Preview

Beowulf

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
665 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Beowulf
Beowulf The epic poem Beowulf exemplifies the constant struggle between good and evil through the main character, Beowulf's destruction of evil characters such as, Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. During the Anglo-Saxon time period, society was centered around a certain set of values, and heroes who represented these values admired by the citizens. The Anglo-Saxon values revealed through the character Beowulf are comparable to many of the values upheld in modern-day society. The values portrayed through Beowulf are legacy, courage, and loyalty. The Geats' proud prince performed many honorable and heroic acts throughout his life, because of this, after his tragic death " Twelve of the bravest Geats/ Rode their horses around the tower/ Telling their sorrow, telling stories/ Of their dead king and his greatest glory,/ Praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name..."(Beowulf lines 824-833). Beowulf, like many other Anglo-Saxon warriors, wanted to leave behind a legacy, therefore, he carried out many valiant deeds which would be remembered for generations. In addition to the value of legacy, the young hero also displayed great courage. After gallantly traveling to Herot to rid the land of the evil monster, Grendel, Beowulf asks Hrothgar for one favor "... That I, alone, and with the help of my men, / May purge all evil from this hall, I have heard, / Too, that the monsters scorn of men / Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none./ Nor will I..."(lines 165-169). Beowulf's choice to enter the battle with Grendel weaponless was motivated by his outstanding courage, which is a trait that was highly valued by the Anglo-Saxons. During the feast that is held in Herot before Beowulf shows his loyalty to Hrothgar by announcing "When we crossed the sea, my comrades/ And I, I already Knew that all/ My purpose was this: to win the good will/ Of your people or die in battle..."(lines 364-367). Anglo-Saxon warriors were willing to die for
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Anglo-Saxon Hero vs. Modern Day Hero
    • 1312 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Anglo-Saxon Hero vs. Modern Day Hero

    To understand the famous Anglo- Saxon hero Beowulf, one must understand the culture that created Beowulf. The Anglo- Saxons were influential, strong, and loyal people. Research has found that, “the Anglo- Saxons arrived in Britain in about 449 A.D.”(BBC). This shows that Anglo- Saxon culture has had an influence on American history for a long duration of time because they are still discussed today. And were probably some of the first heroes that ever lived. This culture showed a great deal of braveness throughout their time. The men were put in many different situations, but their daring drive, and courageousness allowed them to persevere. According to the Germanic (Anglo Saxon) Warrior, “A glorious and courageous death was the only fitting end to a glorious life” (Hammack). This statement shows that the men took pride in fighting to protect their citizens, no matter what adversities came their way. It also shows that they had no fear and dying to save someone else, which was a very brave thing to do. Another characteristic displayed in Anglo- Saxon culture was loyalty. The warriors would never leave any of their comrades behind in battle. Hammack described this idea in this way:…

    • 1312 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Violence in Beowulf
    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Violence in Beowulf

    Beowulf is a great and courageous warrior of the Geats, a clan in Sweden. In this poem, his life is split into two parts, his youth and his elder years. In both parts of his life he portrays the model traits of a perfect hero and leader who demonstrated the values of pride, loyalty and courage. In his youth, Beowulf attains heroic status by his impressive feats of strength that included the destruction of Grendel, a monster that tormented the people of Heorot, as well as the demise of Grendel’s mother. Beowulf was the epitome of a manly hero. He steadfastly defends his people, risking life and limb for whatever taste of glory he could grasp. Beowulf is no ordinary man, as Hrothgar says here:…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf - Good vs. Evil
    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf - Good vs. Evil

    Beowulf: Good versus Evil Beowulf is one of the oldest existing poems in the English Language. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, which portrays a story of an epic hero destined to defeat a ferocious monster in order to save a kingdom from destruction and death. The major theme in this epic was the theme of good versus evil. The theme of good versus evil was portrayed through the people and things that represented good and…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf
    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf

    Beowulf was a brave warrior who followed the warrior’s code throughout the entire story. The warrior’s code was something that Beowulf and other warrior’s followed, this code stated the warrior should never run away he should always stand and fight. During this essay I will talk about how Beowulf not only met the warrior’s code but went far beyond the norm through his three great battles…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf
    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf

    1. Read Time magazine article “A Brief History of The Crash of 1929.” Create a timeline of events leading up to the crash on Black Tuesday, starting with September 3, 1929.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf
    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf

    Beowulf is loosely divided into three parts, each of which centers around Beowulf’s fight with a particular monster: first Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, then the dragon. One can argue that this structure relates to the theme of the epic in that each monster presents a specific moral challenge against which the Anglo-Saxon heroic code can be measured and tested. Beowulf’s fight with Grendel evokes the importance of reputation as a means of expanding one’s existence beyond death. Grendel’s great and terrifying nature ensures that Beowulf will long be celebrated for his heroic conquering of this foe. His subsequent encounter with Grendel’s mother evokes the importance of vengeance. Just as Beowulf exacts revenge upon Grendel for killing Hrothgar’s men, so too must Grendel’s mother seek to purge her grief by slaying her son’s murderer. Beowulf’s final encounter with the dragon evokes a heroic approach to wyrd, or fate. Though he recognizes that his time has come and that he will thus not survive his clash with the dragon, he bravely embraces his duty to protect his people, sacrificing his life to save them.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf
    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf

