Language And Imagery In Beowulf

303 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolisme in beowulfe

Throughout Beowulf, lines 1424-1434, language and imagery are used to show the dark, vivid mood that correlates Grendel’s mother’s home. Hrothgar’s men are determined to bring about Grendel’s mother’s demise. When Beowulf and Hrothgar's men first approach the home , "Aeschere's head they found by the flood on the foreland there." Aeschere's head shows how the house displays eerie attributes, with the head lying on a rock. It also evokes the terror involved with defeating Grendel's mother, as she is capable of the supernatural. She is a giant with intelligence,and Beowulf is capable of the supernatural as well. Despite horible first impressions, they ponder upon the setting that further develops the feeling of danger. They move further along

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of the Sword in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    Is the sword mentioned only in Beowulf or is it a common element in all Anglo-Saxon

    Read More

  • Diction In Beowulf

    499 Words  | 1 Pages

    The epic poem, Beowulf, coming from the years of 600 to 700 AD has been translated in many different styles. In these excerpts by Burton Raffel and Lucien Dean Pearson, provides a clear understanding of this epic poem. Reading the two different translations, Raffel tends to provide the reader with a better understanding of the evil nature of Grendel and the heroic characteristics of Beowulf.

    Read More

  • The Heroic Quest In Heaney's Beowulf

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ordinarily, Beowulf’s first steps in his quest begin with his brawls with Grendel and Grendel’s Mother. Grendel is the first challenge for the mighty hero to encounter; he is a giant beast with incredible brute strength, and cunning. The many assaults he waged on the mead hall caused atrocious pain to the Danes. Heaney writes, “So Grendel waged his lonely war, inflicting constant cruelties on the people, atrocious hurt. He took over Heorot, haunted the glittering hall after dark” (Heaney 164-67). These acts of evil are enough to get Beowulf to sail to Denmark. Nevertheless, the good in him needs to erase this inherit evil from the face of the earth. Grendel is a spawn of something stronger and more evil, he is a child of hell. This is Beowulf’s first encounter with such a sinister power. He fights the monster in the mead hall and prevails, Heaney concludes, “Before morning he [Grendel] would rip life from limb and devour them, feed on their flesh; but his

    Read More

  • The Epic Of Grendel's Metaphamental Monsters In Beowulf

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Summary of Beowulf

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Grendel's mother arrives at the hall when all the warriors are sleeping and kills Aeshere, Hrothgar's chief adviser and good friend. Beowulf, offers to div...

    Read More

  • Similarities And Differences And Challenges In The Tale Of Beowulf

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    King Hrothgar once again looks toward Beowulf to take care of another monster. To get ready for this battle Beowulf wears armor and uses the Horting sword which has never lost in battle. Once again Beowulf shows his courage by deciding to go to the bottom of the monster filled swamp and fight alone. Fighting off monsters on his way down, Beowulf reached the bottom where he was met by Grendel 's mother. He tried to cut her head off with Horting, but she is too strong. Beowulf takes a sword made for giants off the wall, and uses his super strength to cut the mother 's head off. As a trophy of this battle Beowulf finds the body of Grendel in a corner and decides to take his head back to the mead hall. Hrothgar celebrates another victory by once again throwing a large celebration where they gave more gifts to Beowulf and the Geats. After two battles, Beowulf decides it is time for him and his men to head back to their homeland. Continuing to show courage, honor, and strength Beowulf states that if the Danes ever have anymore problems with monsters he will help protect

    Read More

  • The Symbolism in Beowulf

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is an interesting story in that it has a meaning that is firmly rooted in fantasy creatures based in mythical origins while providing insight into religious ideals and practices of the time. It also speaks of tradition and the struggle of man against things perceived as evil. In this tradition especially, Beowulf is an incredible allegory regarding the struggle of good and evil in the Christian tradition.

