The word uncivilized is often used to mean unrefined, coarse, rough, and impolite. In turn, an excessive consumption of alcohol is seen to be unrefined and may cause a person to become rough, coarse and impolite. Similarly, battle is commonly rough and coarse and warriors were not considered to be refined or civilized because of the close proximity with the undignified spectacle of death and gore. The story of Beowulf revolves around exaggerated retellings of great and impossible deeds, as well as ample consumption of mead and a liberal flowing of blood. These elements contribute to the uncivilized feeling of this epic poem. Beowulf is full of stories of impossible deeds, most of them performed by Beowulf himself and exaggerated in the retelling. The poem starts off with an incredible deed and ends with an even more impossible battle. Beowulf is the hero that can survive underwater while wearing chain mail “…he dived into the heaving depths of the lake… it was the best part of a day before he could see the solid bottom” (Beowulf 103) and he is the warrior that can wield a weapon crafted for a giant (Beowulf 107). Eventually the great warrior is killed off by a dragon, a thoroughly mythical creature that he manages to destroy in his final moments (Beowulf 183). The obvious exaggeration of these details serves to …show more content…
destroy verisimilitude and to corrupt the story with a very uncivilized feeling of untruth. Often the consumption of alcohol causes people to tell lies or to exaggerate truths, which may be why Beowulf is full of so many interesting stories.
Mead and alcohol are mentioned many times in the epic poem. Alcohol consumption appears to have been a normal way to celebrate victory, prepare for battle, drown sorrows, or simply to wash down one’s dinner. The Danes and Geats did not need an excuse to bring out the alcohol, “round upon round of mead was passed” (Beowulf 67). The frequent consumption of alcohol adds to the uncivilized nature of Beowulf because it allows for the distortion of battle stories and probably adds to the violence of the
story. The tale of the great hero revolves around his war victories and gruesome fights. Blood, gore, and wounds are mentioned at least 102 times in Beowulf, an astonishingly high number for such a short story. War is an uncivilized business at the best of times, and hand-to-hand combat with a demon takes that to a new level. In polite society it is considered very improper to rip off an opponent’s arm and later to search for the body in order to decapitate the deceased enemy. Violence is very common in books in stories but vivid descriptions of “wound-slurry” (Beowulf 57) make the story of Beowulf unique and quite unrefined. Beowulf is a very wild and uncivilized poem because of the many exaggerations, the plethora of blood and the limitless amounts of alcohol. The inherent untruth of every great battle tale within the poem steals the reader’s ability to believe any part of the great tale. This makes the story feel very contrived and unrefined. The constant stretching of truth may be caused by the constant flow of alcohol throughout the poem, which adds to the overall coarseness of the characters. Warriors are rough to begin with, but become rowdy and uncivilized with the introduction of alcohol. Finally, Beowulf is quite descriptive about blood and gore at different battles which only serves to further create an atmosphere of wild war and death.
Beowulf’s fight against the dragon shows Beowulf as a hero. Although Beowulf had previously defeated two other foes, he stands fast and fights his most formidable foe yet, the dragon. Dragons were notoriously difficult to kill, and the poem states that it was a great man, who could kill a dragon, even if it meant losing one's life. While others cower away Beowulf fights the dragon. Beowulf defeats the dragon but loses his life in the same instance. Like the classical hero Beowulf loses his special status in death. Beowulf sought no compensation for his services; the mere satisfaction of helping others was pay enough. Like his two previous battles Beowulf fights for those who could not fight for themselves.
Beowulf fights till his last day living. That helps him achieve the cherry on top for his display of being an epic hero. He dies using all three characteristics of an epic hero: strength, bravery, and faithfulness. Till his dying day, he showed strength in his effort to kill the
Beowulf is “the strongest of the Geats -- greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (ll.110-111). Even though he is famous for his massive strength, Beowulf has other attributes that are noticeable other than his strength. These attributes, arrogance, bravery, and a strong love for his people are what make Beowulf become such a powerful, epic hero. Beowulf is arrogant. He constantly brags about his supreme strength. The “strongest man alive” lets people know that he is the most powerful person around by saying, “no strength is a match for mine” (l.267). Beowulf does not think that he could ever be destroyed by anything. He obviously never questiones how his fighting ability would be when he was around seventy. Since Beowulf is convinced that God is watching over him, his ego makes him act as if he is invincible, because of the idea that he has a guardian angel. But, as Beowulf gets older, wiser, and fights in more battles he should realize that there was a possibility that he can die. Beowulf also boasts about his many battles, and is proud of himself for winning all of them. One of these triumphs is the battle in the water when he meets up with nine sea monsters which he killeds, and fights with a monster that is digging its jaws into Beowulf’s flesh. Beowulf proclaims that “ I fought that beast’s last battle, / left it floating in the sea” (ll.290-291). This epic tale reads that while Beowulf is in battle with Grendel’s mother, all he cares was about the fame he would get for defeating her. Unferth thinks that Beowulf was arrogant, by saying, “ You’re Beowulf, are you the same / Boastful fool who fought a swimming / Match with Brecca” (ll.239-241). Yes, Beowulf is a boastful fool that loves the attention that his strength gives him. A strong man and an arrogant one, Beowulf is also brave. Even after all of the horror stories that he hears about Grendel, he still fights the cursed beast without any hesitation. When he battles with Grendel, he does it without the things that everyone else would use--weapons. This shows that Beowulf is not scared of anything in the world. He also must be brave to fight a sea monster after swimming in the ocean for days. He went straight into battle exhausted, from the strenuous journey across the ocean.
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.