    Beowulf and Achilles are different in many ways; one of which is their character. Beowulf is a prodigious warrior and leader who fought to defend his soldiers and to make places more passive. He also perfectly exemplifies the morals of loyalty, pride, and courtesy. Achilles, on the other hand, is not as heroic as Beowulf, even though he was also a great warrior and had herculean strength; he mostly battled for revenge, collective position, and power. He was motivated by a thirst for glory.…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    bewoulf
    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    bewoulf

    Whom does the issue or problem affect? How does it affect them? This issue effects the homeless people.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf
    • 1262 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf

    Upon reading or watching the epic tales of heroes, it is easy to overlook the connection they all share. From his writings in, A Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell brings to light the journey of a hero in “the rights of passage: separation – initiation – return: which might be named the nuclear unit of the monomyth.” (Campbell, 30) The epic tale of a hero follows the universal pattern of Campbell’s monomyth beginning with the separation, or call to adventure - leaving one’s family, friends, or tribe. Followed by the initiation of the crossing the threshold into the world unknown where he encounters trials and is victorious. S/he can then return home with a “boon” to aid and/or restore his/her world. According to Campbell, “[o]ther [monomyths] string a number of independent cycles into a single series (as in the Odyssey).” (Campbell, 246) In Beowulf, the poet has sent Beowulf on his journey of the monomyth. However, like Csmpbell has written, Beowulf’s journey consist of three miniature monomyths that can be connected into one hero’s journey that take several decades of his life to complete.…

    • 1262 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf
    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf

    Beowulf is a poem that exploits both loyalty and honor within its characters. The protagonist Beowulf is a complex character that possesses both of his traits and many more to demonstrate his heroism. The greatest honor to him was to die in a valiant battle. Therefore, he was fearless and fought with ferociousness, not caring if he lives or dies. At the end, he gets rewarded wealthily and becomes a hero in everyone’s eyes. However, the loyal people, who emerge in the situations when a brave act is needed to protect people in a great danger, get the gods protection due to their noble deeds and get eventually classified as heroes.…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf
    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf

    Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. The poem explores his heroism in two separate phases and through three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Although we can view these three encounters as expressions of the heroic code, there is perhaps a clearer division between Beowulf’s youthful heroism as an unfettered warrior and his mature heroism as a reliable king. These two phases of his life, separated by fifty years, correspond to two different models of virtue, and much of the moral reflection in the story centers on differentiating these two models and on showing how Beowulf makes the transition from one to the other.…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf
    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Beowulf

    ?Justification for the Abandonment and Solitude of Beowulf Beowulf is the classic tale of a mighty and heroic Geat leader who comes to an unpleasant and seemingly early end. Throughout his life, Beowulf had been an excellent leader and had led his army to many victories over many foes, of his land and of many others as well. At his peak, Beowulf was the mightiest warrior on all the earth: "There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful." (297-298). Eventually, Beowulf would come to be ruler over many people. During this time he would defeat many enemies, two of which being Grendel and his mother. After their defeat, Beowulf and his people experienced a time of peace and prosperity which was enjoyed by all. He remained undefeated until the bitter end when he was defeated by the dragon in the underwater hell-like grave. Beowulf's death marked the end of not only his reign, but also of the safety know by his people, and also the end of his kingdom. The reasons for his abandonment of his people and his insistence to fight alone are not clear, although many have theories as to why the great warrior chose the fate he did. The first topic at hand is why Beowulf chose to fight by himself, especially in the case of the dragon. Beowulf was a very valiant warrior who fought his greatest battles alone, or at least single-handedly. First of all, his battle against Grendel was brilliantly maneuvered in that he awakened from a complete slumber to slay the mighty Grendel and mutilate his body. Secondly, Beowulf battled against Grendel's mother (who was excessively disturbed about the death of her beloved son) and won a triumphant battle. In both battles, Beowulf won by his own means and was very victorious in each occasion. The question could be raised as to why he chose to fight alone as opposed to having many skilled warriors to help him in his plight to defeat the evil in the world. One possible theory is that it is…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf Embodies The Angle Saxon Society
    • 61 Words
    • 1 Page

    Beowulf Embodies The Angle Saxon Society

    The epic story Beowulf embodies the values and morals of the Angle Saxon society. The Angle Saxon believe that a hero is strong and courageous. They also believe that a hero is intelligent and dignified, so he will fight until death in order to defend his people. In the story, Beowulf battles three monsters: Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the fire…

    • 61 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf
    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf

    The Anglo-Saxons were a warrior culture, and as such, they prized honor. Acting fairly and honorably in battle was a sought-after trait. Beowulf displays this trait several times throughout the course of the poem. The most notable instance is when he refuses to fight Grendel with a weapon, as Grendel has none. By fighting his opponent on the latter's terms, Beowulf consciously levels the…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf
    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf

    Joseph Campbells idea of the monomyth and the hero is that there is stages of a heros journey. He states in Hero with a Thousand Faces, "A hero ventures forth from the world common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man" (Campbell 30). The three stages of the monomyth are separation, initiation, and return. These stages can be applied to the heroic myth, Beowulf. It is known for adventure and fits Joseph Campbells description of a hero's journey.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics