Free essay examples on the old English epic poem Beowulf, the author of which is anonymous. In this poem, Beowulf is a hero of the Geats. He comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall was attacked by a monster, Grendel. Beowulf slays the monster but the monster’s mother then attacks the hall before being defeated. The victorious Beowulf returns home to Geatland and becomes king of the Geats. Although the Beowulf manuscript dates between 975 and 1025, it is possible that the story has been spoken and altered for many years before. Scroll down for a guide on Beowulf, together with key pointers for writing your essay.
If evil is to be defined as ‘profound immorality and wickedness, especially when regarded as a supernatural force’, this question is a complex one in three of the texts I have chosen to study. The antagonists in ‘The Shining’, ‘Frankenstein’, and ‘Paradise Lost – Books I & II‘ both demonstrate varying degrees of moral ambiguity; … Read more
Davyon Duhart Albright Senior English 8 October 2017 Envy in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Societies Medieval and Anglo-Saxon societies were both formed in different time periods but they seemed to have a lot more in common than one would expect. Humans in both of these eras had similar values and principles and they also seemed … Read more
Communication and the use of language infatuate Grendel. It is an aspect that separates him from the world. However, through a deeper understanding of it, language brings him closer to his understanding the Danes and the world. Communication helps him get closer to the town, yet it also lays a boundary between his mother … Read more
In the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted between approximately 410 and 1066, the epic poem Beowulf was written. The protagonist, Beowulf, is viewed as a savior, someone who comes to the rescue when no one else is able to help. The first “monster” he saves the people of Heorot (Denmark) from is Grendel, who serves as … Read more
Joseph Campbell recognized, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Heroes comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether they’re teachers or a war fighting man. They are the ones that inspires us to follow their example. They are the ones who do not expect compensation. A … Read more
“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to.” People often tend to over look the real life heroes. One particular hero in history is Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, more known as Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali is a heavy weight boxing champion. Ali … Read more
Most people define a hero as someone who steps up when everyone else turns away. A hero comes forward when bravery is needed most, a trait very few have. In the Anglo-Saxon time period, it was expected that someone who was viewed as a hero received goods and wealth as a reward for their deeds … Read more
The Heroic Epic genre is characterized as that of where the characters are performing usually very dangerous and difficult tasks where they demonstrate their great courage and undeniable bravery. It is very common as well that under this genre., the physical characteristics of the characters are described in strong detail, specially the hero in the … Read more
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Deep in the man sits fast his fate to mold his fortunes, mean or great”. Along with Ralph Waldo Emerson, multiple other authors believe that fate has total control over a human’s destiny. For example Beowulf, he was an epic hero that fought in countless amounts of battles even when … Read more
Many individuals in this world tend to have envy towards another individual because in their head the other individual is superior to him or her. In the poem called “Beowulf”, a piece of Anglo-Saxon literature, written by an unknown Christian monk, unveils how the character Unferth has so much jealousy towards the main character named … Read more
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in Medieval times where knights were seen as glorious. There was an extremely particular social class framework in the Middle Ages. Most Medieval individuals were peasants, however the separation amongst workers and respectability was obvious.The knights obligation during the Medieval times was to figure out how to … Read more
In early English literature, Beowulf is one of the most prominent epic poems to date and is one of the earliest poems depicted in the European vernacular. The original manuscript contains over 3,000 lines of early Anglo-Saxon English. The manuscript was badly damaged due to a fire which had burned down a house in London … Read more
Beowulf is a poem, which to scholars provides unique insight into the Anglo-Saxon society and way of life. Historian David James Griffiths describes Beowulf as one of the ‘archetypal texts of the medieval heroic age’. This is down to being unrivalled in importance, due to vast literary gaps in the early medieval world. Dating the … Read more
John Gardner’s Grendel is the story of Grendel, a monster, a descendant of the Biblical Cain, and his journey to find purpose in life. Along the way, he encounters various characters that offer meaning: the Shaper, the Dragon, Unferth, Wealtheow, and Beowulf. Though all these characters leave lasting effects on Grendel, Unferth has the most … Read more
Beowulf, is essentially a hero, a warrior, and because of all the great battles he fought and lived, he almost seems in the beginning of the poem, immortal. Besides the villains and monsters he has approached before, he is to face three monsters in which he has battle for victory and ultimately, his life and … Read more
