Beowulf
4th hour Mr. David
09-24-12
Throughout history the majority of humans have always suffered through a lack of self worth, and they search to fill this emptiness through the security of a strong, confident, and fearless hero to whom they can call upon for support in times of need. Beowulf was that hero in both the Epic poem Beowulf and the novel Grendel. Although the novel Grendel and the epic poem Beowulf tell the same basic story, Beowulf is a much better piece of literary work. Both stories tell the same battle between Beowulf and Grendel. They also both use alliteration. In Beowulf the author used alliterations like “filled with the food from the feast” and “grim and greedy Grendel”. In Grendel the author used alliterations such as “Up from his swampland, sliding silently”. Kennings are included in both stories, in Beowulf “battle sweat” meaning “blood” is an example and in Grendel “Shepherd of evil” is used. Each of the stories has a similar, formal style of writing.
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written by an unknown Anglo Saxon author in the eighth century while Grendel is a novel written by the American author John Gardner in the year 1971. The language of Beowulf is very rich and original with phrases like “Nor have I seen a mightier man-at-arms on this earth than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, he is truly noble. This is no mere hanger-on in a hero's armor”. Grendel’s language is not of the same quality, it uses clichés such as “blind as a bat”. First person omniscient in which the narrator is a character in the story, but also knows the thoughts and feelings of all the other characters is used in Beowulf. Grendel goes a slightly different direction being told in first person, which is a mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. In Beowulf, Grendel is characterized as a vicious man eating monster although in Grendel He is interpreted as a tender, softhearted creature. The
09-24-12
Throughout history the majority of humans have always suffered through a lack of self worth, and they search to fill this emptiness through the security of a strong, confident, and fearless hero to whom they can call upon for support in times of need. Beowulf was that hero in both the Epic poem Beowulf and the novel Grendel. Although the novel Grendel and the epic poem Beowulf tell the same basic story, Beowulf is a much better piece of literary work. Both stories tell the same battle between Beowulf and Grendel. They also both use alliteration. In Beowulf the author used alliterations like “filled with the food from the feast” and “grim and greedy Grendel”. In Grendel the author used alliterations such as “Up from his swampland, sliding silently”. Kennings are included in both stories, in Beowulf “battle sweat” meaning “blood” is an example and in Grendel “Shepherd of evil” is used. Each of the stories has a similar, formal style of writing.
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written by an unknown Anglo Saxon author in the eighth century while Grendel is a novel written by the American author John Gardner in the year 1971. The language of Beowulf is very rich and original with phrases like “Nor have I seen a mightier man-at-arms on this earth than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, he is truly noble. This is no mere hanger-on in a hero's armor”. Grendel’s language is not of the same quality, it uses clichés such as “blind as a bat”. First person omniscient in which the narrator is a character in the story, but also knows the thoughts and feelings of all the other characters is used in Beowulf. Grendel goes a slightly different direction being told in first person, which is a mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. In Beowulf, Grendel is characterized as a vicious man eating monster although in Grendel He is interpreted as a tender, softhearted creature. The