To address the first question, the mead hall was a gathering place that was to ensure safety and security. This was a place where people would gather in dark times together to be safe, and this was a symbol of their culture. Hrothgar’s great hall, Also known as, “The hall of the hart”, this was Hrothgar’s mead hall. He uses it for victories and to reward his thanes with treasure and different, special rings. Hrothgar’s great hall also serves a setting in the story where Beowulf fight’s his first battle for the Danes here. This mead hall is also a symbol of comitatus, where it shows honor between Hrothgar and his thanes.
The second question, the treasury is sure a valuable thing in the story. Gold is presented when you do great in battle and is also rewarded to those who are loyal to the king. This is why he’s known as the “ring-giver”. Whenever there’s conflict between family or in battle, the exchange of gold is used to prevent some sort of revenge or anyone else being killed. Most of the characters in the story feel worthy whenever they get rewarded with gold. Although, some characters would either feel selfish when it comes to gold. Some don’t even care for it, such as Grendel’s mother.
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An epic hero needs to perform heroic deeds, such as when Beowulf killed the dragon, Grendel and Grendel’s mother. These were tasks that no one would have the willingness to face, and Beowulf took on the deeds, and it used him beyond human strength to succeed with these deeds. Beowulf also has royal blood in him from his uncle Hygelac, who is kings of the geats, and later on, Beowulf becomes king himself. With Beowulf’s strength and bravery, this makes him an epic
Beowulf begins with a history of the great Danish King Scyld (whose funeral is described in the Prologue). King Hrothgar, Scyld's great-grandson, is well loved by his people and successful in war. He builds a lavish hall, called Heorot, to house his vast army, and when the hall is finished, the Danish warriors gather under its roof to celebrate.
The first part of Beowulf takes place in Heorot, King Hrothgar's glorious mead hall. At the time this poem took place, research proves that the Danes held their throne on Sjaelland Island at Lejre. Archeologists who have worked there have discovered a number of magnificent halls that were built around the 500s and onward, any of which could have been Heorot.
Beowulf displayed great courage and honor throughout his journeys and battles; he was an epic hero. An epic hero is a person who is viewed as larger than life and possesses values of a certain society. From the time of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel to his brawl against the dragon, he has showed everyone what being an honorable hero looks like. His heroism is revealed through both youth as a young warrior and wisdom as a reliable king. He never backed down and didn’t give up when situations were tough. Beowulf had obligations to fulfill and went about every aspect of his life with courage and strength. He cared for his people and was willing to take on anyone that threatened them or his kingdom. He sincerely was the hero of his time.
Some popular elements of imagery in Beowulf are the mead-hall, the sea, swords, armor including shields. Let us discuss these items and, where applicable, the archaeological support for them.
The mead-hall represents a place of victory. It is where the warriors would go after they won a battle or had a successful hunting trip. When Beowulf killed Grendel, the mead-hall went to its former glory. At the beginning of Beowulf when King Hrothgar first built the mead-hall before Grendel attacked, after a victory, the warriors would go there. When Beowulf
It is mentioned in the epic that the dragon that slayed Beowulf was safe guarding treasure of an old time, once this treasure which may represent pagan values is lost, then everything collapses in Heorot. . “The dragon from underearth, his nightmarish destroyer, lay destroyed as well, utterly without life. … …The treasure had been won, been bought and paid for by Beowulf’s death. Both had reached the end of the road through the life they had been lent” (2824-3172). The changing of ways had occurred as soon as the old leader had died, a symbol of passing time and the fleeting nature of certain values. The hall itself is a place of warmth and comfort and even stands for a while after Beowulf's death, just like. There is an element of conflicting interpretations here however, although the hall may represent the changing of values it may as well be interpreted as the old ways, the hall may be viewed as the treasure of Heorot. “Through age-long vigils, though to little avail. For three centuries, this scourge of the people had stood guard on that stoutly protected underground treasury, until the intruder 2280 unleashed its fury; he hurried to his lord with the gold-plated cup and made his plea” (2276-2280). The old ways were fine for many years until someone came along and disturbed it. Although the connection may not be apparent the mead hall has some form of symbolism of the ways of
