“You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.”-Edwin Louis Cole. In the epic poem Beowulf by Anonymous the protagonist, Beowulf, sets out to defeat the evil monster, Grendel, that has been terrorizing Beowulf’s neighboring country. To do this he must overcome many challenges that have to do with water. He first needs to cross the dangerous ocean with his troops to get to the Land of the Danes. Later, he fights Grendel's mother in the mere, a type of dirty swamp, and finally he kills a dragon that is thrown off a cliff into the water. Water in the epic poem Beowulf symbolizes all the danger and challenges that Beowulf conquers and defeats.
When Beowulf and his army decided to cross the ocean to help a country in need,
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After Beowulf and his men kill Grendel, Grendel's mother starts to retaliate and terrorize the town, so Beowulf and his men decided to take action. When they get to the mere, they start to notice something different about the water. The author writes, “the bloodshot water surged underneath...The water was infested with all kinds of reptiles. There were writhing sea-dragons and monsters…” (p.99). What this quote is saying is that the mere was filthy bloody water that was filled with sea monsters. The author goes into great detail of what the water looks like to illustrate the great danger associated with reaching the water. The army knows that in the water lies their powerful enemy who is out to kill them. Usually in literature water is something very pure and holy, but by associating this water with blood the author is creating a new, darker image of water that portrays danger and death. Additionally, as Beowulf is about to enter the mere the author writes, “Beowulf got ready, donned his war-gear, indifferent to death;his mighty, hand-forged,fine webbed mail would soon meet with the menace underwater” (p. 101). This means that Beowulf put on his armor knowing that he might die in the battle, but he does not care because he needs to face this monster. When describing Beowulf opponent, the author specifically mentions that she not only is a demon, but she is a monster …show more content…
After settling down as king in the Land of the Geats, a thief disturbs a dragon's cave, infuriating the dragon, Beowulf sees no other option but to kill it. As the dragon is about to die it bites Beowulf in the neck and the two of them die together, but his men still avenge him. The author writes, “They pitched the dragon over the cliff top, let tide’s flow and backwash take the treasure-minder” (p. 211). By the end of the poem, with Beowulf realising that his life is coming to an end, he dies at ease knowing that he has faced all the challenges he was confronted with. This is symbolized by his men throwing the dragon, his last challenge, into the ocean and having it taken away by the waves. This illustration of what happens after the dragon dies highlights that because the water is finally being used to help him conquer his enemies, he has accomplished all that was meant for him to do. The ocean that once terrified him so much so at the beginning is now what is helping to get rid of the animal terrorizing his people. Conclusively, by the end of the poem Beowulf successfully overcomes all hardships that he has faced throughout his
This last encounter was destined to define his lasting legacy. He lived as a warrior; it was only natural that he should die as one as well, he hopes to go down in a fiery blaze of glory, pun intended. At this point in time, Beowulf is a seventy-year-old king, he knows he is mortal and isn’t going to live forever. Nevertheless, even as an old man, it was his duty to protect and defend his subjects until the death. Towards the end Beowulf’s death looms closer and it seems like he foreshadows that he is prepared to meet his maker. “When I meet the cave guard: what occurs on the wall, between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides. I am resolved. I scorn further words against this sky-borne foe” (Heaney 2525-2528). Beowulf’s maturity has blossomed to its utmost peak, ironically right before he is laid to rest in the valley of death that is Beowulf’s Barrow. His endeavors throughout this long journey have brought him wisdom and enlightenment. Since the beginning, he has rapidly progressed over time, especially since evolving from his role as a warrior to a king. Initially, Beowulf was insatiable with pleasure seeking activities, but then he
After fighting and winning many battles, Beowulf's life enters a new stage when he finally becomes king of his homeland, Geatland. Even in his old age, his code of honor still obligates him to fight against an evil, fiery dragon. For fifty years he has governed his kingdom well. While Beowulf is governing, the dragon "...kept watch over a hoard, a steep stone-barrow" (Norton 55). Under it lays a path concealed from the sight of men. Over centuries no one had disturbed the dragon’s kingdom until one day when a thief broke into the treasure, laid hand on a cup fretted with gold, which infuriated the dragon. "The fiery dragon had destroyed the people's stronghold, the land along the sea, the heart of the country" (Norton 57).
