and pagan beliefs; not only is it a masterful piece of literature, but a manuscript that we can appreciate both in its historical and literary sense forever.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that beowulf, the national epic of england, was passed down from generation to generation and depicts the legend of a mighty hero.
- Analyzes how beowulf blends patristic references into a pagan narrative that previously focused only on anglo-saxon ideals.
- Analyzes how beowulf contains patristic elements and pagan ideas. scyld scefing, hrothgar's great grandfather, transmigrates into warrior heaven, where only honorable men could enter.
- Analyzes how beowulf strengthens hrothgar's comitatus alliance with the danes by killing grendel and making heorot a safe place.
- Analyzes how the story of beowulf teaches much about the ancient anglo-saxon times and pagan beliefs.
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- Epic of Beowulfanalytical essayThe epic poem, Beowulf, is one of the oldest European epics in existence. When Beowulf was written, the writer incorporated many of the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons. Some of these ideals included loyalty, bravery, selflessness, and justice and were demonstrated in the hero. Both the characters Beowulf and Grendel represent aspects of both good and evil, Christianity and Paganism, and what occurs when they collide with one another. A characteristic of an epic poem is the concern over struggles that humans face, which is presented in a serious manner. The hero often embodies the religious, national, and cultural values of his homeland and abroad. The premise of the story is quite simple: the Danes were in distress because of the great monster Grendel, so Beowulf, a native of the Geats, sails to engage in battle with Grendel and become victorious in saving the seemingly faithless Danes. Throughout the epic, there are many instances where examples of the thirteen epic conventions are used in the writing of Beowulf and in describing both the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons and the underlying challenges with mortal problems, such as good versus evil.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how beowulf incorporates the ideals of the anglo-saxons, such as loyalty, bravery, selflessness, and justice. both the characters represent aspects of good and evil, christianity and paganism.
- Analyzes how beowulf, as an epic, can be demonstrated through examples in the writing of the story. he is described as a national hero who embodies the ideals of his race or nation.
- Analyzes how an anglo-saxon hero must embody certain characteristics and ideals in order to be truly considered a heroes.
- Analyzes how the hero story that is associated with beowulf runs hand in hand with the illustrated project that accompanies these examples.
- Analyzes how the thirteen epic conventions prove that beowulf is an epic poem demonstrating the ideals and characteristics of anglo-saxon literature and belief.
1022 wordsRead More - The Epic Hero In Beowulf: The Epic Heroanalytical essayBeowulf: The Epic Hero Throughout time, society has come in contact with individuals who are praised due to their bravery, loyalty, strength and a tendency to go beyond the limit. One may call this individual a hero, and if asked to give some examples of heroism, one may pick the classical literary hero Beowulf. According to Roger B. Rolling, Beowulf is classified as a Type I hero who, “if superior in degree to other men but not to his natural environment, … is a leader. He has authority, passions, and powers of expression far greater than ours but is subject both to social criticism and to the order of nature” (434). Beowulf’s heroism is exemplified first when he kills Grendel, then when he kills Grendel’s mother, and finally when he kills the Dragon.
In this essay, the author
- Explains beowulf is a type i hero who is superior in degree to other men but not to his natural environment, and is subject to social criticism and the order of nature.
- Analyzes how grendel, a descendent of cain, attacks king hrothgar's mead hall and kills as many of his men as he can.
- Analyzes how beowulf decides to stay in heorot overnight to confront grendel. he explains that god will decide the issues between them.
- Analyzes how beowulf wore full armour and used a borrowed sword to prepare for his battle with grendel's mother.
- Narrates how beowulf finds his sword cannot pierce grendel's flesh, so he throws it aside and fights hand-to-hand.
- Analyzes how beowulf shows signs of bravery that define him as a hero. he goes to slay the dragon even though all his men abandon him.
- Analyzes how beowulf encounters complications while engaging the dragon in combat and realizes that his sword can do no damage. wiglaf, one of his kinsmen, comes to his aid and together with the combination of courage and strength delivers a deathblow to the dragon.
- Concludes that society adores heroes. beowulf's character demonstrates bravery, loyalty, strength, and a tendency to go beyond the limitations of the ordinary human being.
