The sound of battle echoed from the halls of Heorot to the plains of geatland, Beowulf in all his glory was a conquering hero that was approaching his twilight years as king. As such he faced a new challenge, in his youth he fought and defeated Grendel and his mother to defend the people of Denmark and Heorot, he was now called to defend his land from this dragon. This beast which had awakened from its dormant rest and was now on a rampage to defend its treasure. These monsters shared many similarities that tie together with a unifying message. In Beowulf, the values and views of Anglo-Saxon society are reflected in the idea that both Grendel and the Dragon serve as warning that no man is immortal or god like and that we will all face judgement.…
A 48-year-old Carnegie hero once said, while rescuing a woman from drowning in the Pacific Ocean, “‘I’m going to get her out of here. One way or another… I’m going to do it.’” This is just a simple statement of a man’s heroic determination that saved the life of a woman in the Pacific Ocean. Although saving a life, such as this Carnegie hero did, is a perfect example of how determination did good, less severe situations also happen and end with positive outcomes. Often determination is easily seen as competition and not a necessary need of doing something. Differing from the Carnegie heroes event, Beowulf expresses his determination to defeat Grendel, the monstrous creature of the poem, by explaining to Unferth, a warrior, that Grendel does not fear him and continues by saying, “I will show him how Geats shape to kill / in the heat of battle (41).” Without a doubt, these words are powerful and point directly to Beowulf’s determination to do good for those affected by Grendel’s past attacks. The boast Beowulf gives becomes a reality and proves his determination to defeat Grendel to be true. Beowulf’s determination to defeat Grendel amazingly becomes a new scenario for Beowulf’s determination when he fights Grendel’s mother to retrieves Grendel’s head. The narrator expresses Beowulf’s cause for determination as revenge by…
Beowulf, the name of the Anglo-Saxon heroic narrative, and also the name of its Scandinavian prince protagonist, cultivates one of the many eight literary theories: Mythological and Archetypal. Beowulf, the protagonist, takes it upon himself to cross the Baltic sea to help assist the land of the Danes from a blood-thirsty brute called Grendel. Initially, Grendel is the only threat is perceived by the Danes, until his mother seeks vengeance for the death of her son. Throughout the epic poem, Grendel and his mother’s background help facilitate many themes, ideals, and archetypes within the narrative. Since they originate from the clan of Cain, Grendel and his mother affect the heroic poem by causing certain individuals…
The Anglo-Saxon culture embraces virtues such as courage, strength, loyalty, cunning, and generosity. These virtues are exemplified by the epic hero Beowulf. Beowulf possesses each of these characteristics. Throughout the epic tale of Beowulf, the hero displays each of these virtues through his actions and adventures.…
Beowulf begins as many epic tales do, by introducing the hero. The author tells the reader of how Beowulf has trekked oceans and slain monsters; right from the beginning it is made obvious that Beowulf is no ordinary man. However, with any tale, the hero must have an adversary, an evil that must be overcome. In Beowulf’s case, he has three, the hideous monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the foreboding Dragon. So while there may be three physical antagonists, one can argue that they metaphorically represent one thing, the personification of societies shortcomings. In John Gardner’s “Grendel”, the monster is said to harbor feelings of lust or jealousy of the inhabitants of Hrothgar’s mead-hall and attacks them due to his feeling of exclusion. The story also alludes to the idea of wrath or vengeance.…
In the epic poem titled “Beowulf”, Beowulf, the hero, has three battles against three different monsters. In each of these battles, our hero has different motives and he uses different strategies. Beowulf’s motives for his battles each have distinct differences, and his success in each is acquired differently from each other. I will explain the battles in their chronologic order. Starting with the monster Grendel, then to his mother, and lastly to the dragon.…
I'm doing my three page research paper over Beowulf, the story of a warrior from ancient times when monsters, goblins, and demons still plagued the Earth that we live on still today. Beowulf was a tall tale told for many, years to children before they fell asleep at night. It's a story that has been around from 720-796 a.d. And hasn't gotten old yet, because it inspires people and tells people what real hero’ s are capable of and what they're made of and the limits they can surpass all on their own will and strength.…
