In “Beowulf,” there are many concepts of good and evil portrayed in the epic poem by an unknown author. Beowulf brings good to the Geats. The people would say he was a gift from the Gods to battle and demolish the evil. The monsters, however, cause trouble to the people and bring out the evil in everything. These elements of good and evil help define this an epic poem.
A typical hero is someone who is known to be very powerful and have unusual traits that no human being can withstand. They use their powers as an advantage to fight any crime and to protect humans from the bad. However, a hero can be characterized in two different ways; an epic hero or an Anglo-Saxon hero. A character name Beowulf can be characterized as an Anglo-Saxon hero more so than an epic hero because of his actions.
Everyone has a perspective on good and evil; the battle line between good and even runs through the heart. “Beowulf” illuminates characters that come from dark and deep backgrounds that construct their dauntless actions. In the heroic tale “Beowulf,” the author’s tones strongly demonstrates themes of loyalty, honor, and courage.
Throughout the history of mankind there have been many books and stories written which preview a hero doing dangerous, epic deeds for the good of others. The same is true in the story of Beowulf, titled Beowulf. Beowulf was written by the Anglo Saxons by an unknown author. In the book Beowulf, Beowulf follows the role of the archetypal hero and fulfills it by going on epic quests to help, and save kingdoms. This is shown whenever Beowulf sets out to fight Grendel, an awful beast who is terrorizing Hrothgar’s kingdom. This is also shown whenever Beowulf ventures out to slay Grendel’s mother. And ultimately whenever Beowulf goes to fight the dragon in his final showdown. All of these pertain to Beowulf fulfilling the role of the hero in Beowulf.
In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.
Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength.
“...So massive no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length. He drew it from its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt, and then, savage, now, angry and desperate, lifted it high over his head and struck with all the strength he had left, caught her in the neck and cut it through, broke bones and all….” Pg72. With ancient understandings and tales in the early times, Beowulf sings of times long forgotten, the times where the only tombs men sought was the battlefield, and their legacies, glory from the most extraordinary of feats. Eras filled with monsters, demons and selfless devotion towards the Glory of God.
Heroes need weapons to defeat their enemies, and it is no different for the hero Beowulf in the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf uses all sorts of weapons throughout his many battles with monsters. Each weapon that he uses there is attached a cultural significance. There is a cultural significance attached to each weapon that he uses, ultimately aiding him in his survival and his killing of the beats. As he grows older, he needs to wear more armor and fight with stronger weapons to be able to kill his enemies. This attests to his aging and the stronger forces that he is facing. Beowulf uses different and progressively stronger weapons that carry a cultural attachment of his people, enabling the hero to to defeat his enemies even though he is getting older and his enemies are getting stronger.
13.) In the beginning, Herot was being savagely attacked by Grendel and lives were being taken for twelve straight winters. He was “so set on murder that no crime could ever be enough, no savage assault quench his lust for evil” (lines 50-53). Finally, the brave warrior Beowulf arrives to Herot and murders the devious Grendel. Seeking revenge, Grendel’s mom slyly arrives at Herot and snatches only one victim. She had taken “Hrothgar’s closest friend, the man he most loved of all men on earth” (lines 18-19). Lastly, “she had carried off Grendel’s claw” to make her presence known throughout Herot. The great palace of Herot was stripped of it’s honor and death’s were traded between the monsters and the people of Herot. In conclusion, both the warriors of Herot and the monster’s had lost.
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage.
Beowulf is an anglo saxon story about an epic hero it's a story with a kingdom being terrorized by a scary monster and the story about the monster spreads to other kingdoms and then this hero heard about it and lend his hand to help them out and bring back the peace to that kingdom.
Glory exists today as a more muted idea, something usually not strived for but gained along with winning and success. However, in Anglo-Saxon culture many centuries ago, glory to them was a concept that was a bigger-than-life sort of deal. Glory today is not often something many people die for, though the same could not have been said for the Anglo-Saxons. For some warriors, it was the sheer force of glory that acted as the core of their determination, their reason for existing; their motivations lingering around the idea of existing even in death, as their name would live on. In the poem Beowulf, a warrior had the opportunity to gain the utmost of glory. His strength and willpower assisted him on the journey to make a name for himself even when he is dead.
The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life. As he ages, Beowulf defends his people with the same intent as the former king and displays the same heroism that is apparent in the United States military. Heorot, a dining hall that provides Hrothgar’s people place
Beowulf manifests the features of a literary epic by reflecting the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture from which it came from, and containing great, descriptive language and plots that include great battles and conflicts. The warrior culture is evident from the explanation of the story in Journeys where Beowulf, along with his group of warriors, sails to Denmark, ready to defeat Grendel to the very end of the excerpt where defeating Grendel brings Beowulf honor, pride, and glory. “He was happy with his / nightwork / and the courage he had shown” (826-828). Great battle and conflict, as well as descriptive detail, can be seen in this line from Beowulf and Grendel’s battle, “Every bone in his body [Grendel’s] / quailed and recoiled, but he could not
Very little is known about the epic poem Beowulf besides that the story was told during the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically between the years 500-1100. The author is unknown, due to the fact that the story was originally told verbally and not documented until much later. Like many stories told throughout the ages, Beowulf consists of many archetypes. An archetype is a recurring symbol found in literature, such as the Hero archetype. In this epic poem, the hero, Beowulf, travels from his homeland to Denmark to save a kingdom from an awful beast that has been attacking men late at night for over twelve years. Accompanying Beowulf is a book told from the monster's perspective titled Grendel by John Gardner. A consistent theme throughout Beowulf and Grendel is the utilization of the heroic code, which strongly values courage, loyalty, honor and strength - all of which Beowulf demonstrates in his