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Christianization in beowulf
Discuss the theme of revenge in literature
Christianization in beowulf
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Aaron Leszczynski
Mr. Fisher-English Lit
Period 2
8 September 2014
Vengeance
Anglo-Saxon, it is the culture that the protagonist in the epic Beowulf lives in. (The protagonist in the novel is Beowulf.) Anglo-Saxon culture was very aggressive. The BBC took a look at their culture and they said, “The new conception of royal justice was aggressive. The Anglo-Saxons had a brutal corporal and capital punishments at their disposal, including ‘the ordeal’ and grisly mutilations.” (Wood 1-6). In order for their culture to attempt to stop having so much blood shed they had wergild. According to thefreedicitonary.com, wergild is defined as, “a price set upon a person’s life on the basis of rank and paid as compensation by the family of a slayer to the kindred of lord of a slain person to free the culprit of further punishment or obligation to prevent blood feud.” (Dictionary 3-4). It is portrayed that the concept of vengeance is important. According to dictionary.com, the word vengeance means, “the desire for revenge.” The epic portrays vengeance as it is enacted and it appears to be making a connection with what it means to be human in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Throughout the epic Beowulf, vengeance is shown in multiple parts, however, it is strongly portrayed when; Grendel’s Mother avenges Grendel as well as the part in the epic when Beowulf attacks Grendel’s Mother to avenge the companion. In the
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However, the so called culture that claimed to be ‘Christians’ evidently turned out to be pretty poor ones if the epic Beowulf accurately portrays what Anglo-Saxon culture was like, then they were fairly poor Christians. During the epic Beowulf, vengeance is shown in many different scenes of the epic, however, it is strongly portrayed when; Grendel’s Mother avenges Grendel as well as the part in the epic when Beowulf attacks Grendel’s Mother to avenge the
In Beowulf a New Telling the author, Robert Nye expresses the theme revenge. Revenge relates to life because people are always getting revenge for the small and big things. Revenge is a prompting element for several characters throughout the novel. The first revenge example is when Grendel first attacks Hall Heorot as revenge to humanity. Mankind has killed his people, and they symbolize everything Grendel despised, including light, good, accomplishment, and joy. (Page 7-8). The second example was when She, Grendel's mother, attacks Heorot because someone there took her son's life, evilness, and pride. She and Unferth both attack the Hall because they murdered Grendel. She was motivated by revenge and mothers rage, and Unferth was motivated
...th for his murders. Beowulf, who is also responsible for the killing of Grendel, is killed as well. The dragon and the trolls, as well as Beowulf, are responsible for their actions. They are all killed: “He would repay Grendel for the many attacks he made on the West-Danes . . . devouring Danish” (Donaldson 28). This is another example of “wergild” being applied.
Beowulf an epic hero who had to had to put an evil force threaten the land. But did Beowulf really get all of the revenge in Grendel,Grendel mother and the Dragons. The theme of revenge is used to drive the plot of the story and to motivate Grendel’s mother to get the well needed revenge that she want’s on Beowulf. Does Beowulf really get all the revenge he wants when it came to Grendel and his mother .
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to face many adversities that came your way? Or have you been put into a predicament where your loyalty was being put into question by the people who meant the most to you? Many people will end up in situations where they don’t know what the correct resolution will be; that will cause them to get out of character and do things that they normally wouldn’t do. This sometimes causes consequences to humans to have to betray their loyalty to someone who means a lot to them. However, how can one ultimately overcome the adversities that they are faced with? Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel is the first English Literature masterpiece that became well known. The
Grendel, the monster terrorizing Heorot, is introduced as being estranged from the rest of the world. He is described as an outsider, a descendant of “Cain’s clan” (107). Grendel’s outcast status leaves him living in darkness, his envy growing the more he hears the celebrations of the Danes. Envy and social status motivate Grendel’s cruelty, filling him with anger towards those who are human. When Beowulf and the Geats arrive, it is not solely out of honor that Beowulf vows to kill the beast. Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, had an unpaid debt at the time of his death. Beowulf’s pledge that he would kill Grendel was a repayment, as well as an honorable feat. However, as Beowulf is introduced, the boasts he makes of his heroic feats and his “awesome strength” (29), only prove his barbarity. He boasts that “they had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies when I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea slaughtered sea brutes” (419-422). He goes on to blame the enemies for the vengeance that he wrought upon them. Beowulf dehumanizes his enemies, states that they were foul beasts who tainted the land, and he purified it. This is a sadistic view of life and battle, contrasting cruelty for the
In this religion, Christians believe that: no one can survive and be protected without the faith of believing in God, that the son of God is to be humble and unselfish, and that the life that one life and happiness was given to them by God. Beowulf a New Telling was originally written in Paganism then converted to Christianity. Christianity and Paganism are very close religions. There are many discussions rather Beowulf has Element of Christianity or not. People say that Beowulf represents God through his leadership, and risking his life for the peoples benefit, much like God did. Although others believe that Beowulf's heroic pride for defeating the demons, comes in conflicts with the Christian values. When Beowulf is taking on the monster, he says “Grendel, child of Cain, come down into Heortot. I am Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow. I am Beowulf, not afraid of you. I am Beowulf, come to kill you!”(Nye 69). As people know too much pride in oneself will lead to a decline in the person's life. Beowulf is continually referring back to God as his savior in this book, Beowulf talks about his battle with Grendel's mother and says that he would have died if it wasn't for God guarding him. People thrilled of the win, “His men were too astonished to rise a cheer. Some fell on their knees and offered thanks to God” (Nye 122). Meaning with someone’s dedication to the faith of God, with his protection you will be safe. Much like God, he sacrifices to die on the cross for his people and the future, Beowulf sacrifices his life while fighting the dragon for his
Beowulf begins with Grendel attacking the Danes out of vengeance and hatred. Grendel is the relative of Cain which means that he is outcast to eternal darkness as punishment for the crime of Cain killing his brother Abel. Therefore, when Grendel hears laughter in the hall named Heorot, he is angry and a little envious, so he goes on a killing spree in order to put an end to the warriors’ happiness. Because of Grendel’s attack upon the Danes, Beowulf arrives in order to put an end to the killing spree: “And now alone I shall settle affairs with Grendel the monster, the demon” (Donaldson, p.8). The author offers no other solution to solving this issue with Grendel but battle, and after the battle is fought and Beowulf wins, Grendel’s hand is preserved as a trophy. Beowulf is rewarded with gifts for his courage, and now the Danes are at peace.
