Beowulf Allegory Analysis

991 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism in the epic story Beowulf

Beowulf’s Gory Allegory In the dark ages people were always looking for a deeper meaning in everything and rightly so, seeing as the authors of that time often wrote in allegories. Lacking technology and education, information was best spread through stories that could be easily recited. Different groups would use different influences, full of deep symbolism, to better illustrate their message. The monks flooded the pagan epic Beowulf with christian influence and reserved the last books as an allegory of Christ’s crucifixion. In this epic, the monks used uncanny and deliberate parallels with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ such as Beowulf’s twelve warriors abandoning him, his sacrificial death, being martyred for the will of God, and being a humble king whose followers offer them praise and glory. As readers of both The Bible and Beowulf will notice both protagonist were accompanied by 12 followers. Out of “twelve of the braves Geats” eleven left Beowulf when his was faced with certain death, and in the gospel readers can see that Jesus’s twelve disciples, excluding John, abandoned him as he faced his greatest battle, death.(884) “ his comrades/...they ran for their lives...And …show more content…

As Jesus knows, his battle is approaching with satan he says “Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26:39). This illustrates to the reader that his death and battle must be of the Lord’s will, thus unpreventable. The idea of God’s unpreventable will is presented in the death of Beowulf, when it is said that “ No one could have kept/ Life in their lord’s body, or turned/ Aside the Lord’s will”(842-844).Since Beowulf had been viewed as having divine right he could have only died if God willed it. The authors utilization of capitalization makes a clear distinction between nobility and

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Beowulf and Jesus

    469 Words  | 1 Pages

    Beowulf's character is very much similar to that of Jesus' in many ways. To the Danes he is recognized as a saviour, releasing them from the bonds of fear and death that Grendel had placed on Hrothgar's people. Friederich Klaeber writes that the poet raised Beowulf, "To the rank of a singularly spotless hero, a defending, protecting, redeeming being, a truly ideal character. In fact we need not hesitate to recognize features of the Christian Saviour in the destroyer of hellish fiends, the warrior brave and gentle, blameless in thought and deed, the king that dies for his people." (Klaeber 11). The battle with Grendel is a direct conflict between the powers of good and evil. Grendel is perceived as nothing short of an incarnation of the Christian devil. Many of his characteristics resemble those of Satan; he belongs to the lineage of Cain, the first murderer, and his home stirs up visions of hell (Norton 45-48). The dragon also resembles that of Satan. Lusting over gold and riches, the dragon protects his hoard with fire and fear. In Revelation 12:9, Satan is revealed as "the great dragon...the serpent of old". In the events including the battle with the dragon, one might notice a striking similarity with that of Jesus' experience in the garden of Gethsemane (Mathew 26:36-56). It is here that Jesus ventured with His 11 disciples (minus Judas) and was willingly seized to be later crucified and killed. The disciples had done nothing to help Him while Jesus accepted His own death for the benefit of His people. Beowulf, escorted by eleven lords also confronts his own death while his men abandon him in fear. It is only one, Wiglaf, who chooses to stand bravely beside his liege-lord in battle (Norton 60-62). In likeness, Peter follows Jesus and His captors from a distance to see the outcome of the trial. In contrast, Peter denies Jesus in fear rather than help Him (Mathew 26:58-75). The Christian elements in the poem are almost clearly without question so deeply ingrained within the poem that one cannot explain it away as mere coincidence.

    Read More

  • Pagan Religion In Beowulf

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    The third, and probably the biggest, place we see evidence of Christianity in the story of Beowulf is the character of Beowulf and how similar he is to Jesus. Beowulf 's character is very much similar to that of Jesus ' in many ways. At one point in the story of Beowulf , the author describes how Beowulf is the strongest man alive then continues describing Beowulf 's other heroic traits. This depicts Beowulf to be in a level above mankind while at the same time

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Beowulf's Motivations

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle,” Norman Schwarzkopf. In the epic poem, Beowulf, an epic hero from Geats travels far out of his way to help the Danes with their fight against the nasty Grendel. However, in the story Beowulf encounters three monsters that he takes into his own hands and defeats them all. In doing so, Beowulf is rewarded greatly and becomes king and is looked up to by all. In his last battle, Beowulf defeats the dragon but dies soon afterwards, he is given an honorable burial. This poem was told throughout the era of the Vikings and was later written down as the first actually hard copy of the story. It was Burton