Anglo-Saxon Written Response Exam a.) On the perspective cowardice, Beowulf and “The Wanderer” are opposites because no matter how mighty the foe or how tough the challenge, Beowulf never relents and fights against his demise in most of his battles, whereas The Wanderer’s cowardice is summarized as uniformed suffering. The Wanderer, a solitary figure who … Read more
The Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf parallels its titular character with other kings to highlight Beowulf’s qualities. In the epic, which was transcribed by Christian monks around the eighth century AD, takes place in fifth and sixth century Denmark and Sweden. Beowulf, a thane of the Geat king, Hygelac, demonstrates his prowess as a warrior; however, … Read more
Human nature has typically affected people for quite an extensive amount of time. Whether good or bad, human nature can cause us to qualities about the self. Indeterminacy in human nature is the leading consequence which can open up room for the manipulation of the human actions (Hill 58). This means that this is what … Read more
According to the dictionary definition, a hero is “a mythological or legendary figure endowed with great strength, courage or ability, favored by the gods, and often believed to be of divine or partly divine descent”, that is to say, someone who is appreciated and respected by others for his exemplary conduct. But since each culture … Read more
In the words of Günter Grass, the German novelist, “Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.” Literary works over the ages have been subject to various translations, and perhaps one of the most renowned poems to have been translated multiple times is Beowulf. Written in Old English by scribes around 1000 AD, … Read more
The Geats were a fifth and early sixth century tribe, believed to be inhabiting the Gotaland region of Southern Sweden. This certain tribe has many terms attributed to its people that has been around for years on end, some of which many Americans have not even heard about. These names include, “Sea-Geats,” “Geatland,” and “Weather-Geats.” … Read more
The album good kid, m.A.A.d city, a literary epic by Kendrick Lamar, holds many elements of epic poetry. The story of this album surrounds K dot, a troubled teen growing up in Compton. It follows his troubles with characters like Sherane, and conflicts like getting jumped, getting in trouble for borrowing his mothers van, or … Read more
A great hero is one who is willing to sacrifice his life in order to save his people. True heroes have qualities and values that sets them aside from others including honor, selflessness, strength, etc. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf comes to save Hrothgar’s kingdom from a monster named Grendel. He is … Read more
Grendel by John Gardner and Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney both rely on the relationship between the characters Grendel and his mother to further the main storyline and plot. Although, they use the same characters, both works of literature shine different lights on these characters and give insights as to why they live like they … Read more
Within many works of literature, there are instances where featured characters are presented with a certain gift, that of which is either figurative or literal. This gift could be a physical object that can help define or shape a character, or a trait that reveals someone’s qualities or nature, both having the ability to show … Read more
The significance of being a hero in real life or in literature are certain elements of their characters such as a belief in certain moral ideals, a voluntary act of concern for someone else knowing there’s a risk to themselves without regard and not seeking a reward for this risk, that bring out the qualities … Read more
Within the poem, the author cited numerous objects that are significant and hold a symbolic meaning. The poet utilized symbols to portray an additional meaning about a particular event or individual. In addition, the objects may be interrelated to societal qualities found in Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. During the Anglo-Saxon rule, there were unique societal qualities such … Read more
Beowulf is an epic that has been created as a result of generations of oral tradition and storytelling. Infused with elements of Christianity and paganism, the story portrays the heroic journey of a character as he overcomes many obstacles and in the end he attains victory for his people. Today, this work of literature is … Read more
According to Joseph Campbell (1949), a hero can be defined as a man/woman who has been able to battle past his/her personal and local historical limitations to the generally valid normal human (pg. 20). Though they were written years apart the renowned Beowulf, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, and William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice … Read more
In British Literature, women had many responsibilities, but very few freedoms. The men in this society ruled over women and told them how to live their lives. Women of low classes were to stay in their homes and be housewives. The working class women were to work for their husbands while still caring for their … Read more
It is unsurprising that a story written by an ambiguous and anonymous author contains difficult to interpret symbolism and imagery of its main tenets. What is surprising however, is that how despite over 100 years of translation and close reading, the form and appearance of one of the story’s main antagonists still remains under a … Read more
