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.
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