Abdulrazak Gurnah reflected this on his novel by the sea; he says “I was too young to know how to ignore someone. If I saw and recognized him I would be bound to greet him, because that was the courtesy we had been taught from the morning of our first ages. If I greeted him, that would be treachery to my father and mother. Standing there in front of him, I saw that his face was lean and resolute, and that his eyes looked steadily and sternly at me, as if he expected to find fault with me. (p. 101)” In this passage Latif is talking about his memories as a child and how he was taught to hate Saleh since he was a young boy. His parents forced him to hate Saleh and not to talk to him even though he was not aware why he should do this or why he should not talk or great Saleh when he see him. Gurnah uses very strong words to describe Latif’s emotional states towards Saleh, he uses ignore courtesy and treachery and all these words indicate the strong and deep hate Latif had for Saleh. This anger that Latif has toward Saleh in the present was a result for the things his parents taught him when he was a child because children are
The oldest of the great lengthy poems written in English and perhaps the lone survivor of a genre of Anglo-Saxon epics, Beowulf, was written by an unknown Christian author at a date that is only estimated. Even so, it is a remarkable narrative story in which the poet reinvigorates the heroic language, style, and values of Germanic oral poetry. He intertwines a number of themes including good and evil, youth and old age, paganism and Christianity and the heroic ideal code, into his principal narrative and numerous digressions and episodes; all of which were extremely important to his audience at the time. Vengeance, part of the heroic code, was regarded differently by the two distinct religions. Christianity teaches to forgive those who trespass against us, whereas in the pagan world, revenge is typical and not considered an evil act. In Beowulf, the ancient German proverb "revenge does not long remain unrevenged" is strictly adhered to and verifies that revenge is part of pagan tradition.
Grendel himself is a “fiend out of hell”, doomed to walk his entire life to work “evil in the world” (Heaney: Heorot Is Attacked: 114). He is an outcast of society who takes pleasure in makes people’s lives miserable, emphasizing his evil nature from birth. Grendel’s mother, another evil character spurred on by vengeance, is described as a “tarn-hag” with “savage talons” and a “brutal grip”, emphasizing her malicious nature (Heaney: Beowulf Fights Grendel’s Mother: 147). The dragon is provoked when Beowulf steals a cup from its treasure hoard, but the dragon’s fiery breath and blazing rage parallels the white-hot heat of hellfire, the ultimate source of evil. While the protagonist Beowulf provokes many of these evil characters, it is important to note that they all respond in rage and hatred, thus emphasizing their wicked
The heroes of Anglo-Saxon period were best defined as honorable warriors. Beowulf was invincible in his strength. He battles terrifying monsters and risks his life. He showcases his heroic stoicism through his super-human physical strength. Grendel was a horrendous monster that was the incarnation of maleficence. Beowulf’s men had tried to use their weapons to fight, but Grendel “ blunted every mortal man's blade” (Line 485). Beowulf, on the other hand, tore off Grendel’s arm with his bare hands. Without struggling much and within moments Beowulf had overpowered Grendel sent him crying in pain. Beowulf portrays his strength through his fight against Grendel’s mother. Beowulf sees a sword hanging that was exceedingly heavy which giants hammered on the wall. It was “so massive that no ordinary man could lift
Beowulf wants to fight Grendel, a monster wreaking havoc, and is boasting that he is more powerful and courageous.
Imagine being the first human being to accomplish greatness. Envision the fame and glory that results from being the first hero. Imagine the success one achieves from embracing their superhero potential. Many will say that Superman was the initial heroic icon, but Anglo-Saxon literature experts argue that Beowulf was the first hero. Anglo-Saxon literature consisted of various types of poems, recited by Scops in spoken verse. The Anglo-Saxons believed that the warriors in their heroic poems should possess certain characteristics. The warriors who obtained these attributes were considered heroes. Interestingly, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero throughout his battles in the epic poem, Beowulf. In Beowulf, translated
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).
In the epic poem Beowulf, the struggle between good and evil reveals its omnipresence in even the oldest of tales. The many allusions and symbols throughout the story relate to Christianity and other Pagan beliefs. By looking at them, it becomes apparent that the author of Beowulf believed that the constant war between good and evil is not only fought by the common man but also in the ranks of their highest esteemed rulers and warriors, and even in their dreaded nightmares where monsters lurk and wait for the death of man. Beowulf was written during the budding of Christianity in England, when it was newly forming. In the story there are obvious references to Christian rituals.