Why ’Beowulf?’ That English lit mainstay ’extends our horizons‚ stretches the imagination’ By Rose McIlveen | | |For leisure reading the epic poem Beowulf is probably a tough sell. Alfred David‚ an Indiana University| | |Bloomington professor emeritus of English‚ is a believer‚ but a realist as well. He even has a sense of| | |humor about the general reaction to the required reading for generations of college English majors. | | |David recalls a Woody Allen movie‚ Annie Hall‚ in which
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Anglo-Saxon values shown in Beowulf. Thousands of years ago‚ in the period of the Anglo-Saxons‚ there were certain values that were really important to the people. They would tell stories about great‚ brave warriors‚ and the battles they fought. Although they had writing systems they mainly used it for inscriptions on coins and monuments. The stories were transmitted orally in mead halls of kings and nobles were the Anglo-Saxons gathered to eat‚ drink‚ and socialize. One of the stories they told
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Beowulf battles three different monsters within Beowulf. The anonymous author gives human characteristics to the monsters. Although Beowulf is the protagonist‚ the three antagonists possess more human characteristics than the hero. Monsters generally belong to the unknown realm‚ Grendel‚ Grendel’s mother‚ and the dragon are bestowed with individual identities much like humans (Yang). The monsters contained in the work are humanized by the author’s willingness to give them homes. The author gives
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poem Beowulf‚ many of the characters do not seem complex or related to characters today’s literature. C The characters in Beowulf believe in the old way of life‚ that heroes will always come to save them. D Three characters truly show the complexity of the Beowulf cast and will prove that they are just as complex as those in modern day literature: Beowulf in his hero’s journey‚ Grendel’s mother in her quest for vengeance‚ and Unferth’s change of heart. BODY PARAGRAPH 1- Beowulf E Beowulf is the
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Ricky Campbell Burns English 4 8/25/2013 The Characterization of Beowulf The Epic Poem Beowulf tells the tale of a legendary viking warrior after whom the epic is named. In the Viking world of Beowulf‚ ones identity is very important. Nearly every character is introduced not only by their name‚ but also by his or her deeds and lineage. Although Beowulf‚ the hero of this poem‚ had been “Poorly regarded for a long time (2183) ” by his people‚ we can see throughout the tale that he hopes to
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Based on his discussion of heroism in the excerpts you’ve read‚ would Emerson consider Beowulf a hero? Use this chart to organize the information you have learned in Emerson’s essay. Use notes you took while reading Beowulf to answer the question. You will need supporting evidence from each text to write a well-developed‚ organized response. Emerson’s Qualities of Heroism (choose a minimum of four) Does Beowulf exhibit this quality? Yes or No Provide supporting evidence from the poem that supports
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The epic of Beowulf reveals three monster archetypes‚ each one relates to an internal struggle Beowulf is facing. His battles between each monster eventually lead to his victory over each inner demon he is dealing with. Beowulf portrays this when he successfully defeats Grendel’s Mother “The water was calm and clean‚ the whole/ Huge lake was peaceful once the demons who’d lived/ in it/ Were dead.../They left the lake together.../Behind them the water slowly thickened/ As the monsters’ blood came
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to their opponents. This concept of violence is illustrated in “Beowulf” by Burton Raffel‚ “The Whale Rider” by Witi Ihimaera‚ and “Thank you Ma’am” by Langston Hughes where all characters are faced with situations where they have to use violence in order to save themselves and others. Violence is an innate characteristic of human nature because we use it as a defense mechanism without thinking of the consequences. Violence in Beowulf is portrayed as a glorified act that even heroes have to use. When
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seemingly exorbitant wealth of such kingdoms‚ their economic practices differ from today’s methods. However‚ careful analyzation of the epic Beowulf and the present shows that certain uses of wealth and money seem to stay the same. The gold-giving and treasure-hoarding customs of the ancient Anglo-Saxons might give the illusion that the actions of the characters in Beowulf differ from those of people today. However‚ aspects of their lives included a wide range of economic activities that mirror the modern
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of British Literature used will include; Beowulf‚ The Taming of the Shrew‚ 1984‚ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight‚ The Lord of the Rings‚ and Le Morte d’Arthur‚ and Carpe Diem poetry. These sources are classified as two books‚ one
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