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Similarities between the the of christ and beowulf
Contrasts of beowulf and christianity
The Odyssey and the Bible
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Judith; a noble Israelite who triumphed against the seemingly overwhelming enemy by the grace of God and the underestimation of the enemy. Judith, whose one surviving text, according to The Norton Anthology: English Literature textbook, “appears in the same late tenth- century manuscript that contains Beowulf” (pg. 109). Judith; A poem that strongly resonates with the work of Beowulf, yet has its own set of unique differences that sets it apart from the aforementioned epic. Upon reading the story of Judith, there are many parts within that reminds one of the epic of Beowulf. For instance, the structure and the way the story of Judith is told: there is much about the glorifying their God, the waxing lyrical of the protagonist, …show more content…
and the triumph that happens after. Judith is like Beowulf, seen to be a brave soul, willing to sacrifice and go headfirst into danger for the sake of their people. Both were lauded with praise on their honor and virtue. Beowulf’s was his honor on not letting a kill go unrevenged, his valiance on his willingness to face anything that stands in his way, whether within his capabilities or not (which may have ironically ended up killing him in the end). Judith was continuously praised with words such as “pious”, “prudent”, “holy”, etc. What troubled me slightly, however, was the means she did to get into the commander’s private tents. I hazard a guess, however, that Judith was pulling a ruse all along, never intending to sleep with the man, though then the aforementioned words used to describe her seem slightly off, with her decision to go with her particular idea. It worked however; I assume it doesn’t matter much how she went through the means, only that she achieved the end she wanted. Another likeness is the bolstering while chastising the fearful followers behind her, like Beowulf. Though not quite bragging like Beowulf to Unferth, she however also according to the texts chastises the cowardly people of her town, who were afraid to face the enemy, which Beowulf may be doing subtly through his bragging and dishonoring of Unferth. She, also like Beowulf, beseeches God to give them strength and thanks for bringing them thus far into the mayhem. A self-sacrificing person, she also has this air of nobility and grace, making grand speeches to bolster the people’s conviction and receiving a hero’s (in this case, heroine’s) welcome upon return. An interesting comparison to also note is the way they defeated their enemies; both decided that beheading the enemy and taking the decapitated head back as trophy was fitting. Plus, on a slightly darkly humorous side note, she was also given up for dead originally like Beowulf as she joins the fray; with Beowulf’s followers “sick at heart,” (1602), afraid that, “wolf of the deep had destroyed him forever.” (1604) Likewise, Judith’s supporters were the “sorrowful people”, having loss of all hope until Judith returned victorious. All in all, the readers gain this feeling of triumph in the face of adversity. There is even a reference used in the poem of Judith that taken from Beowulf; with the wolf and raven feasting on the enemy’s remains, symbolizing future slaughter of the enemy to provide a feast for the scavenging animals and an eagle to show the symbol of war.
As seen in Beowulf, with the, “…but the raven winging/ darkly over the doomed will have news, / tidings for the eagle of how he hoked and ate, / how the wolf and he made short work of the dead” (3024-3027). This is also mentioned in Judith, with, “…The lean wolf rejoiced/ in the forest, as did the dark raven, / a bloodthirsty bird: they both knew/ that the warriors intended to provide them/ with a feast from those doomed to die; but behind them flew/ the eagle eager for food, dewy-winged/ with dark plumage; the horn-beaked bird/ sang a battle-song.” (205-212) Nonetheless, there are also differences to note that makes the story of Judith stand out on its own; starting with the obvious, Judith is a woman while Beowulf is a man. All joking aside however, this is actually a contrast that would strongly influence the courses of the two poems to take on distinctively contrasting traits. The first thought that came to mind upon comparing the differences between the two were the way they each defeated their respective adversaries. …show more content…
Both defeated their enemy by way of decapitation; however, how they worked to achieve the end goal was distinct. Beowulf, with his sense of fairness and gift of inhuman strength, faced his enemies head-on, directly challenging them to a duel, avoiding weaponry if he thought his adversary to be at a disadvantage (or if said weapon refused to work) and engaging them with his bare hands, all action, no dialogue between the opposing sides. On Judith’s side though, being a woman, she could not simply use brute strength to overpower her opponents.