During the day in the mead-hall, the Danes would eat, drink, tell stories, and listen to music there. The Danes also had celebration, special events, season festivals, and religious observances in the mead-hall. During the night time, some of the warriors would sleep in the mead-hall to protect the land. It was as if the mead-hall was their home in the Anglo-Saxon life. In the poem it states “The hall was called Heorot, and there the men gathered with their lord to drink mead, a beerlike beverage, and listen to the songs of the bards.” (Hinds, Gareth. Beowulf. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007. Print.) Grendel’s first attack was made in the mead- hall when everyone was sound asleep. That is what made the Heorot so significant. Nobody in the Danes could beat Grendel because he was undefeated, so they thought. Until one day, Beowulf came along and demanded to fight off Grendel for the Danes. “During the night Grendel comes from the moors, tears open the heavy doors, and devours one of the sleeping Geats. He then grapples with Beowulf, whose powerful grip he cannot escape. He wrenches himself free, tearing off his arm, and leaves, mortally wounded.” (http://www.alibris.com/Beowulf-Michael-Morpurgo-M-B-E/book/9565982 Morpurgo, Michael, and Michael Foreman. Beowulf. Cambridge. MA: Candlewick, 2006. Print.) In the text, it shows how Beowulf always keeps his word. Beowulf fought Grendel as he said and broke his arm. In anger,
Beowulf was a great warrior who traveled to the Heart Hall to slay a monster who had been
What was the function and nature of a mead-hall in the Heroic Age of Beowulf? Was it more than a tavern for the dispensing and consumption of alcoholic beverages, and occasionally precious gifts? Yes, much more.
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)
The main character in a true epic possesses heroic or superhuman qualities. As the central character, Beowulf was a brave, powerful warrior. Beowulf believed that his fairness and bravery would help him to conquer the fiercest of opponents. He had the strength of ten men and was willing to go into any battle because he knew that he was stronger than any other being, man or beast. Before his battle with Grendel he claimed, "Grendel is no braver, no stronger than I am!" When Grendel and Beowulf met, he was true to his word and tore the beast's arm from the rest of its body and sent Grendel running cowardly toward its hellish home. While fighting Grendel's mother, Beowulf was able to slay the beast with a single swing from an immense sword, that was so massive, few men could even lift it. Prior to his confrontation with Grendel, he stated, "I could kill him with my sword; I shall not, Easy as it would be . . . I will meet him wit...
Many epics have been written and forgotten. Yet, the epic of Beowulf has stayed as one of the premiere examples of a heroic epic. This brings an inevitable question to mind. Why is Beowulf considered a hero?
An epic hero is someone who has to preform heroic deeds. The King of Geatland at the beginning of the poem was Hrothgar, Beowulf is just a Geatish Warrior, once Beowulf finds out about Grendel attacking he steps in to help the tribe. Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon in this poem. The battles Beowulf fought were beyond human strength and capabilities. Beowulf’s first battle was with Grendel, whose arm was ripped off with a pair of bare hands, becoming his first heroic achievement. Beowulf’s next heroic achievement was when he entered “The Monsters’ Lair” (51) and killed Grendel’s mother, who was killed by a larger than life sword. Beowulf’s last and final heroic achievement was battling and killing a dragon who he later found out was Grendel’s brother, Beowulf then later dies from the poison in his blood from the dragon’s teeth.
This passage of the poem Beowulf features revealing aspects of the speaker’s, Hrothgar’s, character. Hrothgar’s homily sermon is a stark contrast to the celebrations for Beowulf’s triumph over the monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother. This contrast is not only a function of elegiac narratives, it a vehicle through which Hrothgar’s character is divulged. This passage reveals: Hrothgar is a man of vast wisdom; he has a paternal love for Beowulf; and the contrast reveals his sense of foreboding fuels the urgency with which he imparts his wisdom to Beowulf.
Beowulf also contains an epic hero. The title of the poem has been named after our epic hero, Beowulf. In definition, an epic hero is someone that does larger than life deeds and is stronger and smarter than any normal man; and Beowulf fits this description as if the mold were made for him. He has the strength of thirty men and uses it as a major weapon against evil. This can be seen through Beowulf’s battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon.