Megan Lai English 10H DiSalvo 17th September‚ 2014 HCTA: Beowulf Theme: Wisdom is a more valuable weapon than physical strength. Quote 1: And that night Grendel came again‚ so set / On murder that no crime could ever be enough‚ / No savage assault quench his lust / For evil. Then each warrior tried / To escape him‚ searched for rest in different / Beds‚ as far from Herot as they could find‚ / Seeing how Grendel hunted when they slept. / Distance was safety; the only survivors /
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Unearthing Beowulf-ian Paganism Beowulf is a work of literature which provides an inside look into old Anglo-Saxon tales‚ customs and language on the wake of the conversion to Christianity. The extent to which Beowulf’s history is the knowledge of its Christian monk author‚ and its assumedly previous oral nature. While it is apparent that the author of Beowulf is Christian (perhaps the first in his generation)‚ due to its clear references to God and his will‚ Beowulf itself is a traditional Germanic
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down to us across the last 1000+ years? Who wrote it? The story of the Beowulf has been passed orally through many generations until a single written manuscript was maintained in the Anglo-Saxon England at a location which is unknown. The manuscript dates back to about 1000 year‚ although the poem is believed to be written between the period of the seventh and tenth century of the first millennium (Collection items-Beowulf). The written copy hardly escaped the fire in the eighteenth century and
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poem Beowulf. Key symbols are used to represent a variety of objects‚ people‚ and places. For instance Heorot Hall‚ swords‚ the sea‚ the mere‚ and the water are some of the most commonly used symbols throughout Beowulf . The use of symbols provides the readers with a more visual idea of the epic poem. Establishing the importance of each symbol allows readers to understand the behaviors of the characters. The author uses symbols to show that Anglo- Saxons have embedded it’s original theme of high
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loved for generations because it deals with enduring themes. It deals with themes that touch our common humanity; themes that enlighten our understanding and broaden our experience. Sometimes these literary works take the form of narrative – even fictional stories. No matter the form‚ if it is a noble work‚ it will endure. We all like stories‚ maybe because we are all a part of the greatest story ever told. I believe it is this that makes Beowulf such an enduring classic. Even though its author is
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Beowulf is said to be a hero because he defeated Grendel and stopped him from killing any more of Hrothgar’s men. This showed his great loyalty to Hrothgar and his people. Beowulf is a hero because of his outstanding fighting skills‚ his great strength‚ and definitely his great loyalty. A hero is defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage‚ outstanding achievements‚ or noble qualities. Beowulf certainly fits into that category as his village looked up to him for his great skills and
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Beowulf’s story is somewhat of an allegory in which he is depicted as the Christ figure. The theme of Beowulf is a contrast of good and evil which is manifest in both Christian and pagan elements; Beowulf represents good‚ while Grendel‚ his mother‚ and the dragon represent evil. The first monster our hero‚ Beowulf‚ faces is Grendel. Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain. "Unhappy creature (Grendel)‚ he lived for a time in the home of the monsters’ race‚ after God had condemned them as kin of
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In both works‚ the authors of Beowulf and Tolkien also assigned their society’s negative traits to their stories’ villains. In Beowulf‚ Grendel was swamp-dwelling son of Cain‚ the exiled killer of Abel and father to all evil spirits (102 – 110). Grendel’s swampy home is easily accessible to the Anglo-Saxon audience as dark and dangerous. On top of this‚ Grendel’s home exists on the outside edges of King Heorot’s lands: not central but still inside (103). This location represents the marginalities
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Beowulf is the oldest surviving Old English poem and often regarded as one of the most important pieces of English literature‚ although the author is anonymous. It is because of its age that Beowulf is the subject of interest of many critics. However‚ the work is not just examined for its importance as a poem or a work of art‚ but it is also studied and criticized for what it is not: whether that be a history of Sweden or a pagan work. It is this mistake of focusing on the wrong elements that
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123 LECTURE NOTES BEOWULF Genre A heroic folk epic rooted in the oral tradition of the Anglo Saxons‚ Beowulf is an anonymous poem committed to paper by an unknown Christian monk in 1000 Common Era‚ some 300 years after it was first composed. The manuscript is part of a document known as Cotton Vitellus A housed in a British Library. Beowulf belongs to the epic genre of long‚ narrative poems dealing with heroic deeds against a background of war and the supernatural and themes of grandeur and significance
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