mourn" (45). Christian and pagan ideals are the motivation for vengeance in "Grendel’s Mother’s Attack." It is hard to ignore the Christian and pagan elements of Beowulf. These elements‚ that have been so uniquely combined in the poem‚ define the heroic warrior‚ Beowulf‚ and the evil menace‚ Grendel’s mother. The reader is introduced to Grendel’s mother through her lineage. "From [Cain] sprang many a devil sent by fate"(43). From this quotation alone we can see the fusion of Christian and pagan elements
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both Christian and pagan influences. Pagan values consist of victory‚ and its constant reward through fame. Christian traits consist of loyalty‚ good leadership‚ and fairness‚ even in times of war or battles. Beowulf makes a lot of references and stresses the fact that he values fighting his battles with his bare hands. Another Christian value that is presented‚ and exercised by Beowulf in this epic poem‚ is that wealth must be shared unselfishly. Beowulf’s juxtaposition of pagan‚ and Christian values
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produced the poem‚ the Anglo-Saxons‚ were a pagan culture. The Catholic Church was trying to spread its beliefs to other parts of the world. The Anglo-Saxons were a definite target. Many of the texts that we have out of that time period were written by Catholic monks. In Beowulf there are many references to pagan and Christian beliefs. These beliefs neither contradict‚ nor outshine each other. Rather‚ the monks writing the work interjected some Christian ideas in order to try and sell Christianity
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Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and its underlying symbols Sweeney‚ Michelle. “Chapter 11 Lady as Temptress and Reformer in Medieval Romance.” Essays in Medieval Studies‚ vol. 30‚ 2014‚ pp. 165-178. Project MUSE‚ doi: 10.1353/ems.2014.0011. In Sweeney’s article she’s expressing that in many romances women serve as a piece of a formula to drive heroes away or towards their salvation. She evaluates other poems where this is an issue‚ but I’m only going to talk about when it is relevant to Sir Gawain
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September 2014 The Pagan Saint‚ Beowulf Beowulf‚ the first epic‚ was a story of honor‚ tradition‚ and faith. The poem was originally a pagan oral tradition‚ being passed along from one to another by word of mouth‚ and never being written. Later on it was written down by monks who felt the need to Christianize the story‚ and remove some pagan elements. In later years‚ the old manuscripts were translated into English by Seamus Heaney. Beowulf seems to have characteristics of pagan beliefs‚ but also
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featuring a conflict between pagan and Christian beliefs. Within this context there is a continuous theme of good versus evil. Beowulf is a Christian hero who is endowed with superhuman strengths representative of paganism. He battles Grendel and Grendel’s mother‚ pagan monsters‚ whose lineage can be traced back to Cain‚ a biblical figure. Years later Beowulf takes on a monstrous dragon‚ a creature of pagan mythology. The story begins with our hero Beowulf seeking out a pagan monster Grendel who is terrorizing
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one’s name. This is why Lancelot’s feat of accepting a ride in a cart is so devastating. To ride in the cart was an act of shame‚ as the cart was used to transport criminals. Throughout the story‚ there are many instances where characters‚ such as Gawain‚ insist that death is preferable to the shame of riding in a cart. Because of his actions‚ for much of
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they differ in many aspects. Beowulf‚ as a pagan‚ believes in Fate‚ "Fate will unwind as it must" (line 189) while Sir Gawain has Christian beliefs. Sir Gawain is under the chivalric code and Beowulf is not. Unlike Beowulf‚ Sir Gawain exhibits some cowardice in his hiding of the girdle that Lady Bertilak gives him as she tries to seduce him. Beowulf’s struggle against Grendel is more of an epic struggle of two great opposing forces in the world‚ but Sir Gawain’s conflicts are of lesser value‚
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have incorporated religious meaning in their writing. Christian symbolism can often play a role in British literature. C. S Lewis‚ one of the most recognized literary British scholars to ever live‚ did just that. The Chronicles of Narnia is often revered as one of the most admired children’s series of fantasy novels with Christian parallels playing a vital role throughout the series. Clive Staples Lewis was the most popular author of Christian books of his era. He attended Oxford and graduated with
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Sir Gawain and Beowulf: Which is More Honorable? Heroes come in many forms‚ yet traits such as: courage‚ honor‚ and loyalty‚ reappear as themes throughout the personality of a hero. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero‚ yet each comes across quite differently in their respective story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criteria‚ Sir Gawain stands
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