The sword Beowulf used to kill Grendel’s mother had to have such a powerful background story because an ordinary sword would not have gotten the job done. This became evident when the sword Beowulf borrowed from Ecgtheow did not even penetrate the monster. Despite the irony of the sword magically being within Beowulf’s grasp in his time of need‚ it is by certain the force used to kill off Grendel’s mother. The sword was not just any sword. “It was the best of weapons‚ expect that it was greater
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As social activist Eartha Kitt once said‚ “Greed is so destructive. It destroys everything.” In Beowulf‚ by an anonymous writer and The Hobbit‚ by J.R.R. Tolkien‚ greed plays an omnipresent role‚ as it manifests itself into the societies of the texts‚ resulting in acts of war. Each text utilizes similar methods in their depiction of greed‚ as it is shown as a cause for the seemingly endless acts of wartime malice. Additionally‚ both texts seem to emphasize a certain notion that with the possession
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The story of Beowulf is a well known epic poem and a significant piece of literature. Many people still read and enjoy it today. Beowulf offers readers the opportunity to explore beliefs and customs of the past. Not only is the story entertaining‚ it is also educational. There are several different lessons one can learn from Beowulf. Religion is one of the main themes of the story. Individuals studying the religious aspects of the tale will see two main beliefs: paganism and Christianity. These two
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Beowulf’s author is unknown‚ as are his motives and inspiration for the creation of the poem. Written some four hundred years before the Norman conquests‚ it is comprised of three thousand‚ one hundred and eighty-two lines‚ dramatically reproducing the timeless struggle between good and evil‚ along with all the variations that accompany such a story. By far one of the most admirable qualities presented to the reader is the notion of heroism‚ and the importance of honor. The quality of character was
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Motivations of Each Character in the Beowulf Epic (The Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations of Each Character in the Beowulf Epic) In the Anglo-Saxon epic‚ Beowulf‚ the hero‚ Beowulf‚ goes on a journey to the land of the Danes accompanied by the bravest of his men to kill a murderous monster‚ Grendel. Grendel is a horrible creature that has been slaying the soldiers of Hrothgar in the land of the Danes to bring fear to the people‚ the kingdom‚ and Hrothgar. When Beowulf arrives‚ Hrothgar and the people
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printed was a piece of Anglo Saxon poetry known as Beowulf. The Anglo Saxons were a Germanic tribe that had many values and ideas that their people lived by and kept sacred in their day to day lives. These values include; bravery‚ loyalty‚ generosity‚ and heroism. Beowulf‚ the main character in the poem Beowulf is the man who has all of these values‚ and is the epitome of the Anglo Saxon. Beowulf is the image of bravery throughout the story Beowulf‚ and there are two examples from the story that
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contradicting roles of the women in the poem Beowulf aim to show the differences between them and how they exist in society. The characters who are mainly introduced into these various roles in the poem consist of Queen Modthryth‚ Grendel’s Mother‚ Hrothgar’s wife Wealhtheow‚ and Queen Hygd; all of whom play roles in the poem that either contradict or relate to each other. In Beowulf‚ Queen Wealhtheow serves as the ideal example of an appropriate woman. After Beowulf defeated Grendel‚ the Queen spoke to
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in Beowulf Throughout the story of Beowulf‚ the concept of religion plays a significant role. The Christianity ideology views state that man can survive and do great things through the protection of God. A strong desire of pride is also represented in the form of a hero in Beowulf‚ which in a sense goes against Christian morals. This clash with Christian morals in Beowulf was in the context of pride vs. humility and selfishness vs. sacrifice. In the book‚ Hrothgar first explained to Beowulf that
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Christian vs. Pagan Approaches in Beowulf Beowulf was written by a Christian poet around the eighth century. Having been changed a number of times‚ this manuscript has been observed in the older pagan period‚ and influence by pagan rituals. There are two different cultures reflected towards Beowulf which‚ are the Christianity culture and the pagan culture. Paganism and Christianity are both equally portrayed and expressed in Beowulf. It cconsists of heroes that are called Anglo-Saxons‚ who prided
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Beowulf The Hero “… A fiend out of hell”(Heaney 100). These words describe the monster Grendel‚ who is truly an evil entity. Only an epic hero with strength‚ courage and confidence is able to defeat this mighty foe. This hero’s name is Beowulf. He displays all of these throughout the epic. Beowulf’s first epic hero trait is confidence. Beowulf displays confidence when he talked to Unferth in the great hall Heorot. Beowulf said‚ “…but he will find me different. I will show him how Geats shape
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