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Beowulf symbolism essay
What symbolism is used in beowulf
Beowulf symbolism essay
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Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem written in England sometime between the 8th and the early 11th century and the author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. It is one of the oldest long poems written in old English. The epic poem Beowulf follows an epic hero named Beowulf from Geatland. He comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, when his great hall Heorot is under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, Grendel’s mother looks for revenge by attacking the hall. Beowulf and Grendel’s mother battled it out in a secret underground lair, where she is defeated. After being victorious in Heorot, Beowulf returned home and later became king of the Geats, but after fifty years Beowulf and his kingdom are under attack …show more content…
by a vicious dragon. Beowulf eventually defeats the dragon in battle, but dies from his fatal wounds. He is buried in Geatland in the tower where he defeated the dragon, they called it Beowulf’s Tower. The theme of Beowulf is revenge and its effect on society. The theme of Beowulf is revenge and its effect on society.
The theme is revealed through the use of imagery. In the quote the narrator is talking about Grendel and his suffering as he listens to the people in halls of Heorot, tell stories of god, “A powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as day after day the music rang loud in the hall…” (Beowulf 1) The author uses imagery to describe the pain and suffering, Grendel faces as he listens to the people of Heorot celebrate and tell stories of god and the creation of the world. Because of this Grendel seeks revenge on mankind by attacking Heorot, for mocking him through their success, joy, glory and favor in the eyes of god. The author uses imagery to help describe Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon’s pain and suffering to further understand why they want revenge. Their revenge reveals their effect on …show more content…
society. The theme of Beowulf is revenge and its effect on society.
The theme is revealed through the use of plot. In the quote the narrator speaks that after the celebration in Heorot for Beowulf, Grendel’s mother snuck into Heorot and killed Hrothgar’s closest friend, “That night however, Grendel’s mother kidnaps and kills Hrothgar’s closest friend and carries off the claw that Beowulf tore from-her child.” (Beowulf 15) The author use plot to develop the storyline of Beowulf. We see that when Grendel’s mother takes revenge on Heorot for her son Grendel who was killed by Beowulf, it calls for Beowulf to now take revenge on Grendel’s mother for attacking Heorot. This plot leads to a ripple of events that call for revenge and the death of another person. This sets the story in motion and reveals how Grendel’s revenge effects
society. The theme of Beowulf is revenge and its effect on society. The theme is revealed through the use of character. In the quote Beowulf is speaking to his men outside of the dragon’s tower, telling them that he is the only one who could defeat the dragon and that this dragon’s treasure will be his, “No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster. No one could try. And this dragon’s treasure, his gold and everything hidden in that tower, will be mine or war will sweep me to a bitter death?” (Beowulf 21) The author uses character to reveal the personality of both Beowulf and the dragon. This helps reveal the motive for revenge and sets the story in motion. Their characters reveals their need for revenge and effects the story of Beowulf because without revenge Beowulf would have no need in Heorot. The theme Beowulf is revenge and its effect on society. We learn the importance revenge plays in Beowulf, because without it there would be no story. In all three quotes a character in one way or another is wants or is getting revenge. Grendel gets his revenge by killing 30 men in the halls of Heorot, which then requires Beowulf to travel to the Dane kingdom and kill Grendel to avenge Heorot’s men. Then Grendel’s mother gets revenge from Beowulf by attacking Heorot and again Beowulf gets revenge for Hrothgar’s man by killing Grendel’s mother. And finally the dragon attacks Beowulf’s kingdom and Beowulf gets revenge for his people, but dies from the wounds. We see how revenge greatly influences the story of Beowulf.
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in the late tenth-century, at the kingdom of the West Saxons. The two main characters are Beowulf, a young man; and Grendel, a furious dragon. Beowulf's world is a very violent society with wars as a dominant part of daily life. Dragons and monsters are a constant threat to the Danes and the Geats. Warriors are a necessity to this war-like society. Beowulf is a hero as well as a great, and honorable, warrior.
Beowulf, an epic poem, written by unknown and translated by Seamus Heaney, is an artifact of the Anglo-Saxon era because it is a piece of literature that was documented once. During the time it was written, writing was not common. The poem reveals a lot of the Anglo-Saxon practices and beliefs, but it also is compared to Christianity because was written down by a christian monk.
Beowulf is an epic poem that explores many themes and motifs within the Anglo-Saxon society. The Author, who remains anonymous, composed the epic around 1000 A.D. The literature focuses mainly on a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf, who comes to the aid of Herot, a small town ran by King Hrothgar. Beowulf arises to rid the town of evil forces, such as the demon monster Grendel, and his savage mother who seeks revenge for the death of her son. As he ages, Beowulf presumes his title as king of Geatland, still eager to protect his loyal followers from danger.
The epic Beowulf is one of the oldest poems written in English. According to the Norton Anthology, "the poem was composed more the twelve hundred years ago, in the first half of the eight century. Its author may have been a native of what was Mercia, the Midlands of England today, although the late tenth-century manuscript , which alone preserves the poem, originated in the south in the kingdom of the West Saxons" (Norton 21). Although the poem is of English origin, it speaks of tribes (the Danes and the Geats) that are from the "Danish island of Zealand and southern Sweden respectively" (Norton 22). The main character, Beowulf, demonstrates that he is a warrior who places heroism and bravery over his own well-being and life. Beowulf is a hero and an example of a great warrior. His actions give us a good example of the pagan warrior mentality. The pagan society is a warrior society, in which courage and bravery are extremely prevalent. Beowulf fights against monsters and dragons, and he would rather die in battle, then anywhere else. Beowulf is called upon to help defeat Grendel, who is a monster that has taken over the hall of Heorot. He is greeted with great hospitality. Hrothgar, the King of Denmark, is relived to see Beowulf. There is some skepticism by Unferth, who recalls a fight in which Beowulf lost in Battle. Unferth is wrong, and Beowulf says this great line: "fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good." Beowulf defeats Grendel with great ease and the people of the hall are gracious to Beowulf.
