Beowulf, an epic poem written in an estimated 8th to 11th century, is the work of an unknown author telling the tale of a hero. Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, Hrothgor, .The unknown author uses symbolism, point of view, setting and the traits of each character to retell and epic legend based on the hero Beowulf, revealing the major themes of loyalty, generosity and hospitality, revenge, envy, and reputation based on their role within the era.
The narrator of Beowulf has adopted an omniscient author’s point of view by recording the physical action, reciting any dialogue between characters, and allowing access to the thoughts and feelings of each character, as well as Beowulf’s non-human adversaries.
Beowulf, the main character, exemplifies the traits of, what is believed to be, the perfect hero. Beowulf’s warrior style of heroism is depicted throughout his youth and age, describing three triumphant clashes with monstrous creatures. The wisdom and reliability required as king are later represented through the aging of Beowulf. The two different forms of heroism correspond to different models of virtue, and much of the moral reflection in the story centers on the
…show more content…
Hrothgar is a relatively unchanging character throughout the poem as a force of stability in the social realm. He is of the heroic standard Beowulf is, but through age and experience he has obtained a reflective attitude towards heroism. Hrothgar serves as the wise leader Beowulf idolizes. He is aware of the dangers and privileges that come with power, and warns a young Beowulf not to give in to pride as blessings can easily turn into grief, showing his wisdom. Hrothgar’s thoughts on heroism and leadership take into account a hero’s entire life span, rather than just their valiant youth, revealing the contrast between youth and old age that forms the turning point in Beowulf’s
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 is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later becomes king in the aforementioned epic poem. While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did.
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.
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.
Damrosch, David, and David L. Pike. “Beowulf.” The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Compact Edition. New York: Pearson, Longman, 2008. 929-970. Print.
For the most part, Beowulf’s characteristics describe those of a triumphant warrior who played a major role in defending the lives of his fellow citizens, while leading a thriving country. Although Beowulf soon became king, he died for his people, and was remembered as a victorious fighter. Beowulf is at least in part a study of kingship because it discusses the qualities that produce a good king, the disadvantages during his rule and how he overcame them, and the problems that arose upon his death.
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.
The mead hall “Heorot” is a reoccurring setting within the poem, novella, and movie. Heorot serves as a palace, barrack, bar, and cafeteria. Although the events that took place there could only arguably be a surprise, with heorot translating to “hall of hart” and hart translating to male deer. A widely popular hunted animal foreshadowing Grendel’s future invasions. It was no surprise that the mead hall was an architectural symbol when it comes to this story. Representing comradery and unity as well as serving as a place for the king to display his gold, jewels, armor, overall wealth and power. The mead hall is a place to gather weather that be for a formal, feast/ wild party, or even a barrack for soldiers. Overall the mead hall whether it
Literature all through history uses symbolism to portray different ideas, religions, and beliefs. Throughout Beowulf symbolism is used both to reinforce the importance of religion and to impress the values of the Anglo Saxons upon the reader.
Mead halls play a vital role in Beowulf. Mead halls were large buildings with a single large room in the center, and who's primary purpose was to gather men in fellowship and in ceremonies. When a king decided to make a mead hall, it meant that the times were good, and so it was a symbol of there power and wealth.
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.
Beowulf is an epic poem that, above all, gives the reader an idea of a time long past; a time when the most important values were courage and integrity. The only factors that could bestow shower fame upon a person were heroic deeds and family lineage. Beowulf, as the paradigm of pagan heroes, exhibited his desire to amass fame and fortune; the only way to do so was to avenge the death of others. This theme of retribution that is ever present throughout the poem seems to color the identities of its characters.
The Epic poem Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon Epic poetry piece. Which means that the character Beowulf being the hero of this epic poem Beowulf must include these traits to him loyalty, courageous, unselfishness, and a sense of justice. Three traits I will talk about in this essay are how Beowulf shows loyalty to his king for his approval, he shows courageousness by accomplishing brave task he is sent to do, and he shows justice by killing the evil. We see these traits first come up when our hero Beowulf battles the pure evil creature Grendel in this first half of the poem.
Roger Ebert is one of the most famous American movie critics of all time. When he saw Zimeckis’s Beowulf he claimed it to be a satire of the original story. However, I believe that the movie added extra meaning and symbolism to the original writing and recreated the common storylines between the poem and the movie fairly well. Proving his satirical point, Ebert mentions in his review the scene from Beowulf, “When the king offers his comely queen Wreathow as a prize if Beowulf slays Grendel, the hero immediately strips naked, because if Grendel wears no clothes, then he won't, either,” but the poem, Beowulf, explains that he doesn't strip out of vanity or just just to get a laugh from the reader. He strips to create a fair fight between him
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.