So instead of Beowulf’s brawn, she uses her brains to mastermind a plan to cleverly sneak her way behind enemy lines and wallop off her opponent’s head in the dark of the night instead. Compared to the lack of dialogue between Beowulf and his rival, Judith was full of false flattery and honeyed words to bring her rival’s guard down; to the point she’s invited (possibly more like coerced) to his bed. In addition, Beowulf continues to fight even after his initial battle with his main opponent, like the main player of a team. Judith, though, is more of a mascot on the sidelines. After rallying her people’s spirit with the beheaded head of the enemy leader, she sends her town’s warriors off to the enemy camp to tear bloodshed throughout their disheartened and unaware enemies; “…I deprived him of life/ through God’s help. Now I intend to ask/ each of the men of these citizens, / each of the warriors, that you immediately hasten to battle… /fell the commanders, those leaders doomed to die/ with shining swords.” (185-189, 194-195) Judith stays back in town then, her subterfuge done, and is rewarded with prizes gotten from the defeated enemy looted by
her townsmen. Now, upon analyzing Judith and Beowulf, one wonders how Judith compares to the norm and society’s viewpoint on women during that era. A possible approach to this topic can be to compare the women in Beowulf to Judith. After all, one can analyze on a society’s values and beliefs upon reading works written at the time period. As I analyzed Beowulf, I wondered if the writers followed the same structure as the Bible did; not mentioning the woman’s name unless she was extremely important. For example, the first woman to be read about in Beowulf is the daughter of the great Halfdane, known only as “Onela’s queen, / a balm in bed to the battle-scarred Swede” (62-63). However, the next woman to be mentioned in Beowulf is Wealhtheow, wife of Hrothgar. From what is described about her in the epic, she seems a lot more than a bed warmer compared to the previous lady mentioned. She portrays an aura of regality and nobility, written to be “queenly and dignified” (621). Further showing her gracefulness and purposefulness, she, “with measured words she welcomed the Geat/ and thanked God for granting her wish/ that a deliverer she could believe would arrive/ to ease their afflictions” (625-628). Her style of speech reminds me that of Judith’s. Judith’s words were carefully chosen, meant to bolster and rally also, awarding Beowulf when he comes back victorious, with a speech of congratulations and a token of favor. Her way of carrying herself as someone to be respected also reminded me of Judith. She was regal in her bearing to the warriors and to her king. Of course, this is the noble side of women. There is another women to be brought to attention, the monster that is Grendel’s mother. Grendel’s mother, surprisingly, I find that I can relate to the deviousness and clever side that Judith portrays. Despite being evil, I do find some qualities of Grendel’s mother admirable. First, loyalty to her family, her son; she was only trying to revenge for his death (though her son was in the wrong). I feel that some wits have been shown with the provoking of Beowulf by taking a captive with her to her lair to lure him in, possibly knowing she would have the advantage at her home turf, seeing how Grendel was defeated on land. If that dratted sword wasn’t so placed conveniently that Beowulf could get his hands on it, I feel that Beowulf may have lost, as he was hard-pressed to win against her mighty strength as well already. (Nevertheless, she was evil, she had to die in order for the story to go on. Pity.) Overall, I found the analysis of Judith to Beowulf quite eye-opening and would like to look even more in-depth had I the time. It was really interesting at seeing how the context of the written work reflected the viewpoints of society, values, and beliefs of that era. The many differences and similarities between the two works fascinated me and I look forward to analyzing more works of literature in the future.
which are a set of vulture-like talons, and snatches him to her. She is intent
The story of Judith follows a woman who protects her people from the hands of wicked Holofernes. The poem recounts the rampage of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, where his army punishes the people that refused to join him in the war against Media. Holofernes is Nebuchadnezzar’s general, who leads his army to plunder and destroy the many cities that resist him. He lays siege to the town of Bethulia, where Judith, a beautiful and clever woman, promises to liberate her people if they would be patient. With God’s help, Judith infiltrates the enemy camp and takes the head of Holofernes.
She enters the hall where the warriors are sleeping. They wake in time to ward off the attack with their swords but the monster manages to escape with one victim in her claws (this is Aeschere).
Another difference could be how the story of Beowulf seems like it's more of a sad story
Beowulf. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Expanded Edition Volume 1. ED. Maynard Mack et al. New York: Norton, 1995. 1546-1613.
Next, the Albatross gives the sailors a feeling of prosperity, while the Raven gives the old man a feeling of remorse. The Raven’s presence and repeatedly saying “Nevermore” reminds the...