While the classic battle between good and evil forces is a major theme of the medieval epic Beowulf, one may question whether these good and evil forces are as black and white as they appear. Scholars such as Herbert G. Wright claim that “the dragon, like the giant Grendel, is an enemy of mankind, and the audience of Beowulf can have entertained no sympathy for either the one or the other” (Wright, 4). However, other scholars such as Andy Orchard disagree with this claim, and believe that there is “something deeply human about the ‘monsters’” (Orchard, 29). While Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon are indeed portrayed as evil and violent foes, there are parts within Beowulf that can also lead a reader to believe that the “monsters” may not be so monstrous after all. In fact, the author of Beowulf represents the “monsters” within the poem with a degree of moral ambivalence. This ambivalence ultimately evokes traces of sympathy in the reader for the plight of these “monster” figures, and blurs the fine line between good and evil within the poem.
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.
Grendel, the monster terrorizing Heorot, is introduced as being estranged from the rest of the world. He is described as an outsider, a descendant of “Cain’s clan” (107). Grendel’s outcast status leaves him living in darkness, his envy growing the more he hears the celebrations of the Danes. Envy and social status motivate Grendel’s cruelty, filling him with anger towards those who are human. When Beowulf and the Geats arrive, it is not solely out of honor that Beowulf vows to kill the beast. Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, had an unpaid debt at the time of his death. Beowulf’s pledge that he would kill Grendel was a repayment, as well as an honorable feat. However, as Beowulf is introduced, the boasts he makes of his heroic feats and his “awesome strength” (29), only prove his barbarity. He boasts that “they had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies when I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea slaughtered sea brutes” (419-422). He goes on to blame the enemies for the vengeance that he wrought upon them. Beowulf dehumanizes his enemies, states that they were foul beasts who tainted the land, and he purified it. This is a sadistic view of life and battle, contrasting cruelty for the
This illustrates an inner problem of a suppressed evil side to society. Beowulf and other men that battled Grendel had trouble defeating him with weapons. They all had to tussle with Grendel and everyone except for Beowulf failed at this challenge. Symbolically meaning that that evil side to society will always be there no matter how much people try to fight it. Grendel also plays the role of envy. Imagine him being an outcast with no joy in his life hearing the mead-hall at night and all the laughter, he must have felt envious and longed to be a part of that world. Another symbolic role is revenge. Upon learning that Beowulf has hurt her only child Grendel’s mother becomes angered and seeks revenge. Her and Beowulf battle it out and the mother loses the battle. Relating this back to Cain, Grendel’s mother wants to kill Beowulf and get revenge and just like Cain, she faced her punishment, for her it was
Beowulf is among the earliest surviving works of literature. It was written in Old English and dates back sometime before the tenth century A.D. The poem is set in Scandinavia, and tells the story of the heroic warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf was the perfect hero. He fought for his people and defeated evil with his ability to bring on justice. Three of Beowulf’s traits that serve as evidence of this were his remarkable physical strength, his ability to put the well-being of others before his own well-being, and his courage.
Revenge serves as a motivating factor for several characters throughout the epic poem Beowulf, beginning with Grendel. Grendel attacks the Herot because he seeks revenge upon mankind and the life he has been given. The Herot signifies everything Grendel hates about men such as their glory, success, and God’s favor. After the death of Grendel at the hands of Beowulf, Grendel’s mother takes her revenge. Fueled by a mother’s fury she sneaks into the Herot and kills o...
The poem Beowulf was written between 700-750 A.D. by an unknown author set in Denmark and Sweden, other wise known as Scandinavia. The original Beowulf only exists in one copy, and was severely damaged by a fire. The poem was an epic with many Christian references throughout the poem. In the poem, Grendel attacks the people of the Danes at night for the loud celebrating in Herot (mead hall), that drives him mad with rage, bringing death and destruction. Beowulf kills both Grendel, and his mother, then returns to his land to later become the king of the Geats. While in the 2007 film, Beowulf kills Grendel, is seduced by Grendel’s mother, lies about killing her, and becomes king of the Danes.
Grendal, a descendant of Cain, is one of the main antagonist of the poem Beowulf. He lives under an inherited curse and is denied God’s presence. Throughout the story Grendal causes enormous grief and fear to the people of Herot. After so much pain and agony the king of Herot, Hrothgar, sends for the protagonist of the poem, Beowulf. He is a Geat and the epic hero of the poem. The wide variety of distinctions between Grendal and Beowulf is what develops the climax of the composition. Beowulf kills Grendal, so he is honored by the people of Herot for his heroic act. Since Grendal and Beowulf play opposite roles in the poem, Beowulf, they let the reader know how contrasting characters can develop the plot of the story.
The battle with Grendel represents the youth of Beowulf's life. The typical youth is very brave and fights for fame. Beowulf shows how the battle with Grendel is a representation of the youth of Beowulf's life by going to Hrothgar and asking him if he can fight Grendel for him and his people. Beowulf shows this trait when he says,
...r dying son, Grendel himself, who may appear vengeful, is truly acting out of jealousy and a sense of resentment towards people happier than him. The dragon also acts out of a sense of vengeance, but its actions are ultimately used to create a fateful deathbed for Beowulf. While he Beowulf masks his true intentions with a pretense of vengeance, Beowulf himself best describes the sense of revenge in the poem.
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.