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Themes and symbols of beowulf
Example of symbolism in beowulf hrothgar
Example of symbolism in beowulf hrothgar
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The author of Beowulf cleverly uses digressions throughout the work in order to foreshadow events or give more insight on a situation. Some digressions may be used as guidance in how to live one’s life. The digression on page fifty-two in lines 884 through 914 of Beowulf in The Norton Anthology: English Literature Volume A, the entertainer who is singing in Beowulf’s honor after he slew the monster Grendel. To the characters of Beowulf, the song is simply entertainment, but to the reader it is foreknowledge of future events that will unfold as the story continues. The digression is used to hint to Beowulf’s fight with the dragon, becoming king, and tell what kind of king Beowulf will not be in the future.
The digression begins as a story of a legendary king named Sigemund who is very similar to Beowulf. Sigemund and Beowulf have the same characteristics that earn them glory and fame; both of the men are admirable warriors known for bravery, high moral values and leadership qualities. The digression also is foreshadowing Beowulf’s destiny to become king of his people and his future battle with a dragon; the details of Sigemund’s fight with the dragon and Beowulf’s match up almost perfectly. The dragons are massive beings that guard an enormous hoard of treasures and valuable metals; the Kings feel fight honorably to protect the people and defeat the beast. Sigemund enters the dragon’s lair by himself in hopes of killing the dragon and winning the hoard for his people. Similarly, Beowulf will go into the dragon’s den by himself because his warriors are cowardly and hide behind a rock.
Moreover, this move will be the beginning of Beowulf’s downfall. Beowulf had a difficult time transitioning from a dedicated warrior to a king; h...
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... page fifty-two allows the reader to understand Beowulf’s personality through the tale of another person who has similar destiny as Beowulf. By the end of the digression the reader should also understand more of what Beowulf’s personality is not like and how he will not fall to the same faith of many men of power. This digression also highlights respectable social values that every person, king or not, should have in their character. Multiply digressions throughout the poem warn against the evil affects power and greed can have on once honorable men.
Works Cited
1. Tolkien, J. R. R., and Christopher Tolkien. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Print.
2. Christ, Carol T., Catherine Robson, Stephen Greenblatt, and M. H. Abrams. "Beowulf." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York, NY: W.W. Norton &, 2006. Web.
Frank, Roberta. “The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History.” In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
In Tolkien’s lecture, “Beowulf: The monsters and the Critics,” he argues that Beowulf has been over analyzed for its historical content, and it is not being studied as a piece of art as it should be. He discusses what he perceives the poet of Beowulf intended to do, and why he wrote the poem the way he did. Tolkien’s main proposition, “it was plainly only in the consideration of Beowulf as a poem, with an inherent poetic significance, that any view or conviction can be reached or steadily held” (Tolkien). He evaluates why the author centers the monsters throughout the entire poem, why the poem has a non-harmonic structure, why and how the author fusses together Christianity and Paganism, and how the author uses time to make his fictional poem seem real. He also discusses the overall theme of Beowulf and other assumptions of the text. To support his viewpoints, Tolkien uses quotations and examples from the poem, quotations from other critics, and compares Beowulf to other works of art. Tolkien discusses several statements in interpreting Beowulf as a poem.
This last encounter was destined to define his lasting legacy. He lived as a warrior; it was only natural that he should die as one as well, he hopes to go down in a fiery blaze of glory, pun intended. At this point in time, Beowulf is a seventy-year-old king, he knows he is mortal and isn’t going to live forever. Nevertheless, even as an old man, it was his duty to protect and defend his subjects until the death. Towards the end Beowulf’s death looms closer and it seems like he foreshadows that he is prepared to meet his maker. “When I meet the cave guard: what occurs on the wall, between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides. I am resolved. I scorn further words against this sky-borne foe” (Heaney 2525-2528). Beowulf’s maturity has blossomed to its utmost peak, ironically right before he is laid to rest in the valley of death that is Beowulf’s Barrow. His endeavors throughout this long journey have brought him wisdom and enlightenment. Since the beginning, he has rapidly progressed over time, especially since evolving from his role as a warrior to a king. Initially, Beowulf was insatiable with pleasure seeking activities, but then he
In the length of the poem, Beowulf goes from abandoned child to gallant warrior to King. This transformation, expressed in the tone and content of the poem, shows the importance of the relationship between lord and thane and expresses the ultimate value of that connection. From the difference in battle scenes to Beowulf’s speeches, it is clear that he has gone from a somewhat self-loving hero to a selfless king. Within this change he also goes from serving a lord to becoming a lord, and in that way the poem shows us the importance of both sides of the relationship.
