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Sigmund freud psychoanalytic theory ideas
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Sigmund freud psychoanalytic theory ideas
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A Psychoanalytic Perspective on: Beowulf
In 1856, Sigmund Freud developed an idea known as the Psychoanalytic Theory and it is ultimately based on the human psyche. He then divided it into three different parts: the id, ego and superego. In the story translated by Seamus Heaney, there are three antagonists that face the noble and extremely haughty Geat warrior Beowulf. Looking from the Psychoanalytic theory, those three villains are inside Beowulf’s mind, rather than in the outside world. In Seamus Heaney’s translated version of Beowulf, the author conveys the thought that Beowulf has self-actualized himself as he battled his inner human psyche. The “id” in Beowulf is Grendel and also, Beowulf. Grendel is the aggressive and impulsive one and
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The ego operates primarily on the reality principle which helps people understand what is good and bad and also realize what is real. Grendel’s mother perfectly symbolizes this side of the human psyche as she is aware that Beowulf has ultimately killed her only son and she has to avenge his death. Ego represents reason and reality and operates mind techniques that need higher thinking skills, such as problem-solving and reasoning. When she and Beowulf and start their duel, he is faced with a significantly and strategically intelligent monster. Grendel’s mother influences Beowulf to put his mind to work to stop fighting unarmed and slay her with a sword. She helps him realize what is real and prevents him from letting his urges get the best of …show more content…
He would not have been the warrior he was without the three villains that attacked him and threatened other people’s lives. The Geatland King learned how to think morally, realistically and how to control his thoughtless and selfish urges. The id, ego and superego turned him from an egotistical young boy into a noble and respected man. While he is the id himself, Beowulf realizes his surroundings and fulfills his own potential to self-actualize himself. The man becomes perspicacious and selfless towards life and his people. The legend will live on as Beowulf, the boy who grew into a man by facing his
implications. In a metaphorical sense, it is as if Beowulf exploited Grendel’s mother’s “private spot” and she was unsuccessful in thrusting her body against his. At this stage, Beowulf is learning to be more conventional in his efforts for long term betterment versus short term thrill. In the last and final phase of the sequence, according to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, the Superego is the component of personality composed of our internalized ideals that we have acquired from our parents and from society.
Nobody dared to stop the bravest man in all the land known as Beowulf. Beowulf is the strongest warrior from Geatland. When Beowulf hears about the Danes and Hrothgar’s struggle to keep his men safe, he offers to help. The Danish king, Hrothgar, accepts Beowulf’s request to kill Grendel and his mother. Beowulf proves his strength and becomes famous when he defeats Grendel in a battle using nothing but his bare hands in Herot. He keeps Grendel’s arm as a symbol of his victory. Grendel’s mother looks for revenge, but she is also killed by the brave warrior. Beowulf becomes the King of Geatland after the king’s son, Heardred, is killed. Beowulf rules for 50 years and he is very successful in keeping peace across the land and Geatland becomes very prosperous. Beowulf later dies after a final fight against a dragon. The Geats build a tower strong and tall just as Beowulf requested so that sailors could find it from far and wide. Beowulf perfectly embodies the Germanic heroic ideal.
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
For countless years stories have involved a hero and a villain, the villain being the one who stops the piece and the hero who brings the piece back, the poem Beowulf is another story like this..Although the author is unknown it is for sure of Anglo-Saxon poetry and may have been written by a monk. The title “Beowulf” tells the reader right away what the story is going to be about, and who the hero is. The main characters of “Beowulf” are the hero Beowulf, the evil monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother She-wolf, Unferth which contrasts Beowulf, Hrothgar the King of the Danes, and Wiglaf the loyal ally. This story is about the greatest warrior in the world being called upon to save Danes and slay the monster who cannot be stopped yet, some don’t
The ego lies within the conscious and unconscious realm and seeks to satisfy the id’s
Throughout the story, Beowulf fights three battles against frightening monsters. Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, was a well known warrior with extreme strength who makes a promise to protect his people under any circumstance. In the poem, his strength is tested, but he uses it to save many people in battles against: Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and a dragon. Before, during, and after each of these battles Beowulf shows many similarities and differences in his actions.