One of the first journeys includes Beowulf and his swim match with Brecca. “No man swims in the sea / As I can, no strength is a match for mine” (266-267). Beowulf speaks of his courage towards taking a dangerous journey to have a match against Brecca. Later, Beowulf travels to Herot after hearing of their troubles. Beowulf greets the Dane’s Lord and informs him that he heard about Grendel’s attacks on the people of Herot. Beowulf also mentions that his people said that it was his duty to go to the Danes great king (143-151). Beowulf travels away from his homeland to Hrothgar in order to defeat a monster that haunts Herot. Finally, Beowulf travels through the sea in search of Grendel’s mother. He leaps into the lake and for many hours swims through waves until he sees the mud of the bottom (570-573). Beowulf shows no fear as he, again, leaves his comfort zone to go after Grendel’s mother through a dangerous sea in the journey in the sea. Given these points, Beowulf takes many journeys from his home in order to protect
Honor: Before Beowulf’s journey a man named Unfert taunts Beowulf and brings up how when they were little kid they had a competition to see who could swim the farthest and Beowulf kept swimming even though he was being attacked by monsters. In lines 397-400 “ with plowing shoulders parted the waves, the sea-flood boiled with its winter surges seven nights was the greater, his swimming the stronger!…” Basically this guy Unfert was trying to make fun of Beowulf, and Beowulf defended his honor by bringing up how he beat him in the swimming competition. Honor is important to Beowulf because he works hard for what he has accomplished and doesn’t want some guys just making fun of him.
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
After the sight of the dragon, the slave hurries and grabs one of the treasures around him and runs away. The dragon then becomes angry at the fact that he was robbed and decides to burn down the houses of the citizens of Geatland at nightfall. Penny 6 So Beowulf (being the brave and heroic person that he is) decides to defeat the dragon. He has an iron shield made and is prepared for even the worst to occur (his death).
Beowulf is going out of his way, "across the sea" to help a lord whom he is not obligated to. He is doing so out of choice to show his respect for Hrothgar, and to help the poor people threatened by Grendel.
This final battle proves to be the most difficult for Beowulf; he is pushed to the brink, but, “inspired again by the thought of glory”, he musters just enough strength to strike down the dragon (Heaney 19). This language proposes that Beowulf’s chief motive for fighting the dragon is “the thought of glory”. Additionally, this depicts Beowulf as selfish, as he seemingly neglects his people. Niles opposes this viewpoint, stating that “nothing suggests that the king enters [the fight] as a way of winning personal glory”(Niles 94). Rather than for solely personal gain, Niles correctly asserts that Beowulf is focused on saving his people, as that is his first duty as an Anglo Saxon king. However, Beowulf accomplishes this very goal by carrying out his desire to uphold his heroic image. It was Beowulf’s own “thought of glory” that spurred his rally to kill off the dragon; in effect, Beowulf’s desire to preserve his image saved his people. Even though the narrator uses the story of the dragon to emphasize Beowulf’s greediness and lust for glory, it is the outcome of the fight reveals the true reason for Beowulf’s bravery. By striving to retain his honorous reputation, Beowulf simultaneously protects his people, effectively fulfilling his role as king as both a servant and an esteemed
The character Beowulf, “a man of great strength and bravery” (Magill 388), is a hero in the way he defends his neighboring country, Denmark. When the word that a hostile creature, known as Grendel, was killing tons in Denmark, Beowulf set sail to help defend the people and rid them of the hideous monster.
“In my youth I engaged in many wars”, Beowulf boasts to his warriors, which is certainly true. Throughout his life, he faces many deadly foes, all of which he handily defeats, save one. His story focuses on the most challenging, as well as morally significant of foes, Grendel and the dragon. These creatures reveal much about society as well as Christian virtue at the time. Even after Grendel and the dragon are defeated physically, the two monsters pose a new threat to the hero on a higher plane. Beowulf is not only at risk of losing his life, but his humanity, virtue, and even spirituality.
Beowulf is honored after Grendel and his mother’s defeat for his morality and willingness to help the king with his problem. He put aside the life he had at home and gave up everything so they were protected. Upon his return, everyone was praising him and lifting up the wondrous works and all that’d he’d done to protect them. Because of his respectable actions, Beowulf was rewarded for his true heroism. He becomes king over his people and ruled for the next fifty years.
However, Beowulf’s perfection begins to fade in the second story where he takes on Grendel’s mother who is full of vengeance. Before descending into the depths of the fiery lake to confront Grendel’s mother, Beowulf gives orders to Hrothgar, a few spiteful remarks to Unferth, who questioned his ability before he fought Grendel, and then rudely jumped into the lake without response to his words. This shows Beowulf’s arrogance coming out because he openly displays his own self pride, and boasts of what he will do to the beast awaiting him in the depths.
The characters in the Old English poem Beowulf certainly delighted in the seas. From this essay it can be appreciated that their attitude toward the sea is both conflictingg with and comparable with that expressed in other Old English poems.
“You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.”-Edwin Louis Cole. In the epic poem Beowulf, by Anonymous, the protagonist Beowulf sets out to defeat the evil monster, Grendel, that has been terrorizing Beowulf’s neighboring country. To do this he must overcome many challenges that have to do with water. He first needs to cross the dangerous ocean with his troops to get to the Land of the Danes. Later, he fights Grendel's mother in the mere, a type of dirty swamp, and finally he will kill a dragon that will be thrown off of a cliff into the water. Water in the epic poem Beowulf symbolizes all the danger that Beowulf overcomes and will eventually defeat.