Beowulf had many characteristics as an Anglo-Saxon, and was one of the most known character in the Anglo-Saxon history. The Anglo-Saxons were known for there distinct attitudes and being boastful. Beowulf was mostly famous for being a great hero, being loyal, and is very boastful.…
“There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil.” – Ayn Rand. To fully understand the complex world and culture of the Anglo-Saxons, one must examine the only form of historical evidence available – texts. One particular great work from this time period is often underrated and overshadowed in modern society by many other ancient works such as Iliad or Oedipus Rex. The epic poem, Beowulf, was sung by multiple unknown Anglo-Saxon poets four centuries before the Norman Conquest. The theme of good versus evil was constantly reappearing throughout the storyline, the portrayal of evil and its downfall initially shaped the poem’s plot, and illustrates an alien presence; something that is socially unaccepted in society that must be removed to ensure the safety of the common good.…
In Beowulf, the importance of religion and pagan beliefs are extremely evident throughout the entire work. From the beginning it is deducted that there is a early Christian belief in the concept of heaven or at least in an afterlife. From the start of the epic, Beowulf regards his fate as one of a great warrior. This fate is to have as much honor as he possibly can, but all the while be prepared for death. This fate, as shown in Beowulf, is that of a great warrior and ruler. The quest for honor before death is perhaps the central goal for all true warriors. Beowulf's quest for this honor before death over all else that is gifted to him such as power, money, and longevity. Beowulf's glory before death is shown in his actions such as destroying Grendal, hunting Grendal's mother, and in elimination of the great dragon after being abandoned by his men. Although he realizes he is a great warrior, Beowulf is also very aware of his own mortality, and knows that if he continues to battle he will be killed. Even though he is aware of this mortality he obviously does not fear it. The lack of fear of fate and death is what makes Beowulf a truly great warrior. Beowulf confronts fate, he doesn't hide from it. Beowulf is ready to be an honorable warrior who dies protecting his people and honoring his king. Beowulf represents a great warrior because he is able to confront and accept his fate. Throughout Beowulf there is much evidence in the religious change from Paganism to Christianity. In Beowulf, the contrast between the pagan beliefs and the Christian belief in one god, is very interesting. In the Christian opinion, a monster is a once human that been deformed and mentally disturbed. However, the monsters in Beowulf, especially the Dragon, are much more attributed to pagan beliefs. The year that Beowulf's writing is attributed to is 900 A.D. By this time, Christianity was spreading all throughout Europe. It has been theorized that the combination of the Christian beliefs…
Through common stories, good and evil are portrayed through protagonist and antagonist views, creating good morals: Loyalty, bravery, honesty, etc. The first thing I think of when I hear “good vs. evil” is a hero and the villain. In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf is the protagonist of the epic. He is a hero who uses good morals and defeats his enemies- the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon.…
Acclaimed with extraordinary strength, skill, and bravery, Beowulf proves himself during the course of the epic poem to be powerful, virtuous, and courageous; an exemplary epic hero. The poem analyzes his heroism from the time when he is a warrior and as he develops into a king. Beowulf encounters three separate and extremely difficult battles: the battle with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. In these battles, we can see the expression of the heroic code; and furthermore, a division between Beowulf's youthful heroism as a gallant warrior and his mature heroism as a reliable king.…
8) Does the Green Knight play by the rules of courtesy? Is he ultimately a negative or a positive figure?…
As in most stories, the epic poem Beowulf has a theme that applies to almost everyone in real life. In this case, Beowulf showcases that to live a full life, it is often the case that we must actively seek out and overcome obstacles. To find out who we are, it is often necessary to move in directions that will bring us into conflict with the things that we fear. This of course is regardless of the consequences, since everyone needs to have bravery at some point to face these challenges.…
The central theme is the main idea told through out the story. The purpose of the theme is to tell the moral of the story. Some of these stories only have one central theme while others have several. Beowulf is one of the stories that has more than one theme. The themes of Beowulf are Good vs. Evil, Loyalty, and Courage.…