Edgar Poe uses these rhetorical devices not only to contribute to the theme, but also to make it possible for the reader to experience the same hopelessness and isolation the narrator feeling. “On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before” (line 10). In this simile the narrator is comparing his hopes to the bird’s ability to fly. He is saying that the bird will eventually fly away as did all his hope when his mistress died. Another example is when Poe writes, “Suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping” (lines 3-4). The narrator is comparing the tapping of the raven with that of a human tapping, which reveals that the character is hoping at a chance that it is Lenore. As the poem goes on Edgar Allen Poe describes, ”All his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming” (line 105). This line is comparing the raven’s eyes to a demon’s. Here, he is no longer seeing the raven as an angel but as a demon only there to deliver confirmation of his worst nightmare. Metaphors are also used several times throughout this poem to personify the raven. “But, with mien of lord or lady” (line 40). The author includes this metaphor to allow the reader to recognize that there is something unique about the raven. “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil prophet still, if bird or devil (line 85). The narrator is comparing the raven to either a prophet or the devil. At
“The Raven.” The American Tradition in Literature, 12th ed. New York: McGraw Hill 2009. Print
Whenever the narrator questions the Raven on when his deceased love will return, or when he will stop grieving, the Raven responds with the repeated word “Nevermore” (Poe 102). The bird’s incessant reminders signify that since Lenore’s death is eternal, the narrator’s consequent anguish from it must be as well, which is why the narrator is incapable to ever recover from the Raven’s words on his loss. For, this leaves an everlasting impression on the narrator, prompting him to demand the bird, “‘Take thy beak out of my heart’” (Poe 101). In this metaphor, the author alludes that the Raven’s ‘beak’ is the words it is saying to the narrator, and the ‘heart’ is not representative of the narrator’s physical heart, because the bird is not physically attacking the speaker, but is making him aware of his eternal loss and irreversibly breaking him down emotionally. Therefore, Poe’s use of repetition and metaphor aid him in expressing the loss induced anguish of the
Poe, E. A. “The Raven.” Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin’s. 2013. 789-791. Print.
Beowulf, one of the most loved epic poems of all time and the most recognizable story in classic British literature, is about a young hero who saves the lives of a whole kingdom. First told by an unknown Christian monk, the story of this epic hero has been retold countless times by harpists-bards in communal halls during the night. Then, in 700 A.D the first recorded manuscript of Beowulf was written down. Compared to other famous epics like the Iliad or the Odyssey that both have nearly 15,000 lines, Beowulf is relatively short, only having approximately 3,200 lines. The tale of Beowulf takes the readers on a roller coaster ride filled with monsters and god fashioned weapons, legends and fights with terrifying dragons, christian and pagan beliefs, and in the end our hero conquers it all. The unknown author of Beowulf succeeds in showing the opposite sides of Christian
Beowulf is an epic tale written over twelve hundred years ago. In the poem, several different female characters are introduced, and each woman possesses detailed and unique characteristics. The women in Beowulf are portrayed as strong individuals, each of whom has a specific role within the poem. Some women are cast as the cup-bearers and gracious hostesses of the mead halls, such as Wealhtheow and Hygd, while others, Grendel's mother, fulfill the role of a monstrous uninvited guest. The woman's role of the time period, author's attitude, and societal expectations for women are evidenced throughout the poem.
The poem begins with a man’s dark night being interrupted by a raven of the same hue. Traditionally, ravens are seen as bad omens and bringers of death since they are carrion birds and feed on the dead flesh of animals. The man, understanding the relation between the raven and death, associates the raven with “the Night’s Plutonian shore,” otherwise known as the underworld (48). The raven carries along with it a dark reputation.
“The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe is a poem that was written during 1800-1850. It tells the story of a young man mourning over the loss of his love, Lenore. One night he was reading “forgotten lore” as a way to rid his mind of his lost love. But as he was reading, he heard a “rapping at his chamber's door” it first reveals nothing when he goes to investigate the noise. But when the noise arises again, he goes to check and it is a Raven, who just sits “On a bust of Pallas above the door”. Then, he begins to ask the Raven questions. He asks whether or not he'll be reunited with his love again in Heaven, to which the Raven replies, “Nevermore.”Poe. Before he began inquiring about his lost love, he noticed a strong smell of perfume and began to call himself a wretch, thinking he's gone crazy. He realizes that it is the Raven's doing. This angers the narrator and he begins to call the Raven a “thing of evil” and a “prophet”.Poe At the end, the narrator admits that his soul is trapped under the raven's shadow and shall be lifted, “Nevermore.”. Poe This poem is a fantastic representation of life in America during the 1800's. During the Romantic period, it validated strong emotion, placing emphasis on emotions like apprehension, horror and terror, and awe. In “The Raven”, you can see that Poe was putting emphasis on awe, as the narrator was a suprise by the Raven at first.
Beowulf is the single greatest story of Old English literature and one of the greatest epics of all time. Ironically, no one can lay claim to being the author of this amazing example of literature. The creator of this poem was said to be alive around 600 A.D. and the story was, since then, been passed down orally from generation to generation. When the first English monks heard the story, they took it upon themselves to write it down and add a bit of their own thoughts. Thus, a great epic and the beginning to English literature was born.