Imagery In Beowulf

For more than a millennium, literary excavators and scholars have been deciphering and intensively studying the epic Beowulf. The suspenseful and dramatic narrative takes place in Scandinavia where the Danes are experiencing the wrath of a monster known as Grendel. The titular eponymous King of the Geats gives the King Hrothgar necessary assistance to combat this ruthless and belligerent creature. After being killed, the hero Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother in a watery underworld called her lair after she strikes Herot Hall. In the final scene, after serving five decades as Geatland’s generous and amiable king, he defeats the infamous dragon. Unfortunately, Beowulf suffers severe wounds from the battle. After briefly summarizing and analyzing

This trait serves a pivotal role on his actions throughout the poem. Despite that many of his adversaries were stronger and/or larger, he never pulls out from any battle. For example, when Beowulf states in lines 265-270,“Might think less of me if I let my sword / Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid / Behind some broad linden shield: my hands / Alone shall fight for me struggle for live / Against the monster. God must decide,” it shows that can kill him without weaponry or armor and only using his bare hands. When doing this, Beowulf takes what appears as if it were an extensive risk in a fight and takes the risk for glory and showing his bravery. Amid the Anglo-Saxon era, being a hero was considered to be important, but a hero with courage fighting with an insidious creature was even more significant. After killing Grendel, Beowulf exhibits his bravery during the battle with Grendel’s mother when he states, “He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone’s/ Answer.” In this passage of the story, Beowulf soon notices that his sword could not be used to fight against her. Fortunately, he keeps on combating her while showing genuine courage. The quality of bravery to the Anglo-Saxon is significant because the people want a hero that is willing to conquer any apprehensions that he may have and show utter fearlessness while doing

In lines 114-117 the author states“Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous King, Would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, Now when help was needed. None of the wise ones regretted his going.” Upon crossing the sea, Beowulf obviously heard of the decimations that Grendel included upon the Danes. Whether he was jeopardizing himself or not, Beowulf decided undauntedly to sail the distance to the land of the Danes and accommodate the needy individuals under the reign of King Hrothgar. This portrays Beowulf’s bounteous generosity toward other human beings. In lines 119-122, the author states that “Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find/ the bravest and best of the Geats, fourteen / in all, and led them down to their boat.” This quote shows Beowulf’s capacity for empathy for the Danes, and furthermore offers to execute the invidious creature as though the issue was one of his own. Both of these quotes solidify the theme of generosity throughout the character of