The Story Beowulf is an Epic poem written in the Anglo-Saxon period. The author of the poem is unknown. Beowulf is the hero of the story and the Thane to Hygelac the king of the Geats in Sweden. When Beowulf finds out the Grendel (the big guy) is causing problems in Denmark he decides to go over there and help them out. He fights Grendel and everyone is happy. Then Grendels mother comes to avenge her son so Beowulf has to go fight her also. After winning that battle Beowulf goes back to the Geats and becomes king and rules for fifty winters. Everything is good until he has to go fight this dragon. The dragon ends up killing Beowulf. In the story you can see how things like Honor, fame, and Courage are associated with Beowulf. The reason that he take the dangerous journey is to gain all there of those characteristics in his journey. Out lines below is how he gets each one of those traits in the story.
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
...slaying Grendel’s family and a dragon. Needed by the Geats and the Danes, Beowulf is central to the poem, however it is impossible for him not to be an outsider when he is superior to every single character in every single aspect.
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
Wright, David. “The Digressions in Beowulf.” In Readings on Beowulf, edited by Stephen P. Thompson. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,1998.
Abrams, M.H., ed. Beowulf: The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001.
“Beowulf.” Trans. Suzanne Akbari. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd ed. Vol. B. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 112-82. Print.
(P) Beowulf humbly gave everything to his people, and shared his wealth and wisdom to help his people prosper. His fatal flaw was more fatal than it was a flaw, and because of it he lost his life to protect those who were not willing protect him. (Q) Listening to the advice of others, rather than ruling alone, is what made Beowulf so great in the end. He may have been boastful when he was young but as he matured he became wise and humble. When Beowulf became king, he did not live through past actions, instead he continued to give his people reasons to serve him. (R) A lesson from this is that the past does not make the future, people can go from bad to good and from good to great if they take the help given, by those who want to see the great in
Unknown. "Beowulf."The Norton Anthology of English Literture. 8th Eddition. Volume 1.Eds. Stephen Greenblatt, Etal. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006
Inspired by the reward of glory, Beowulf travels to the land of the Geats, and murders their main enemy, Grendel. The fight is a glorious one; one that truly showcases Beowulf’s capacity as a warrior. During this fight, Beowulf disposes of Grendel with ease, grabbing him with “handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man”, causing him to become “desperate to flee ”(Heaney 9). The adamant diction used to describe Beowulf’s death hold on Grendel, juxtaposed with the weakness of Grendel’s reaction, resorting to mere desperation, emphasizes his physical prowess. Such a display of strength allows Beowulf to return home a hero. The Geats thank him with gold and other material possessions, although Beowulf’s most precious prize is the recognition he receives. Word of his legend spreads far, and Beowulf is subsequently rewarded with the role of king of the Danes. As a result of his previous experiences, “he ruled [his kingdom] well for fifty winters”(Heaney 3). By describing his rule with such favorable diction as “well”, the narrator maintains that Beowulf’s performance as king was generally positive. Thus, Beowulf’s accomplishments as king are directly correlated to his accomplishments in combat. Because he was able triumph in his personal battles, particularly with Grendel, Beowulf succeeds as the leader of his
Beowulf is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later becomes king in the aforementioned epic poem. While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did.