1013 wordsRead More - Heroes Yesterday and Todayanalytical essayMany have heard of the classic tale of Beowulf, the heroic slayer of monsters and dragons. Nevertheless, few have read the story of how he ventured from his own land to help a neighboring tribe battle a “. . . God-cursed brute. . .” (Lawall 1182) and his mother, a “. . . a monstrous hell-bride, . .” (1208). After single-handedly ridding Heorot, the neighboring kingdom, of two such evil creatures, he travels back to his own homeland to retell his deeds to his king (1219). Many years and feuds later, the kingdom was inherited by Beowulf, who grew old ruling his tribe with wisdom (1227). But, after he thinks that he has become invincible in his strength and ability to fight any wrong, a dragon wakens and wrecks havoc on the land (1230). With eleven young warriors at his back, Beowulf kills the fearsome dragon, although he is also slain in the process (1237, 1238).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how beowulf, the heroic slayer of monsters and dragons, ventured from his own land to help a neighboring tribe battle an evil creature and his mother.
- Narrates the story of robert neville's last years in los angeles battling a vampiric new species that were the results of an bacterial pandemic.
- Narrates how neville finds a woman walking the fields, alone, in the daylight, and convinces himself she must not be victim of the bacteria. he lets her sleep in his house for the night, but waking up hours later to find her trying to escape.
- Explains that beowulf and i am legend are stories of men fighting for the last of their kind, though they do not understand that their lifestyle is destructive in the end.
- Analyzes the similarities between the environment, the monsters, and the fears that the men have. the environment is hostile, with a special emphasis on being more dangerous at night.
- Analyzes how the similarities extend to the monsters the two men are fighting. in beowulf, it is grendel's mother, and the dragon.
848 wordsRead More - The Epic Of Beowulfanalytical essayBeowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. It all starts with Beowulf’s journeying across the sea to defeat an enemy that has wrecked havoc in the land of Herot for twelve long years. It ultimately ends with Beowulf defeating a dragon that is causing damage to his own land and people. However, along with the defeat of the dragon, Beowulf’s final deed ends with his death. Long after his death, Beowulf was known as one of the greatest warriors and kings that succeeded in three epic battles: by risking his life, showing his supernatural strength and power, and showing great leadership and courage.
In this essay, the author
- Describes beowulf as an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it.
- Analyzes how beowulf shows a strong belief in fate and was willing to die if he did not succeed in his battle against grendel.
- Analyzes how beowulf possesses supernatural strength and power, which he gains in battle halls.
- Analyzes how beowulf's strength makes him immortal against grendel and his mother, but he becomes mortal and falls to the dragon.
- Analyzes how beowulf's epic battles show how he is willing to risk his life and use superhuman powers to help others.
- Explains that beowulf was known as one of the greatest warriors and kings that succeeded in three epic battles by risking his life and showing his supernatural strength and power.
1381 wordsRead More - Vengeance: The Road of a Hero for Fame and Gloryanalytical essayKing Hrothgar of Denmark, built a great mead-hall, called Heorot, where his warriors can gather to drink, receive gifts from their lord, and listen to stories sung by the scops, or bards. But the jubilant noise from Heorot angers Grendel, a horrible demon who lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes every night, killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. The Danes suffer many years of fear, danger, and death at the hands of Grendel. Beowulf, a man which strong like bear, and sharp like wolf. “There was a feud one time, begun by your father……I shipped a treasure-trove to the Wulfings and Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance.” (L. 459-72). This digression appeared to the ve...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the term digression refers to the departure of the central theme of a reading or writing. they explain events that happened in the past and most were related to vengeance theme.
- Analyzes how the jubilant noise from heorot angers grendel, a horrible demon who lives in the swamplands of hrothgar’s kingdom.
- Analyzes how fighting with grendel was not the end, it was the beginning of a hero trying to prove his worth on the road of fame and glory.
- Analyzes how beowulf utters a statement of the heroic code after grendel's mother kills aeschere, king hrothgar’s trusted advisor and close friend.
- Analyzes how beowulf's personality makes him stand out from the crowd. he is selfless and keeps the three countries in a state of peace.
- Analyzes how the digressions from "beowulf" help readers understand the narrator's personalities throughout the events that happened, making it an old english heroic epic poem of revenge and vengeance.
810 wordsRead More - Epic of Beowulfanalytical essayChivalry is Yet, Not Dead In some select stories of old/middle english, we can see that people have been fascinated by ideals of heroism, chivalry, and what we now refer to as romance for a very long time. I will argue in this document, that our fascination with such imaginary laws has never ceased, and in some ways is even more fantastic. Every further mention of romance will refer to all of these ideas, the way it did when the term was introduced into english. If all things are to be considered this short essay would turn into a book.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that people have been fascinated by ideals of heroism, chivalry, and what we now refer to as romance for a very long time.
