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Beowulf character essay
Beowulf lines about weapons
Beowulf character essay
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Beowulf Cheat Sheet
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1. Weapons serve as the tools that the soldiers must use
> to do their job: killing beasts or men without getting
> killed. As a artist may be fond of his paintbrush, the
> soldiers greatly cherish their weapons. Often a weapon is
> valued for its pedigree. The author often interrupts action
> to delve into a weapon’s previous owners and its history.
> In the introduction, Burton Raffel states, “The important
> tools, in this poem, are weapons: proven swords and helmets
> are handed down from father to son, like the vital
> treasures they were. Swords have personalities, and names:
> � (xi)
> Beowulf uses Hrothgar’s helmet and armor to protect
> him from serpents’ claws while he descends into the lake to
> meet Grendel’s mother. The helmet is said to “ block all
> battle swords, stop all blades from cutting at
> him�(1451-53) However, the monster bites holes in it.
> Grendels’ mother is frustrated by the almost impenetrable
> armor. She “tried to work her fingers through the tight
> ring-woven mail on his breast, but tore and scratched in
> vain.� (1503-05)
> Hrunting is the sword that Unferth lends Beowulf for
> the battle against Grendel’s mother. Hrunting is a lucky
> sword, “No one who’d worn it into battle, swung it in
> dangerous places, daring and brave, had ever been
> deserted-�(1459-1461) However, Hrunting is useless against
> Grendel’s mother, although no swords made by mortals would
> have pierced the monster’s skin. It takes a sword “hammered
> by giants, strong and blessed with their magic� (1557-1559)
> that Beowulf finds hanging on the wall to cut through the
> monster’s neck. The monster’s blood melts the sword but
> Beowulf brings the sword hilt to Hrothgar as a gift.
> In the battle against the dragon Beowulf uses a sword
> named Nagling. It first cracks against the tough dragon
> skin and then breaks to pieces against the dragon’s head.
> Once again, “his weapon had failed him, deserted him, now
> when he needed it most�. Although the iron shield is
> somewhat effective against the dragon’s scalding breath,
> throughout the poem Beowulf is little aided in battle by a
> weapon. The author suggests that “his hands were too
> strong, the hardest blade could not help him, th...
... middle of paper ...
...m hilde-deor
> hearpan wynne�. In the translated edition Burton Raffel
> uses a more subtle style, although alliteration can still
> be easily found on every page. An example is the
> description of Hrothgar playing a harp and how he “stroked
> its silvery strings� (2108)
> Kenning is the use of figurative phrases instead of a
> simple noun. Instead of just saying ship the author might
> use “the ringed prow�, the “sea-farer�, or “the bent-necked
> wood�. The dragon is refered to as a “twilight-spoiler� and
> “whale-road� is an ocean. A king or important noble is
> called a “ring-giver� many times throughout the poem.
> There are several similes is the poem. One example is
> the description of Grendel’s claws as “nails as hard as
> bright steel� (985) Another simile poetically depicts the
> Geats journey stating, “The ship foamed through the sea
> like a bird� (218).
> An Epithet is an identifying repeating adjective used
> to take the place of a person’s name. The kenning term
> ring-giver is an epithet. Patronymics, a specific type of
> Epithet, is the naming of people in terms