Beowulf is a poem that shows both loyalty and honor within its characters. Throughout the poem he shows that by fighting with his bare hands and risking his life. Beowulf shows the real meaning of being a hero. Beowulf has many symbolism in the story when he fights the dragon, Grendel, and Grendel’s mother.…
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.…
Beowulf (1000 A.D.) is an epic poem, written by an unknown author and tells the story of Beowulf quest to defeat Grendel and save his people. The author develops his theme of the story by setting the stage for the story and portraying a conflict, which are Beowulf and his needs to defeat Grendel to save his people. The author does this to show reader show difficult of a task it will be for Beowulf to defeat Grendel, in order to save his people. The author creates an objective relationship with his readers by telling the story from third person, giving insight into the mindset of each character and allowing the reader to interpret the poem with his or her unique perspective.…
Beowulf is the main character in his own Epic, with Grendel being the first obstacle to overpower. A Simple description for a simple book. For this reason Grendel is a cliché character that the readers will dismiss with hast; Grendel is a straightforward, but horrifying, monster. “So mankind's enemy continued his crimes, Killing as often as he could, coming Alone, bloodthirsty and horrible” (79-81). Grendel is not as plain in Grendel the novel, he is every bit as gory though. “I lift her by the armpits as though she was a child and, gently, I set her aside” (147). This tells a many great things, first is Grendel’s…
Throughout his battles, Beowulf personifies the motifs of reputation, vengeance, and fate which contribute to the overall epic theme. Each of these contrasting themes contribute as to why Beowulf was such a tremendous epic hero. Beowulf, a young warrior with an honorable family name to be upheld, must venture off and seek his own reputation and identity among the sprawling branches of the family tree. With this thought, he seeks out to battle the mighty fiend Grendle armed with his two own bare hands. With much vengeance being sought out, Grendle’s mother goes after Beowulf for harming her son which only prevokes Beowulf’s own revenge on Grendle’s mother for slaughtering one of Hrogthgar’s best warriors, Esther. Later on in life as an aged and wise king, Beowulf single handedly faces his own fate by battling the dragon. By crumbling under the dragon’s rage, death has been accepted and has furthered his name.…
The legend of Heracles has not been proven to be a real tale, but the myth has been told by the people of Greece for thousands of years.…
Beowulf can be analyzed in an endless numbers of ways. There are different morals, themes, and meanings behind the story. A common meaning, maybe even the most important, is the dual ordeal in Beowulf. The dual ordeal is an external battle with vicious opponents and an internal battle with human tendencies of pride, greed, cowardice, betrayal, and self concern. Each external battle Beowulf wins, his internal battle grows.…
Allegory is a depiction or symbol of an abstract or spiritual meaning through tangible or material forms. Relatively a story, poem, or portrayal that could be elucidated to divulge an unknown and clandestine meaning. In the following tales of the erratically depicted heroes such as the gallant yet reluctant figure known as Sir Gaiwan to the courageous yet audacious individual known as Beowulf, these men are known for their honor, unrighteousness, and integrity. Also within comparison to these divine, fierce, and distinctive individuals is a character in which Chaucer calls the perfect knight in The Canterbury Tales. These parables exonerates examples and illustrates three atypical barrages of character from profound Middle Age literature. In this essay I will…
Beowulf is able to show himself as a brave warrior in his youth for many reasons. In his youth, Beowulf is a great warrior, characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage, including his fabled swimming match against Breca. He also perfectly symbolizes the manners and values dictated by the Germanic heroic code, including loyalty, courtesy, and pride. His defeat of Grendel and Grendel’s mother signifies his reputation for bravery and establishes him completely as a hero.…
Beowulf’s first villain Grendel is an exceptionally diverse character. His nature is ambiguous. He is a mix of man and beast and his fury is based on very human feelings of resentment and jealousy. Although Grendel is portrayed as an animal like demonic creature of some sort, upon further examination the reader begins to sympathize with the very human emotions that drive him to kill.…
The main character, and protagonist, Beowulf is first introduced in the novel by means of ancestral lineage. Born into greatness, Beowulf makes his reputation indisputable through action. With the King Hrothgar as witness, Beowulf declares his intentions to aid the Danes by way of slaying the awesome beast Grendel who has caused havoc among the lands. "Now I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat." As every great hero fulfils his boast, Beowulf did not fall short. Though the…
In the midst of his adolescence Beowulf was a remarkable warrior who was depicted generally through his accomplishments of dauntlessness and quality complete of his legendary swimming test against Breca, Beowulf wonderfully speaks to the qualities and direct associated with the Germanic bold code, for instance, pride, thoughtfulness, and dedication. Consequently conquering Grendel's mother and Grendel supports his strength reputation along these lines setting up himself as the legend (Gummere, 4). Other…
The pagan elements in the epic poem Beowulf are evident in the characters superhuman personifications. Beowulf is depicted as a superhero. Beowulf takes it upon himself to save the Danes from Grendel. In his battle with Grendel, Beowulf chooses not to use weapons; he relies on his super strength. During the fight, Beowulf's strength takes over, and Beowulf wrestles with Grendel until he is able to rip one of the monster's arms out of its socket. Superhuman feats also appear in the fight with Grendel's mother. When Beowulf enters the water, he swims, without the use of oxygen, downward for an entire day before he sees the bottom. During the battle with Grendel's mother, Beowulf realizes that Unferth's sword is useless against the monster's thick skin. He grabs an enormous sword made by giants, almost too heavy to hold, and slashes through the monster's body. This superhero strength continues into the battle with the dragon. By this time Beowulf is an old man. He decides that he must avenge his people and fight the dragon. Although Beowulf is fatally wounded himself, he still manages to deliver the final blow that kills the dragon. Grendel is also seen as a superhuman monster. Grendel has no knowledge of weapons, so he, too, depends on his extraordinary strength to destroy his enemies. The dragon is also seen as a super-powerful adversary. The dragon in Beowulf spits fire with such intense heat that it melts Beowulf's shield to his body.…
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.…