- Opines that modern police officers, soldiers, paramedics, fbi/cia agents, and any who take on with their livelihood the motto "to protect and to serve."
- Analyzes how the idea of glory and honor is summed up in "beowulf" by the line "heaven swallowed the smoke" (l. 3155).
- Compares "beowulf" to a book by david laven called napoleon's legacy: problems of government in restoration europe.
- Analyzes how grendel's mother remains unnamed in the text of beowulf.
- Concludes that women's conquest for their rights can relate to one of their favorite things in the world known to us as literature.
- Analyzes the symbolism of the pentangle versus the green girdle. the shield represents chivalry in its impossible idiom.
- Analyzes how the green girdle, the kings and gawain's conversation, shows that even though we are not perfect, we can always learn from our mistakes and improve upon our weaknesses once realized and admitted.
- Explains the norton anthology of english literature: 7th edition.
- Explains chaucer's "the canterbury tales." the norton anthology of english literature: 6th edition.
1827 wordsRead More - Epic of Beowulfanalytical essayThe poem begins with a brief genealogy of the Danes. Scyld Shefing was the first great king of the Danes, known for his ability to conquer enemies. Scyld becomes the great-grandfather of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes during the events of Beowulf. Hrothgar, like his ancestors before him, is a good king, and he wishes to celebrate his reign by building a grand hall called Heorot. Once the hall is finished, Hrothgar holds a large feast. The revelry attracts the attentions of the monster Grendel, who decides to attack during the night. In the morning, Hrothgar and his thanes discover the bloodshed and mourn the lost warriors. This begins Grendel's assault upon the Danes.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how scyld shefing is the great-grandfather of hrothgar, the king of the danes during the events of beowulf.
- Narrates how a geat thane, beowulf, decides to help the danes; he sails with his best warriors and judges them worthy enough to speak with hrothgar.
- Narrates how beowulf tells the story of his heroic victory in the contest, and the company celebrates his courage. the danish queen wealhtheow presents the mead-cup to hrothgar, then to the rest of the hall.
- Describes how grendel arrives at heorot as usual, hungry for flesh, and beowulf watches carefully as he eats one of his men.
- Analyzes how hrothgar's minstrel sings songs of beowulf and other great characters of the past, including sigemund and heremod.
- Narrates how hrothgar's minstrel tells the story of the frisian slaughter. an ancient danish king had a daughter named hildeburh, and while hnaef visited his sister, frisians attacked the danes.
- Describes how wealhtheow presents a necklace to hrothgar while pleading with her brother-in-law to help her two young sons if they should ever need it. she then presents many golden treasures to beowulf.
- Narrates how grendel's mother approaches the hall, wanting revenge for her son. when beowulf is summoned, he finds hrothgar in mourning for his friend aeschere.
- Describes how beowulf persuades hrothgar to ride with him to the moors. he takes a sword from unferth and dives into the lake, where grendel's mother is waiting to attack.
- Analyzes how the danes have given up all hope for beowulf because he has been underwater for so long. they bear the hero and his booty back to heorot, where another celebration takes place.
- Analyzes how beowulf tells his lord the events of his trip to denmark. he speculates that someone will goad this heathobard prince to take vengeance upon the danes.
- Describes how a fire-breathing dragon terrorizes the geats in beowulf's fiftieth year of reign. after the last person died, the dragon found the treasure and guarded it for three hundred years.
- Narrates how beowulf learns that a dragon has destroyed his own great hall, sending him into deep thought. he recalls hygelac's death in battle and his narrow escape from this battle.
- Narrates how beowulf recounts the geat royal family's plight, in which the oldest brothers killed each other and left their father to die of a broken heart.
- Narrates how beowulf and the dragon swing at each other three times, landing mortal blows. wiglaf bathes his lord's body as he speaks on the treasure.
- Analyzes how wiglaf sends a messenger to tell the people of beowulf's death. he envisions the joy of the geats' enemies upon hearing of his death and says that no man shall ever have the treasure for which he fought.
1528 wordsRead More - Epic of Beowulfanalytical essayBeowulf, the hero of the epic poem, is not an ordinary man; he is the epitome of a true hero. With the strength of thirty men in one arm, the courage to fight monsters, and the knowledge to respect and consider others' feelings, Beowulf defines the word "hero." As a thane of the Geats' king Hygelac, and later as king of the Geats, Beowulf uses his courage and wisdom to help him win many battles and competitions against humans and monsters.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that beowulf is the epitome of a true hero. with the strength of thirty men in one arm, the courage to fight monsters and the knowledge to respect and consider others' feelings, he defines the word "hero."
