this case‚ the epic poem Beowulf would be an example of a literary work that has left various interpretations for the readers. In Burton Raffel’s translation of the poem‚ the final line states Beowulf as “deserving of praise”. However‚ in other translations‚ the final line states Beowulf as desiring of praise. Although these are two differing characterizations of Beowulf‚ they also reveal the aspects and interpretations of the title hero. The best characterization of Beowulf would be that he is deserving
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for them to dish out cold justice. Our need for vengeance unites us‚ while our actions with it divide us. The unknown author of Beowulf‚ however‚ was able to add more uses to revenge. The author drove the plot through cause and effect‚ showed how alike characters are through their actions‚ yet distant through their motivations‚ and even showed the toll of revenge. Beowulf consists of three main story arcs‚ the first arc begins with Grendel‚ the cursed descendant of Cain--enemy of man‚ who closely
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fame to somebody was heroic deeds and family lineage. Beowulf‚ as the example of pagan heroes‚ exhibited his desire to accumulate fame and fortune; the only way to do so was to avenge the death of others. This theme of retribution that is present throughout the whole poem seems to enrich the identities of its characters. In _Beowulf_‚ revenge is represented with both an honest and rhetorical motives. Payback of monsters ’ offenses is Beowulf ’s path to the top: worldwide fame‚ infinite wealth
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who have come this far‚ the privilege of purifying Heorot‚ with my own men to help me‚ and nobody else. (Heaney 425-432). In this passage‚ Beowulf is describing to Hrothgar why he has come to Denmark. Foster writes that a quest has five elements‚ a quester‚ a place to go‚ a stated reason to go there‚ challenges and trials‚ and a real reason to go there. Beowulf is the quester. The place to go is Denmark. The stated reason to go there is to slay Grendel. A challenge of his quest is Grendels mom‚ and
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present in Beowulf are good vs. Evil and the magic and supernatural elements. Beowulf is a basic poem that contains many examples of good against evil. This story shows how good will always prevail even against insurmountable odds. For example‚ Beowulf is the perfect example of a good warrior. He is loyal to his king and family and can defeat any monster. Grendel on the other hand is born evil and enjoys killing the Danes. When Beowulf and Grendel engage in battle‚ Grendel sees good in Beowulf and is
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Beowulf: Themes The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature‚ and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero‚ a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf‚ who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel‚ a descendent of Cain‚ and of his exploits fighting Grendel ’s mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic‚ the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elements
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Literary Merit and Its Significance to Beowulf Any acceptable novel has some type of significance enclosed in the structure of its story. So just what establishes this? These thoughts‚ expressions and meanings the author hopes to accomplish should always contain sophisticated literary merit. Well known epic poem‚ Beowulf‚ accomplishes its merit through masterfully infused figurative language‚ two of which are most common‚ alliteration and kennings. Beowulf is largely constructed around the monsters
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Epics exhibit qualities that make them distinct when compared to other genres of literature. Beowulf exhibits characteristics that allows the piece of literature to remain an epic of great proportions. The poem exhibits the epic characteristics of supernatural force‚ superhuman courage‚ and the hero is a figure of great national importance. Beowulf meets the requirements for an epic poem through the exhibition of supernatural force. In the poem‚ the power of God is sometimes present; meaning
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Benita Williams February 28‚ 2013 Professor Heyworth English 225 The Monster Within‚ Is It A Good or Bad Thing? Beowulf was one in many men who has been described to have a monster in him. The way a person deals with it and how they choose to deal with it‚ made them who they were. Beowulf had great character and the way he used the monster within had many people questioning his true abilities as a hero and as a king. He fought in so many battles‚ many described as being monstrous or an animalistic
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Joe Rosa 11/02/10 Prof. Thompson Hist. 3127 Beowulf and the Bible Throughout the epic poem‚ Beowulf‚ our main hero puts others before himself. Over the many years of research and analysis of the poem‚ scholars came to the conjuncture that the author of Beowulf was indeed Christian. However‚ we know so little of the author that one could not even attach a name to this medieval poem. So the presumption of the academic authority is really all we have to go by‚ other than the reader’s own
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