    Read More

  • Paganity And Vristianity In The Epic Of Beowulf

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    Pagan concepts are intertwined in this work, as is the nature of the time period. Fame was very important. Receiving status allowed one to prosper in this time and receive the best out of their life. Beowulf is enthralled with the idea of fame as he fights Grendel, but it is balanced out and reconciled with Christianity by his desire to protect his people. Vengeance was brought out when Beowulf tells Hrothgar to not grieve and that “It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (72 Simpson & David). Honor is disregarded when Beowulf’s men leave him to fight with the dragon. Wilgaf shames them and it can be inferred that they will be disregarded as warriors and nobles for their behavior. Protecting one’s master was essential during that time to receive food and shelter, in addition to having the Gods’ favor (Lawson). Christianity makes an appearance when it references the antagonist, Grendel, “a fiend out of hell” (43 Simpson & David) and the protagonist, Beowulf, whom the “Holy God, in His goodness, guided…to the West-Danes, to defend [Hrothgar and his subjects] from Grendel” (49 Simpson & David). Christianity was a prominent influence for authors of the Anglo-Saxon time period. The Christians had faith in God’s ability to determine their fate. If they lost a contest then God has decided they are not worthy of winning. Every day they will try to prove they are holy enough to have God’s grace and be saved from eternal damnation. The literature written was a reminder to the people to always do what is right and to avoid sinning. Because the only people who could write were priests, religion was added into stories when they were written and when previous works were transcribed. The presence of the church was ever present to ensure the obedience of the people. If all they were exposed to was religion that

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Beowulf

    1431 Words  | 3 Pages

    For many centuries, Literature critics have constantly debated on whether it was more inspired by Pagan or Christian beliefs. These said critics have constantly been trying to differentiate between the symbolism used to describe the Pagan symbols and Christian symbols within the halls of Horathgar and the Castle lived in by the King of the Geats. These symbols can be argued to symbolize Pagan or Christian symbolism due to the fact that they can either describe the beliefs of Pagan or Christians. These include but don’t exclude; the heroic might of an epic hero, being portrayed as a Christian or Pagan hero. Examples of Pagan beliefs will include the following of Wyrd the Pagan belief in fate. Examples of Christianity will be Beowulf’s dislike

    Read More

  • Beowulf, Christianity, and Paganism

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf’s courage and faith can be seen throughout the entire poem. The author shows what the other characters thought of Beowulf in lines 114-119, “None of the wise ones regretting his going, much As he was loved by the Geats: the omens were good, And they urged the adventure on”. Beowulf can be represented or resembled as a biblical hero such as David or Samson. Beowulf overcame many difficult problems that others would not even contemplate to take on. Beowulf the Geat took on Grendel and Grendel’s Mother. He also came to fellow warrior Hrothgar’s aid and even risked his own life for the sake of his warriors.

    Read More

  • Beowulf: A Lifetime of Heroism

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is the main character of the same named Old English poem written by an unknown author. In this poem, we follow Beowulf's life from when he was young to his old age and death. Throughout his life, he has done many brave deeds and saved many lives by killing monsters, and at the same time, he remained humble and a very moral person. He truly was a hero all his life – when he was young and bold, and when he was old and wise.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Character Analysis

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf was written around 700 A.D. by an Anglo-Saxon poet whose identity is unknown. It is part Christian and part Anglo-Saxon pagan because many Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity in the late 500s A.D. The epic poem is separated into three parts, with each part centering around a monster that Beowulf has to fight. First Grendel, second Grendel's mother, and third the dragon. The Anglo Saxons had a rule of three, and that is represented in Beowulf.

    Read More

  • Beowulf narrative essay

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is a very brave hero, he has fought and killed many creatures before, but this battle was different. He knew this battle was of great importance to everyone, and that made him that much more nervous. This creature was fierce and had been tormenting their village for as long as they could remember, so her death would be a huge victory for Beowulf and it would be an even bigger relief for the villagers. All of the people in the village were cheering for Beowulf as he walked away headed off to the greatest battle of his life.

