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Beowulf's bravery essay
Beowulf as heroism
Beowulf's bravery essay
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‘’The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.’’ (Confucius) This epic poem written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is now well-thought-out to be a cornerstone in the modern literature. Throughout the epic poem, many metaphors and symbols are found, which have what serve as the core of this literature. Although they are all just as valid to the epic poem, the one that stands out the most would categorically be the substantial element of gold. In Beowulf, the economic value of gold is less imperative than its social value. Gold could be seen as a sign of hard work and bravery; a way for the king to pamper his people and an act of regret or sympathy.
First of all, gold embodies a symbol of hard work, bravery and honor with none other than Beowulf, the warrior and future king of the Geats. To begin, Beowulf was continuously represented as a hardworking warrior, fighting every battle against enemy forces with no mercy for anyone in his way. Also, when fighting the three beasts, at some point, Beowulf showed signs of downfall, but did not give up and worked until he attained what he had desired. Hard work symbolizes gold because King Hrothgar and Healfdane’s son always rewarded the hard work and relentless effort by Beowulf with gold and other riches. Succeeding, bravery beheld by Beowulf was also demonstrated in the epic poem. It took a lot of bravery on Beowulf’s part to go and battle the three monsters knowing his life was at risk. After Beowulf showed an outstanding amount of bravery and hard work when battling the magnificent dragon, it was all worth the recognition and treasures received when :“Healfdane’s son gave Beowulf a golden banner, a fitting flag to signal his victory...
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...portant part to any work of art. In this epic poem, it is evident that there are many symbols that can be taken in many different ways, which is what makes this poem so epic. But lets not forget, the one symbol that stood out through the whole poem, the meaning of gold. Back then, Gold could be seen as a sign of social interaction, a way for the king to spoil his people and an act of regret or sympathy. Just like nowadays, gold and treasures have their own ways of persuading people to feel honored, to forgive and risk it all
Works Cited
Gold Quotes. "Gold Quotes." Gold Quotes. Marc Stranford, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.
Raffel, Burton. Beowulf. New York: Signet Classics, 2007. Print.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Beowulf Wealth Quotes Page 2." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
"Wikia." Symbolism Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014
Clark, Gorge. “The Hero and the Theme.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
“Beowulf drank to those presents, not ashamed to be praised, richly rewarded in front of them all. No ring-giver has given four such gifts, passed such treasures through his hands, with the grace and warmth that Hrothgar showed.” This quote highlights one of the many themes in the book, Beowulf, that theme being wealth. Beowulf makes such an interesting topic to discuss because it covers the normalities in Anglo-Saxon culture, the ethics of gift-giving and how these customs have carried over into today’s world.
"Beowulf." U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 177-182. Gale World History In Context. Web. 27 Sep. 2011.
Beowulf. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Expanded Edition Volume 1. ED. Maynard Mack et al. New York: Norton, 1995. 1546-1613.
Someone from the Land of the Geats has stolen fro the dragon while it slept. Now, the dragon is out for revenge. Beowulf knows that he must fight the dragon although he is old and not as strong as he once was. As Beowulf is tragically injured as of his soldiers run except for Wiglaf. Together Wiglaf and Beowulf destroy the dragon. As Beowulf dies he gives the kingdom to Wiglaf and tells him to build a lighthouse in his memory. The treasure that Beowulf gets from the dragon can either be physical or emotional. It conveys on page 64 line 867, “Crying that no better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” The physical treasure is the treasure and riches of the dragon, while the emotional treasure is helping his people.
In this essay, I will uncover the countless insights that can be learned about the characters in Beowulf, as well as the society as a whole, based on the weapons the characters choose to use in battle. During the Anglo-Saxon time, roughly between 400 and 1066, swords were considered the most precious weapon someone could own. Although it is not certain who wrote Beowulf, and when, many people believe it was composed in the middle to end of the Anglo-Saxon period. Analyzing the different weapons, and significance of each, in Beowulf, and comparing them to the weaponry at the time, provides the readers with a great deal of insight into the society during this period. The use of weapons in Beowulf not only provides the readers with insight into
Throughout the epic Beowulf attempts to introduce himself as someone worthy of glory by boasting of his skills and deeds. These boasts show Beowulf’s glory seeking tendencies. One of these boasts
Beowulf Authors often use events and things to symbolize stages in someone's life. Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing meaning of significance to objects, events, or relationships. In the anonymous epic, Beowulf, Beowulf fights Grendel, the monsters of the ocean and Grendel's mother. Beowulf's battles with theses three evils symbolize the youth and adulthood of Beowulf's life.
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.
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.” Trans. Suzanne Akbari. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd ed. Vol. B. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 112-82. Print.
The gold will rust and the silver will go unpolished. In the grand scheme of things, money, glory, and fame here on earth mean nothing; but to Beowulf, it meant everything. He felt as if there were nothing else to live for. As the hero was passing into the afterlife, his last request was for Wiglaf to bring him some of the treasures they had just inherited by defeating the dragon. Beowulf said, “My days have gone by as fate willed, waiting for its word to be spoken, ruling as well as i knew how, swearing no unholy oaths, seeking no lying wars. I can leave this life happy; I can die, here, knowing the Lord of all life has never watched me wash my sword in blood born of my own family. Beloved Wiglaf, go, quickly, find the dragon’s treasure: we’ve taken its life, but its gold is ours, too. Hurry, bring me ancient silver, precious jewels, shining armor and gems before I die. Death will be softer, leaving life and this people I’ve ruled so long, if I look at this last of all prizes.” Wiglaf, being Beowulf’s only faithful friend, honored his request and brought him the most beautiful and glorious riches. Sadly, Beowulf’s last request was not to see his followers or his fellow soldiers. His last request was to be with the treasures he won instead. One of the last things Beowulf said was that he sold his life for that treasure. To sell your life to something means to completely surrender your means of living. Beowulf did not simply enjoy the things of this world, he lived for them. He yearned for them. He wanted and desired them so desperately, that he would lay his own life down for them.
But we know from archaeological evidence that the royal and aristocratic milieu of Beowulf with its lavish burials and gold-adorned armor “can no longer be dismissed as poetic exaggeration or folk memories of an age of gold before the Anglo-Saxons came to England (Cramp 114).
to have been composed between 700 and 750. "No one knows who composed Beowulf ,
Men high in power, such as the king, represent their fortune and power through the adornment of women. The lady with arguably the most lavish description in Beowulf is Wealhtheow, who is described as “regal and arrayed with gold” (Beowulf 641). In another description, the other defining trait about her was “her gold crown” (Beowulf 1162). Repeatedly, the gold is used to exemplify the beauty of Wealhtheow; however, it is not really her own gold. Instead, it comes from the king, the provider of gold for everyone in the community. Making all her appearances aside the king, she is a representation of the king’s riches and the abundance of his wealth; anyone visiting the mead-hall would be under impression that King Hrothgar is a wealthy man with a well off community. Similarly, Beowulf’s importance as a leader comes into perspective with the lady mourning at his funeral. As Beowulf’s funeral pyre burned, “A Geat woman too sang out in grief; / …of her worst fears, a wild litany / of nightmare and lament: her nation invaded, / enemies on the rampage, bodies in piles, / slavery and abasement” (Beowulf 3150-3155). As the messenger delivering the message of Beowulf death relayed, surrounding tribes were now liable to attack the Geats. By crying about her fears of the war and raids, the Geat woman highlights the importance that Beowulf had for the community: he was Geats’ sole protector and the