In Beowulf, the essence left behind by a true hero is extremely important. In epics such as this one, leaders tend to have the determination and boldness of a hero. On the other hand, the main character, Beowulf, does not only display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem. There are many moments in Beowulf that manifest the many traits that a person should have. This proves how important these attributes are to the characters and the Anglo-Saxon society. Although Beowulf has no known author, it embodies many of the beliefs and morals of the early Germanic society. The author of this epic poem uses many approaches in order to demonstrate that respect and trust are fundamental characteristics of a leader and hero.
Beowulf is a great tale but as a person, he isn’t that all that people make him out to be. In his older years his need for attention and glory ended up with the death of him. He fought the dragon alone and in return, ended up killing the dragon, but also sacrificed himself. Even as he died he asked for one thing, his people to build him a memorial near the sea so everyone could see the person that he was. His need for attention, lack of planning, and need for glory caused him to be just a prideful man, not a
Beowulf’s life was truly epic struggle. The monsters he battled made it so. Grendel and the dragon, capable of crushing men physically, stood for evils that could just as easily crush men in spirit. These two beasts represented society’s greatest fears, as well as detriments, and Beowulf fearlessly took them on. Grendel taught the hero a valuable lesson about maintaining one’s humanity in a world dominated by the dogs of war. The dragon, showed Beowulf’s mortality, his imperfection, but the hero eradicates it nonetheless, saving his people from not only physical threat, but sin. Bringing in such spiritual and moral dimensions, these two beasts certainly give the story of Beowulf depth.
Beowulf was a true hero, in the eyes of many, through said traits. He fought a number of battles and was triumphant in all, except his last battle. Beowulf possessed the skills and power necessary to kill Grendel, the monster who had been terrorizing the Danes for over a decade, with his bare hands. While fighting, Beowulf detached Grendel’s arm from his shoulder, which was later hung up as a trophy. Beowulf eventually put an end to Grendel’s life, and naturally, Grendel’s mother had pursued Beowulf. Although Grendel’s mother was an even deadlier monster than her son, Beowulf once again proved his abilities by slaying her, as well. He slashed her neck with a sword that carried unbearable weight. Afterwards, he carried her head with only his own arms, while it took the a...
Beowulf’s fight against the dragon shows Beowulf as a hero. Although Beowulf had previously defeated two other foes, he stands fast and fights his most formidable foe yet, the dragon. Dragons were notoriously difficult to kill, and the poem states that it was a great man, who could kill a dragon, even if it meant losing one's life. While others cower away Beowulf fights the dragon. Beowulf defeats the dragon but loses his life in the same instance. Like the classical hero Beowulf loses his special status in death. Beowulf sought no compensation for his services; the mere satisfaction of helping others was pay enough. Like his two previous battles Beowulf fights for those who could not fight for themselves.
The titular character is first presented as a classic storybook hero, “a man who of all men / was foremost and strongest in the days of his life” (788-9). From the perspective of a Danish civilian watching the story of Beowulf unfold, his confidence is both terrifying and respectable. He waltzes into Denmark ready to kill Grendel with his bare hands. Whether or not he doubts his abilities is unclear to the reader; the audience sees only his confidence. For instance, just before the initial fight with Grendel, Beowulf boasts that he “shall fulfill that purpose, / prove myself with a proud deed / or meet my death here in the mead-hall” (636-8). With this one-sided look at the hero’s feelings, it is difficult to discern true confidence from the illusion of courage fabricated for the story by Beowulf. His virtue of courageousness could easily fall apart if he does not truly possess it. To explore this concept further, consider the fight with the dragon in the final act of the poem. At this point, Beowulf’s mortality creates the conditions leading up to his death, and he acknowledges it, telling his troops, “This fight is not yours, / nor is it up to any man except me / to prove his strength … I shall win the gold / by my courage, or else mortal combat, / doom of battle, will bear your lord away” (2532-7). Beowulf’s insistence on fighting alone is the manifestation of his overconfidence. His
Beowulf was more than a man. He was a king, a hero, a friend, a warrior. A legend who would not give into defeat and malice. Admired and looked upon by many. A belligerent bold man who lived to see smiles on his friends and fear in his foes faces. Seeing him in battle was an extraordinary sight, the way he moved with such agility, the smirk on his face after decapitating monsters. Beowulf fought for more than glorious gold. He fought to prove that the mighty Beowulf can overcome any task, any challenge, foe or obstacle in his path, for he was more than a man or ring-giver.
In the beginning of the story, a mythical monster named Grendel who is attacking King Hrothgar’s mead hall Herot. When Beowulf hears of this tragedy, he volunteers to go and fight the mythical beast. The author wrote, “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find the bravest and the best of the Geats, fourteen In all.” Once Beowulf arrives, he is given a feast and then decides to stay in Herot overnight to confront Grendel. Grendel then arrives and kills one of the Geats before Beowulf can get into the battle. Beowulf then goes hand-to-hand against Grendel and ends up tearing off Grendel’s shoulder. Grendel then retreats to his lair to die. This is only a mere example of why Beowulf is a hero.
In conclusion, Beowulf’s honor, strength, and bravery all prove on many occasions that he is most definitely worthy of the title of “Epic Hero”. He exhibits all characteristics of a hero, even if they aren’t apparent at first. Proven throughout his story, he truly
Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Beowulf (Heaney, 2000) the epic has many examples of prejudice and displays them throughout the entire story. As a result, the concept of prejudice finds its way into the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gundarsson, 2005) but is dealt with very differently. In the epic version of Beowulf, prejudice results from a simplistic view of good and evil, and this is displayed in the killing of Grendel and his mother. While in the movie version of Beowulf and Grendel prejudice is shown with the trolls that Hrothgar and Beowulf killed. Both of the novels deal with prejudice, but they deal with them in many different ways.
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.