Examples Of Masculinity In Beowulf
Keith Gonzales
Mr. Windham
English IV – Slot 1
16 September 2014
Masculinity in Beowulf The Poem Beowulf was composed sometime between the middle of the seventh and the end of the tenth century of the first millennium; it was originally written in Anglo-Saxon, or Old English. This heroic epic about the experiences of a Scandinavian prince, Beowulf, and currently stands as one of the foundation works of English poetry. Beowulf, the protagonist in the story, exemplifies his masculine aspects frequently with mainly his actions. The assets to Beowulf that exemplifies his masculinity is through his quarrels, his verbose language, and through his physique and body language. Masculinity is a broad topic in the poem, but finding instances of it is quite simple. A main example is the quarrel at the mead hall. Grendel, a creature in the darkness, is the antagonist at this point. Beowulf is having a party with other soldiers in the mead hall. The loud noise agitates Grendel until it is unbearable. Grendel goes down to the mead hall, breaks down the door, and begins to thrash about the place. Grendel “[grabs] and [mauls] …show more content…
Not only must a man talk and act like one, he must look like one to complete the role. Beowulf is believed and described as being the strongest of any warrior in time. In the beginning of the narrative when Beowulf is fighting Grendel, Beowulf’s strength is exemplified by the fear he puts in Grendel. The narrator says, “He was desperate to flee to his den and hide / with the Devil’s litter, for in all his days / he had never been clamped or cornered like this” (754-756). Beowulf is also semi-nude most of the time. Beowulf not wearing clothes shows his self-confidence. He is proud to show off his body and it also shows that he is not worried about his safety. Throughout the epic, Beowulf is commented on about his strength also. Reputation and physique are key assets to the image of being a true masculine
Mr. Windham
English IV – Slot 1
16 September 2014
Masculinity in Beowulf The Poem Beowulf was composed sometime between the middle of the seventh and the end of the tenth century of the first millennium; it was originally written in Anglo-Saxon, or Old English. This heroic epic about the experiences of a Scandinavian prince, Beowulf, and currently stands as one of the foundation works of English poetry. Beowulf, the protagonist in the story, exemplifies his masculine aspects frequently with mainly his actions. The assets to Beowulf that exemplifies his masculinity is through his quarrels, his verbose language, and through his physique and body language. Masculinity is a broad topic in the poem, but finding instances of it is quite simple. A main example is the quarrel at the mead hall. Grendel, a creature in the darkness, is the antagonist at this point. Beowulf is having a party with other soldiers in the mead hall. The loud noise agitates Grendel until it is unbearable. Grendel goes down to the mead hall, breaks down the door, and begins to thrash about the place. Grendel “[grabs] and [mauls] …show more content…
Not only must a man talk and act like one, he must look like one to complete the role. Beowulf is believed and described as being the strongest of any warrior in time. In the beginning of the narrative when Beowulf is fighting Grendel, Beowulf’s strength is exemplified by the fear he puts in Grendel. The narrator says, “He was desperate to flee to his den and hide / with the Devil’s litter, for in all his days / he had never been clamped or cornered like this” (754-756). Beowulf is also semi-nude most of the time. Beowulf not wearing clothes shows his self-confidence. He is proud to show off his body and it also shows that he is not worried about his safety. Throughout the epic, Beowulf is commented on about his strength also. Reputation and physique are key assets to the image of being a true masculine