    Read More

  • Beowulf as a Christ-like Figure

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    BEOWULF AS A CHRIST-LIKE FIGURE The epic poem, Beowulf, recounts the tale of a man named Beowulf who sacrifices his own safety to save the Danes from two evil dragons. Then, years later, Beowulf risks his life yet again to save his own people from a dragon. Throughout the story, Beowulf is presented as a Christ-like figure. This is manifested in the events that take place, the way that Beowulf speaks about himself, and the way the people treat him. The first way Beowulf's likeness to Christ is revealed, is through the events that take place. After Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he will fight Grendel, there is a celebration. During the celebration, Welthow, the queen "raised a flowing cup" (615) and poured "a portion from the jeweled cup/ For each" (621-622). When she got to Beowulf, she "thanked God for answering her prayers" (625). This event is strikingly similar to the Last Supper when Jesus passed around a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. Then, the crucifixion is portrayed when Beowulf fights Grendel's mother. During the stuggle, other monsters come to watch and beat at "His mail shirt, stabbing with tusks and teeth/ As they followed along" (1510-1511). Similarly, when Jesus was crucified, crowds drew near laughing at him, hurling insults, and spitting on him. Finally, Beowulf is said to have "Gone to a glorious death" (3037) and his soul "Left his flesh, flew to glory" (2820). This is similar to the resurrection of Jesus. All of these events clearly parallel the events of Jesus' day. What Beowulf says also shows his similarity to Christ. Beowulf says "I already knew that all/ My purpose was this: to win the good will/ Of your people" (633-635). Jesus also knew that it was his mission to come down to earth to save his people from their sins. Later, Beowulf says: . . . No one else could do What I mean to, here, no man but me Could hope to defeat this monster. No one Could try . . . (2532-2535) Likewise, Jesus was the only man who could do his job. Thus, no man could defeat evil without the help of God. Many of Beowulf's statements are true to what Jesus said and felt. One other way Beowulf is linked to Christ is through the way the people act towards him and speak of him.

    Read More

  • The Elaborate Role Of Religion In British Literature

    1915 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beowulf has been estimated to have been written over twelve hundred years ago. According to The Norton Anthology Of English Literature, “It is now widely believed that Beowulf is the work of a single poet who was a Christian and that his poem reflects a well-established Christian tradition,” (37). This conclusion was likely drawn by accounting for the time at which Beowulf was written and factoring in most people in the area of where it was believed to be written had already been converted to Christianity. In a way, this provides the best explanation for why Beowulf contains a high level of Christian influences for the story to have taken place when it did. Dr. J. Michael Stitt of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas says that, “Much of this epic poem is dedicated to conveying and exemplifying the heroic code which values such attributes as strength, courage and honor. Conflicting with this ideology are other factors such as Christianity, and these tensions affect the lives and decisions of the narrative's characters.” If the one of the main focuses in Beowulf is the heroic code and the heroic code convicts with the authors beliefs than why did he write it? This is not to say that authors do not write about things that they ...

    Read More

  • Analysis of Epic Poem Beowulf

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature due to the fact that it is the oldest surviving epic poem of Old English and also the earliest vernacular English literature. Tragedy and epic have been much discussed as separate genres, but critics have not hesitated to designate certain characters and events in epics as tragic. For the most part, they have assumed or asserted an identity between epic and dramatic tragedy. Even in The Odyssey, Penelope and Telemachus suffer enough to rouse their deep passions and to force them like the tragic sufferer to consider their own predicaments in the world they live in. C.L. Wrenn wrote on Beowulf, “A Germanic hero is a tragic hero, who shows his highest greatness not alone in winning glory by victory, but rather by finding his supremely noble qualities especially in the moment of death in battle” (Wrenn 91). Beowulfs hubris, the representation of wealth as a profiling characteristic for the villages, and Beowulf’s ability to find his might in his moment of “death,” all show the very nature of the poem which defines it as not only an epic poem, but also a tragic one.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Modern Day Analysis

    1997 Words  | 4 Pages

    An epic story of a flawless hero through an Anglo-Saxon society who faces the wrath of an all-evil black-and-white monster becomes juxtaposed with the flawed and vulnerable character of Beowulf inspired by today’s society when analyzing the original poem of Beowulf versus the film of Beowulf. Through the character of Beowulf many centuries later, the idea of a hero is realized in today’s society to be morphed towards a more realistic, imperfect human being. The poetic version teaches that in order to achieve such heroism, you must be viewed as a flawless warrior with no human weakness, influenced by an Anglo-Saxon culture. In contrast, the modern-version of Beowulf takes a turn towards the audience

    Read More

  • The Battle Between Good And Evil In Beowulf

    472 Words  | 1 Pages

    Good and Evil- The entire poem of Beowulf deals with the battle of good verses evil, good being Beowulf, his followers, Hrothgar, and Hrothgar's people, and evil being Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. In this poem the power of good overcomes all the evils, but not without the lose of life. These lives include that of Beowulf, Aeschere, and many of Hrothgar's people. The clashing of good and evil forces was the main method of creating interest and suspense in the poem.

    Read More

  • Scandinavian Religion In Beowulf

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the underwater battle hall Beowulf has a light shine down upon him where he gives God glory a popular belief in Christian culture that you cannot accomplish something without the grace of God even Jesus gave glory to his father. Men in the bible are usually depicted like the ones in Beowulf strong and unbreakable with the glory of God. When the last supper took place the Disciples begged Jesus to stay hidden like Beowulf’s people asked him to stay and let someone else but both understood they were the only people who could help the land but Jesus rose after three days Beowulf stayed

    Read More

More about Beowulf Allegory Analysis

Open Document