    Read More

  • Beowulf and the Power of Speech

    4013 Words  | 9 Pages

    “Anyone with gumption/ and a sharp mind will take the measure/ of two things,” states one of the Danish warriors in Beowulf: “what’s said and what’s done” (287-289).  Beowulf is, above all, a poem about language, about storytelling: the stories told of the great ones, and the stories the great ones hope will be told about themselves.  It is a poem about the importance of boasting and vows, the power of the word made flesh, and the crucial link between worda ond worca, “what’s said and what’s done.”  The bulk of the poem's content does not concentrate on what is happening in the present action of the tale, but on the telling what has happened and what will happen.  Through language, the Danes and the Geats state their intentions and define themselves as a people; they recall the past exploits that shape the present, and "a battle-scarred veteran, bowed with age,/ would begin to remember the martial deeds/ of his youth and prime and be overcome/ as the past welled up in his wintry heart" (2112-2115).  Stories of times gone by and boasts of past accomplishments link the characters to their past; vows of deeds to come and the promise of glory after their deaths help to carry them into the future.  As parallels between the past and the present are constantly drawn, the heroes use the example of earlier warriors in hopes of accomplishing the great deeds that will win them similar renown.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in Beowulf

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or ideas. Symbolism is one of the most common practices of writing, and has been used for centuries. Symbols can often tell a story better than a human can because of there deeper meaning. When epic poems became popular during the Anglo-Saxon period they were filled with harrowing tales of bravery, and courage. Epic poems are long narrative poems that often have characters facing impossible tasks and still finding courage to defeat them. While many marvel at the original Anglo-Saxon dialect of Beowulf, Seamus Heany's modern English translation allows all readers to enjoy this tale.

    Read More

  • Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon Symbolism

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anglo Saxon’s history is well known for their loyalty, courage and bravery. Beowulf our protagonist is symbolized as a hero, who represents the Anglo Saxons at the time. Beowulf earns his fame and respect through battling creatures nobody else would want to face. These creatures symbolize the evil that lurks beyond the dark. Beowulf’s intense battle with these creatures’ symbolizes the epic battle of good versus evil. In the end good triumphs over evil but one cannot avoid death. Beowulf’s death can be symbolized as the death of the Anglo Saxons. Beowulf’s battle through the poem reflects the kind of culture that the Anglo Saxons had. The youth of a warrior to his maturity then the last fight which results in death. Beowulf wanted to be remembered and be told in stories that are passed on from generation to generation after his death. These story tellers relate to the Anglo Saxons time when they told stories about their great heroes.

    Read More

  • Use of Metaphors, Exaggeration, and Alliteration in Beowulf

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    the story, making it possible for a reader to really see in his or her

    Read More

  • Beowulf narrative essay

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf looked over on the wall next to them and saw a magnificent sword hanging on the wall adorned with beautiful carvings, it was blessed with magic. No normal man could ever have lifted that sword, but Beowulf was no normal being. He waited for the right moment to go and retrieve the sword, and when he found the perfect opportunity and he ran straight towards the wall. He pulled the sword down with great force and began running towards Grendel’s mother. Beowulf took in a deep breath as he leaned back and heaved the sword forward. Beowulf had sliced straight through Grendel’s mother’s scaly neck, blood began to pour everywhere and he heard her bones cracking as the sword passed through her.

    Read More

  • Beowulf as a Reflection of Anglo-Saxon Values

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.

    Read More

  • Monsters in Beowulf

    2103 Words  | 5 Pages

    There are three prominent monsters in the Beowulf text, Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. While the dragon proves to be the most fatale of foes for Beowulf, Grendel and his mother do not simply pose physical threats to the Germanic society; their roles in Beowulf are manifold. They challenge the perceptions of heroism, a sense of unrivalled perfection and superiority. Moreover, they allow the reader to reconsider the gender constructs upheld within the text; one cannot help but feel that the threat that these monsters present is directed towards the prevalent flaws in Beowulf’s world. Moreover, what makes these monsters is not their physical appearance; it is what they embody. Both Grendel and his mother have humanlike qualities yet their monstrous appearance arises from what their features and mannerisms represent. The challenge they pose to societal paradigms makes them far more terrifying to our heroes than any scaled flesh or clawing hand. These monsters provide the ‘most authoritative general criticism […] of the structure and conduct of the poem’. Their presence provides contrast and criticism of the brave society (Heaney 103).

    Read More

  • Revenge In Beowulf

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Grendel’s mother is hidden... Seek it… Save us, once more… (Ch. 20, 1377-1380).” Hrothgar called upon Beowulf once more to defeat a monster that hurt his people. Beowulf went to her house at the bottom of the lake, which only made her revenge grow stronger and she reached the breaking point.

    Read More

More about Language And Imagery In Beowulf

Open Document