The Allegory of the Dragon in Beowulf
In the Book of the Apocalypse, Rome is represented by several allegories: the beast of the land, the beast from the sea, the harlot, Babylon, and the dragon. The Beowulf-poet also manipulates the dragon allegory to represent Rome, but his dragon represents not Rome, pure and simple, but a hostile area of the (former) Roman empire, the Romanized Britain or the Roman-British .
There is increasing consensus among critics--against Tolkien's views--that the dragon is "a different sort of creature from the Grendel tribe" (Gang 6) and that among the innumerable dragon stories "there is probably not one which we can declare to be really identical with that of Beowulf" (Chambers 97). Of course, nobody denies that the dragon is like the Germanic worm that dwells in a barrow and guards treasure. He does not symbolize evil like Grendel of the devilish brood of Cain; he is merely provoked to deeds of slaughter and destruction. The dragon, unlike, Grendel, is given no clear ancestry, no companion; he is not an ellorgæst (807), though an attorsceatha (2839); he is autochthonous; he is kind of ageless (wintrum frod, 2277); he has been keeping the treasure for a long time (2277-78); the messenger in the poem thinks that the dragon belongs where he dwells: "We could not give our beloved prince ... the good advice not to attack the guardian of the gold, but let him lie where he had been so long and remain in his own abode till the world's end" (3079-83). Though the dragon is not God's foe--it is good to remember that the British people were already Christians in the fifth century--, yet he is the enemy of the Geatish nation (theodsceatha, 2278, 2688); therefore, a confrontation is bound take pla...
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Nicholson, Lewis E. "The Literal Meaning and Symbolic Structure of Beowulf." Classica et Mediaevalia, 15 (1964): 151-201.
Niles, John D. Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1983.
Niles, John D. "Ring Composition and the Structure of Beowulf," PMLA 94 (1979): 924- 935.
Paschoud, François. "La doctrine chrétienne et l'idéologie impériale romaine." in L'Apocalypse de Jean. Eds. R. Petraglio, et al. Geneva: Droz, 1979: 31-72.
Risden, Edward L. Beasts of Time: Apocalyptic Beowulf . New York: Peter Lang., 1994.
Sermo Lupi ad Anglos, ed. Dorothy Whitelock. New York: Appleton, 1966.
Thundy, Zacharias P. "Beowulf: Meaning, Method and Monsters," Greyfriar 24 (1983): 5- 34.
Thundy, Zacharias P. "Doctrinal Influence of Jus Diaboli on Beowulf," Christian Scholar's Review 2 (1973):150-169.
Everyone comes across difficulties in their everyday life. It doesn’t matter how small you are or how big you are or even how tough you are, you run into a problem every single day. Some problems are easier to handle and you can work them out by your self like Beowulf did with Grendel. Some problems might be too difficult to handle or no way of concurring it by yourself. There are a lot of hard things we come across that we may need help on just like the dragon in Beowulf. Beowulf needed a little help with the dragon. The dragon was too much for him to handle and it was beating Beowulf. I have faced a few “personal dragons” on my own including my parents getting a divorce when I was young and collage.
In, conclusion the experiences of Equiano’s servitude in Africa differed from his experience in England. The African slave trade primarily was based upon providing jobs to families or punishment to real criminals. Many times the cruel example of being kidnapped from your village and forced into this way of life was also prevalent. This narrative contains the terrifying events of a young a child being held captive. The sources we have of the truth from this period of time are limited and hard to obtain. Servitude still exists to today in many parts of Africa and will remain a common part of their
Bloom, Harold. “Introduction.” In Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
Compare and contrast the government, religion, geography, and economy of the three English colonial regions (the Chesapeake area, New England, and Pennsylvania). Be sure to consider the role of race, gender, and ethnicity.
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.
When the dragon awakes after three hundred years of sleep, he discovers that his cup has been stolen. The dragon, also known as the worm, fills with anger and rage. Even though he is so angry, he does like the idea of battle: “Yet he took joy in the thought of war, in the work of fighting” (Donaldson 40). The dragon cannot wait to ravage the land of the people where one man has stolen from him: “The hoard-guard waited restless until evening came; then the barrow-keeper was in rage: he would requite that precious drinking cup with vengeful fire” (Donaldson 40). The dragon destroys the land and kills everyone around. The dragon even destroys Beowulf’s home.
In comparison to other slaves that are discussed over time, Olaudah Equiano truly does lead an ‘interesting’ life. While his time as a slave was very poor there are certainly other slaves that he mentions that received far more damaging treatment than he did. In turn this inspires him to fight for the abolishment of slavery. By pointing out both negative and positive events that occurred, the treatment he received from all of his masters, the impact that religion had on his life and how abolishing slavery could benefit the future of everyone as a whole; Equiano develops a compelling argument that does help aid the battle against slavery. For Olaudah Equiano’s life journey expressed an array of cruelties that came with living the life of an
Q 1. The American colonies were divided into three distinct regions and these regions were different from each other in their origins, populations, economics and agriculture, religious makeup, and connection to England .write an essay comparing and contrasting the New England, middle, and southern colonies with specific examples.
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Osborn, Marijane. “Translations, Versions, Illustrations.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. 34-100. Sharma, Manish "Metalepsis and Monstrosity: The Boundaries of Narrative Structure in Beowulf." Studies in Philology 102.3 (2005): 247-279. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO.
"The Life of Olaudah Equiano” is a captivating story in which Equiano, the author, reflects on his life from becoming a slave to a freeman during the 19th century. Through his experiences and writing, Equiano paints a vivid picture of the atrocities and cruelties of European slavery. Ultimately through his narrative, Equiano intends to persuade his audience, the British government, to abolish the Atlantic slave trade as well as alert them of the harsh treatment of slaves. He successfully accomplishes his goal by subtly making arguments through the use of character, action, and setting.
“Beowulf.” Elements of Literature 6th Edition Ed. Kylene Beers, et al. Austin, Tx: Holt, 2009. 23-49. Print.
Equiano survived the ten years of cruel enslavement and bought his freedom with the help of his last master Robert King. He then went on to write his narrative of the situation. The narrative was a personal statement of the slave trade to help urge the British government to abolish slavery all together. At the time of the writing, Equiano was considered an ameliorationist. An ameliorationist is a person who would rather make something better by improving it (Donaldson). Only towards the end of his writing was Equiano considered an abolitionist. Regardless of what people think, Olaudah Equiano’s account shows the impact of the slave trade among the diverse African majority affected. Physical and psychological abuse, quality of life, inhumane treatment, and the dehumanization of slaves during and after enslavement are the affects that stand out most within the middle
Throughout the years, the violence has decreased, but still exists. “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” is relevant in modern day America due to the many issues regarding the Native-American population. The story uses deep symbolic meanings to represent a bigger picture, as well as the title itself. Most importantly, it demonstrates the struggling relationship between Native-Americans and white mainstream America, while depicting racism and prejudice on both ends. “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” is a well-written commentary on the occasional issues that arise in the United States with the Native-American