There are many examples of heroes all throughout history and each is a hero in his or her own special ways. Some of these heroes however turn out to be even more exceptional than the rest. In the fictional poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous Scandinavian poet, the main character Beowulf, a terrific Geatish warrior, … Read more
Beowulf was written around 8th century England, a classic poem that is considered the oldest epic in British Literature. One of the longest surviving Anglo-Saxon poems. It tells of the exploits of a noble and brave Scandinavian hero who battles and defeats a monster by the name of Grendel who preyed on the Danish knights. … Read more
Since the beginning of recorded history up to modern times, humans have told stories of heroes that symbolize the values and characteristics of their society. Heroes in many ways personify the society that creates them – their attributes reflect societal values; the challenges they face represent the fears and uncertainties that the society was feeling … Read more
In the introduction to his translation of the Old English poem, Beowulf, Seamus Heaney describes gold as “a constant element” of the poem. Gold is the currency of the comitatus, the groups of warriors that dominated the heroic society of Anglo Saxon times. Gold glitters menacingly in every corner of warrior culture, and symbolises everything … Read more
Beowulf was written between 975 and 1025 but still seems to be relevant in today’s society. With this being said, it seems that this story has a significant meaning in the roots of human migration and evolution. For a story to stay relevant for so long, it had to have some truth behind it. When … Read more
Senior English 2 13, December 2018 Anglo Saxon and Medieval Era: Behavioral Aspects Although the Anglo Saxon and Medieval eras were two distinct and different time periods, they share the same use of literary behaviors in their writing. We can take note on this in examples such as “Beowulf”, a poem based on a fearless … Read more
It’s a miracle that Beowulf survived to see the light of day. Through a few rewritings, the Cottonian Fires, and its HORRENDOUS 2007 motion picture adaptation, it is safe to say that the Anglo-Saxon opus has seen a couple of battles in its day. While a portion of the emphases best catch the feeling of … Read more
Throughout Old English literature, the themes of loyalty and pride have played a large component in the narratives of the protagonists. While Beowulf was written after the Anglo-Saxon tribes had been Christianized the pagan elements of the past still dominated the culture. The retention of these themes within Beowulf reflects the landscape of England at … Read more
Beowulf may be a strong hearted muscle head, but his biggest virtue that overtakes all others is his loyalty. What started this loyalty streak in him was Hrothgar. What Hrothgar did was not only save Beowulfs dad, but Beowulf himself. Beowulf feels like he could never repay Hrothgar for what he did for Beowulf and … Read more
Time after time, social values keep changing as humanity emerges to a new generation. What was acceptable back in history might not be so tolerated nowadays, and what considered to be normal these days might have been forbidden among ancient societies. Therefore, literature works such as poems, songs, and stories from different periods of time and places can reflect the beliefs system as well as social values that people uphold, or frankly, even sacrifice their lives for what they believe in. Beowulf was an excellent example of a poem that reflects on social values during medieval period. Beowulf allow us to relive and understand the past by portraying variety of well respected characteristics such as code of honor as well as the destruction of greed from people around this time frame.
Beowulf was created as early as eighth century, makes it one of the very first poems in the literature history of human. The poem is about an epic hero named Beowulf who fights against cruel and evil creatures, which rampage among innocent people and destroy their live, in order to bring back long lost peace to the land and fulfill his destiny as a shield covers above his people. Through Grendel and the Dragon, the code of honor as well as fears of people during the medieval period are fully described and turned into words, but they are not simply just express their well honored characteristics and fears, they also contribute to the understanding of ethical and social values of Anglo-Saxon society.
Throughout the poem, Grendel and The Dragon are two really important devious creatures whom Beowulf defeated during his journey on earth. Grendel was a monster who hates God, therefore when king Hrothgar’s choir sings about The Almighty, Grendel is triggered and makes his way to the meadhall and begins the massacre of the hall warriors. Accordingly, Grendel is a descendant of Cain, whom the Bible describes as a man who kills his own brother out of jealousy. Therefore, Grendel gets enraged when people praises to God, the one who punishes his ancestor Cain, “He had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts” (104-107). In other words, Grendel is a cowardly monster who attacks at night time, when the guards were sleeping and feed on their fleshes. The corrupted, hideous, nasty monster Grendel equivalent to those who does not honor the code of honor, to stab behind people back when they are least suspect, and murder them out of hatred. In contrast of Grendel’s characteristics, respected value is the code of honor, which are brave, prudent, selfless and loyal to the King. For example, although Beowulf is strong, prudent, defeats multiple monsters and was treated as a prince by king Hrothgar, his loyalty always lie with king Hygelac, to his blood family.