- Opines that beowulf's greatest achievement is not killing monsters, but not letting 'hubris' destroy him.
- Analyzes how wiglaf, a thane of beowulf's tribe, is another true hero in the poem.
- Explains that dragons are often portrayed as evil and dangerous monsters, who eat people and burn homes. this view is a direct result of the influence of christianity and the bible.
- Analyzes how beowulf, king of the geats, fights his last battle against a dragon that has burned his land and his hall.
1280 wordsRead More - Epic of Beowulfanalytical essayBeowulf is the largest existence among the fighters in the territory of the Geats and in the beginning of poem Beowulf embarks across the sea to the territory of the Danes to rid their land of a monstrous creäture names Grendel. Grendel arises in the reader's mind as a creäture with a type of putrid-breath, in the darkness, a terror of impact with hard-boned and immeasurably sturdy humanoid build (Heaney, Beowulf).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how beowulf is the largest existence among the fighters in the territory of the geats. he embarks across the sea to rid their land of a monstrous creäture named grendel.
- Analyzes how grendel's advance towards the great hall follows a specific course which leads closer to heorot.
- Analyzes how grendel becomes a crushing force bearing relentlessly down on the silent hall as he approaches heorot. his demonic associations are his relations to cain.
- Analyzes how the poem depicts the fortune of many sufferers of the monster's sudden attacks. the graphically thorough description of grendel devouring one of beowulf’s compliant, apparently insensible supporters becomes the last announcement.
- Analyzes how beowulf becomes feminized when he crosses ethnic lines to support hrothgar's people, ridding heorot of the spell of grendel, and reaching a trustworthy friendship-bond among his people and the danes.
- Analyzes how the fight between beowulf and grendel is told from the dane point of view, and the geats' feelings when they notice their leader clinching the monster presents a chance to contrast his magical protection from taste of iron with his helplessness
- Analyzes how the poem represents the hostility and muscle of the fight between grendel and beowulf indirectly instead of with a large quantity of vivid descriptions.
- Analyzes how grendel's earthly injury becomes the last element in the poem of the meet and the symbol of muscle of difference.
- Analyzes how the event in beowulf concerning grendel's mom has been seen as irrelevant, a spot on the structural unification of the poem.
- Analyzes how the danes celebrate grendel's downfall and reward beowulf for his actions, but after the festivity, the mom kills a pronounced nobleman in the great hall.
- Analyzes hrothgar's report of the female, which holds the idea that the woman is lethally aggressive to the world and during the extended walk to her cave.
- Analyzes how beowulf discovers that society cannot help him, but his physical strength is against him in this fight. light shines through the cloudy cave as he realizes his own strength and returns to the surface.
- Analyzes how grendel's mother welcomes beowulf to her home with a near lethal "embrace" similar to the one to which aeschere succumbed.
- Cites clark, george, "chapter 2: traditions and the poem." beowulf. george clark. boston: twayne publishers, 1990.
- Explains culbert, taylor, "narrative technique in beowulf." neophilologus 47.1 (1963): 50-61. rpt. in poetry criticism.
- Analyzes how heaney, seamus, and lee, alvin a., "heorot and the guest-hall of eden" and "rpt. in classical and medieval literature criticism."
- Explains morey's androgynous heroism. the journal of english and germanic philology 95.4 (1996): 486+.
- Explains that vaught, jacqueline, "beowulf: the fight at the center." allegorica 5.2, 1980, 125-137.
1311 wordsRead More - Epic of Beowulfanalytical essayBeowulf’s Three Fights In the epic poem Beowulf, the character Beowulf is seen to have three battles. The first battle is against Grendel, the second is against Grendel’s mum, and the final battle is against the dragon. In each of these battles Beowulf is portrayed as a great hero (well he should be since it’s a characteristic of an epic poem to glorify the hero) and is always seen to be brave and fearless.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how beowulf is portrayed as a brave and fearless hero in the epic poem.
- Narrates how the hero prepares to fight grendel in hrothgar's hall of the hart. the coil of sin doesn't use weapons, but the enchantment repels attacks from weapons.
- Narrates how beowulf swims in a cave to find the spot where the water was on fire. he swings hrunting at grendel's mother, but it breaks upon her head. the sword dissipates and only the hilt is left.
- Narrates how beowulf fights a dragon in his homeland, geatland, when he hears of the atrocity.
- Analyzes how beowulf's battles become worse as the opponents become harder or the way he fights changes. he wears no armor and uses no weapons and defeats grendel in no time.
976 wordsRead More