At the beginning of the novel, Beowulf represents a savage warrior, displaying mostly his strength and bravery by defeating Grendel and his mother. However, as Beowulf ages, he begins to change into a different kind of hero. After becoming King of the Geats, Beowulf matured and took on more of a leadership role in the community, as opposed to a warrior. Even though Beowulf was still a hero, he began to lead an army of geats and acted for the good of the people. In both cases however, Beowulf was respected by others for his admirable
For the most part, Beowulf’s characteristics describe those of a triumphant warrior who played a major role in defending the lives of his fellow citizens, while leading a thriving country. Although Beowulf soon became king, he died for his people, and was remembered as a victorious fighter. Beowulf is at least in part a study of kingship because it discusses the qualities that produce a good king, the disadvantages during his rule and how he overcame them, and the problems that arose upon his death.
He wakes up and sees all his man hanging from the ceiling, on the flood, all over the place dead, full of blood. Beowulf is not sure of what is happening, until he is told that it could only be Grendel’s Mother. Once again Beowulf wants to fight her, confront her and put an end to all of it. Grendel’s Mother symbolizes revenge, love, weakness, difference. As stated in Jane Chance’s essay “But unlike most mothers and queens, she fights her own battles” (Page 154). Grendels Mother shows us that after all Beowulf is weak. When it comes to fighting Grendel’s Mother, Beowulf wants to wear his
Anxiety is a monster that most people have to deal with on a daily basis. Even though anxiety is not actually a monster it still torments thousands of people every day, leaving them weak and scared. Anxiety defined means “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune” defined by Dictionary.com. In the epic poem of Beowulf, one could say that the townspeople had anxiety when it came to Grendel because they feared what he could do to them.
In Beowulf’s younger years, he personified all of the best values of the heroic culture when saving another kingdom from their demons. Beowulf’s willingness to sacrifice his life in order to save strangers his father owed a debt to is quite selfless. His bravery comes into play when he remains unchanged in his resolve even after hearing of all the King’s men and subjects slain by the beast.
Beowulf is an epic poem that explores many themes and motifs within the Anglo-Saxon society. The Author, who remains anonymous, composed the epic around 1000 A.D. The literature focuses mainly on a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf, who comes to the aid of Herot, a small town ran by King Hrothgar. Beowulf arises to rid the town of evil forces, such as the demon monster Grendel, and his savage mother who seeks revenge for the death of her son. As he ages, Beowulf presumes his title as king of Geatland, still eager to protect his loyal followers from danger. Though he is viewed as a godly force, the situations and the behaviors that Beowulf expressed, sometimes deviate how the Anglo-Saxons viewed his character. From this, the theme of "Good vs. Evil", which can be easily depicted in the literature piece, was constantly contradicted throughout the entire poem.
“In my youth I engaged in many wars”, Beowulf boasts to his warriors, which is certainly true. Throughout his life, he faces many deadly foes, all of which he handily defeats, save one. His story focuses on the most challenging, as well as morally significant of foes, Grendel and the dragon. These creatures reveal much about society as well as Christian virtue at the time. Even after Grendel and the dragon are defeated physically, the two monsters pose a new threat to the hero on a higher plane. Beowulf is not only at risk of losing his life, but his humanity, virtue, and even spirituality.
The story of Beowulf is a heroic epic chronicling the illustrious deeds of the great Geatish warrior Beowulf, who voyages across the seas to rid the Danes of an evil monster, Grendel, who has been wreaking havoc and terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulf is glorified for his heroic deeds of ridding the land of a fiendish monster and halting its scourge of evil while the monster is portrayed as a repugnant creature who deserves to die because of its evil actions. In the epic poem, Beowulf the authors portrays Grendel as a cold-hearted beast who thrives on the pain of others. Many have disagreed with such a simplistic and biased representation of Grendel and his role in the epic poem. John Gardner in his book, Grendel set out to change the reader’s perception of Grendel and his role in Beowulf by narrating the story through Grendel’s point of view. John Gardner transforms the perceived terrible evil fiend who is Grendel into a lonely but intelligent outcast who bears a striking resemblance to his human adversaries. In Grendel, John Gardner portrays Grendel as an intelligent being capable of rational thought as well as displaying outbursts of emotion. He portrays Grendel as a hurt individual and as a victim of oppression ostracized from civilization. The author of Beowulf portrays Grendel as the typical monster archetype as compared to John Gardner’s representation of Grendel as an outcast archetype.