On the other hand, The Dragon is a fire breathing creature who guards on a mountain of treasures, who then process to destroy several villages in response to a thief trying to steal a single goblet from the horde. Different from Grendel, the Dragon is awaken from the sinful act of the thief when he brings himself to the horde and tries to remove an item that was not belong to him, leads to the destruction of the land “Then, to his delight, the day waned and he could wait no longer behind the wall, but hurtled forth in fiery blaze. The first to suffer were the people on the land” (2306-2310). Differently, the Dragon is not a type of monster that sneaks in someone house and kill them. The only reason he is awaken and leave a destructive path behind him is because someone steals from his horde, where he guards all the treasures to himself for years. In the life lesson of the powerful Dragon and the thief, the poem expresses greed as the weapon of mass destruction and the ultimate path to death. It also reflects that rather than greed, respect can be earnt through generosity, especially among kings and rulers. For example, leaders in Beowulf are known for rewarding their people very generously to earn their warriors’ trust and loyalty “And a young prince must be prudent like that, giving freely while his father lives so afterward in age when fighting starts, steadfast companions with stand by him (20-23).
In Beowulf, Grendel and the Dragon are external factors, or supernatural forces, or at least that what they seem to be, which mean humanity has no way of controlling over them. However, they can also be seen as the monsters within each person. That monster is greedy, cowardly, always ready to stab someone in the back and betrays anybody whom it finds as a disadvantage or as an obstacle in its path. During this time period, true heros have to slain these monster to answer their divine call along with the duty to protect their own people or the whole humanity in general . Along the way, these heroes could also build a legacy for themselves, the legacy which will be passed on to later generations such as their children, grandchildren and so on. But epic heros are not the only one who has to fight these monsters, ordinary people also have to fight against these monster in their daily lives as well. They have to fight against their temptations to steal, to betray, to take advantages of people around them, and these battles are no less dangerous than the one their heros are fighting. In the other words, Grendel and the Dragon are the bad deeds that need to be avoided in order to success in society and earn a good place in the after life.
In conclusion, despite the fact that Grendel and the Dragon both represent evil, they are indeed very different type of evils in their own ways. Through Grendel actions, he is the representation of betrayal in the family. His ancestor, Cain, kills his own brother because he felt God favors his brother over him. In Anglo-Saxon society, loyalty to the king as well as families is expected from everybody. Consequently, any actions against your own families and against the code of honor are considered the act of devil, just like Grendel. On the other hand, the Dragon is the ultimate representation of greed and its destructive consequences. Therefore, Kings and princes in Beowulf are known for their well award toward their followers, that means a leader have the responsibility to take care of his people, not keep all and enjoy the prosperity of the nation to himself. In another words, the Dragon represents the well-know weakness of human, that is to be blinded by treasures and lost their life to the bitter golds that they could not bring to the after life.
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When writing an essay about Beowulf, there are many important themes and topics that should be discussed. These include the concept of good vs. evil, loyalty, heroism, fate, and Christian influences.
Good vs. evil is a common theme in Beowulf, and there are many examples of this within the poem. Beowulf is a heroic figure who fights monsters and dragons that represent evil. He is also loyal to his people and puts his own life in danger in order to protect them. This is a clear example of the good vs. evil theme, with Beowulf representing the good and the monsters representing the evil.
Loyalty is another important theme in Beowulf. Beowulf is loyal to his people and is willing to risk his own life to protect them. He also follows a code of honor, which is another example of loyalty. This theme is important because it shows how Beowulf puts the needs of others before his own.
Heroes are also important in Beowulf. Beowulf is a heroic figure who is admired for his courage and strength. He is also brave and willing to face danger in order to protect his people. The poem also explores the idea of heroism and how it can be used to fight evil.
Fate is another important theme in Beowulf. Beowulf is aware of his own mortality, but he is still willing to fight the monsters and dragons that represent evil. This theme is important because it shows how Beowulf is willing to accept his fate and fight against evil, even though he knows that he may not survive.
Finally, Christian influences are an important theme in Beowulf. The poem was written during a time when Christianity was spreading throughout Europe, and many elements of Christianity can be found in the poem. This includes references to God and the afterlife, as well as the concept of good vs. evil.
These are some of the important themes and topics that should be discussed when writing an essay about Beowulf. By exploring these themes, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the poem and its relevance to modern society.
