Beowulf ultimately represents the ideals of Anglo-Saxons; he is a valiant, courageous warrior, who grows into a wise leader. He maintains his morality during his 50 years as king of the Geats, even refusing extra power when he believes he was overstepping his place. At the end of the epic, he dies in a heroic battle against a dragon, and is given a noble funeral.…
Beowulf Primary Values: *“Heroism is most valuable treasure” Pg. 58 Lines 850-855 *“Evil never triumphs (Regardless of how the outcome may seem during the battle)” Pg. 47 Lines 405-410 Lines 320-360 Secondary Values: *“The part is not important as the whole” *“Heroism is a significant part of everyone’s society”…
Page 2 of 2 ZOOM 1Grace HagamanMrs. OrfanedesEnglish IV Honors7 February 2018Modern Day Good and EvilBeowulf is an epic hero and warrior who bravely fights off evil monsters that terrorize the people around him. Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and the dragon are three of the main evil characters in the epic poem. Modern day good and evil are represented in different forms other than the two archetypes seen in this epic poem. Ordinary people have the power to be good, or to be evil.…
Archetypes are used in almost every story ever told. Some may be basic, while others can be more elaborate. The most important archetypes are those used in characters. If one was to compare characters from different tales, no matter the time period in which they were created, a strong similarity would be strikingly apparent. This is because of archetypes. An archetype sets the tone for a certain thing. The archetype of the color white, for instance, is innocence. This causes one to associate the color white with innocence. The same goes for character archetype. The archetypes of characters effectively placed unto the plotline of Beowulf both make Beowulf stronger, and essentially destroy him as well. These influences, combined with the heroic archetype shown in the character of Beowulf, have set a model for some modern tales of a hero’s journey. An example of this is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. In the hobbit, many of the character archetypes as first presented in Beowulf appear again. In Beowulf, you will see many archetypes used in characters placed into the story to move it along. Many will change the premise of stories forever. The use of archetypes in Beowulf both influence Beowulf in his quests as well as modern literature today.…
Archetypes stir profound emotions in the reader because they awaken images stored in the collective unconscious. In Seamus Haney’s translation of Beowulf this is used in the form of character types. Beowulf is a hero and encounters many triumphs with different types of people on his journey in this epic poem. There are three archetypal characters in Beowulf that are particularly effective and intriguing. These are The Creature of Nightmare Grendel, The Mentor Hrothgar, and The Loyal Retainer Wiglaf. The characters are common experiences in the human psyche.…
Beowulf is an epic poem from the medieval time that depicts the traits of an epic hero and his journey. He demonstrates good and evil throughout his quest. The imagery helps the reader understand the events throughout Beowulf’s battle over evil and his struggle through life. The images reveal the epic tradition as well as Christian themes and Pagan beliefs.…
During the Anglo Saxon era in England, a valiant and brave warrior was one of the most valuable assets a king could have. Due to this, much of the writing from this period were epics and tales with a heroic warrior as the main character. One of the most famous examples or archetypes of this type of writing is the epic poem Beowulf. In this story, the main character, Beowulf, is a marvelous warrior and possesses many of the various Anglo Saxon traits. There are three categories of characteristics in Beowulf that are particularly effective and intriguing, and those include: The lord providing rewards for a warrior’s service, the values…
The theme of Beowulf had the good vs.evil theme to the story when the monster is Grendel is the monster and his mother also a threat to herot and Beowulf is the hero to solve the problems of Grendel is making. Beowulf is the hero in the story and Grendel is the villain. Beowulf is the faced with many trials throughout the story with unferth and the Grendel.…
Each monster Beowulf fights against represents the adversary of what the Germanic culture deems as righteous and good. Grendel, the first monster, did not like the fact that there were parties in the mead hall so he tried to put an end to their pleasure and happiness. After Grendel, the people of Herot were peaceful and comfortable but Grendel’s mom took that peace away by instilling fear in the citizens. Later on, the dragon is also represented as an adversary since the Germanic culture generally loves and has a need for gold but the dragon took that away by hoarding the gold.…
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…
Beowulf claims God like properties and traits classic of an epic hero, however alike may epic heroes Beowulf is limited by his morality and is subject to a tragic downfall. Beowulf is constantly caught up in efforts to rid the world from evil through his benevolent deeds to humanity. Though many may label Beowulf as a Utilitarian due to his great accomplishments in the name of God, his acts towards the betterment of humanity were by products if his own selfish quest to achieve greatness. Furthermore, Beowulf often lacks extremism and fails to anticipate the future choosing instead to finalize his own fate rather than endowing his people with substances truly beneficial to their survival.…
The hero of all heroes, Beowulf, strong and courageous, is the prince of Geats. Once he makes a vow, he stands by his word, no matter what the cost, even if it takes his life. He is reluctant to back down from battle, just so he can be there for the people who are in great need to be saved from evil. He signifies the true heroic character because he is willing to risk his life for his ideals. Beowulf defeats three gruesome monsters, two of whom are descendants of Cain. Beowulf is able to show his characteristics both in his youth and in his older days.…
The hero Beowulf is a king and Danish warrior, also known as “The Geat” (Line 639),Prince of Goodness (676), Weather-Geat (697), The hero, and Kinsman. Hrothgar, King of Heorot have a variety of alternative in the work, as Lord of the Shielding (663), friend of the people (427-428), Helmet of Shielding (456), The King of Glory (665) and Divine Lord(685). The terrible monster Grendel an evil being known as the captain of evil (749), powerful demon (86), the shadow stalker, monster. Grendel’s Mother is an evil character who encourages the atrocities committed by his son Grendel and Wiglaf, Beowulf’s nephew known as man of worth, Shield warrior, Prince of the Scylfing, is finally the King…
Part A- Beowulf like all epic hero’s is strong loyal and brave. These characteristic are what define Beowulf, and instill fear is his enemies. He boasts about “(driving) / five great giants into chains” (248-249) and “In the blackness of night, hunting monsters” (251). Beowulf protects his followers and king, and is proud of his accomplishments. He strives for greatness, his words are arrogant but his actions shine through his overbearing pride and give him the capability to be heroic. (Part B) Beowulf is an epic hero; he takes great pride in his actions, unlike Grendel who feels jealous of humans which causes him to be spiteful towards them: “ Grendel snatched at the first Geat / He came to (and) Ripped him apart” (313-314). Grendel’s pride lays in the fear he instills on humans, without pride Grendel would be a monster with no motive to kill. Furthermore, Beowulf’s pride stems…
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.…