Death In Lord Of The Flies And Beowulf
Death.
To some the topic is taboo, something to avoid talking about, to be feared. Others are indifferent, celebrate it even. Regardless of one’s perspective on it, one constant of death is its inevitability. An analysis of two works, Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Beowulf, provides insight into the discrepancies between the treatment and depiction of death among different groups. These distinctions are emphasized by the moods conveyed through the respective works and the sequence of events. Death in Beowulf is portrayed as solemn and meaningful; comparatively, the deaths of 3 boys in Lord of the Flies seem insignificant and easily forgotten.
The characters from Lord of the Flies illustrate a sense of callous detachment towards the subject
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Unlike the nonchalant attitude towards death assumed by the characters within Lord of the Flies, death within Beowulf is something of value. For example, Beowulf’s death, much like that of many kings and warriors before him, is honored and grieved over by many: a proper funeral is held, a memorial is built to remember him by, and gifts and treasures are dedicated to him. These actions demonstrate the respect the Geats had for the dead. Moreover, although defeating monsters is accepted, killing one’s own kinsmen is a great crime. Unferth killed members of his own family, an act for which he will “suffer damnation in the depths of hell,” according to Beowulf (589). This belief further highlights the fact that a much greater importance is placed on death within Beowulf than Lord of the Flies, in which the boys on the island thought little of killing their own …show more content…
The characters from each of the stories believe that whoever kills the enemy will save them and be a hero. However, killing one’s own comrades has different consequences. In Golding’s novel, Simon and Piggy are killed mindlessly and without remorse. Most of the characters remain unfazed by the deaths in the book; there is a casual regard towards the subject. Conversely, death in Beowulf is something somber yet meaningful. Cultural differences show their influence in many aspects of our lives, including the perception of death, as demonstrated through Lord of the Flies and
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Viking Virtue In Beowulf
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Examples Of Survival In Beowulf
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699 Words | 3 PagesAlthough Beowulf has all of these qualities he completes such traitorous, dangerous feats for all of the wrong reasons. From these tasks, Beowulf expects everlasting glory, fame, and above all immortality. Elements such as friendship, loyalty, generosity and bravery were quintessential in Anglo-Saxon society. The most important being loyalty, without it the whole system would crumble. As the whole Anglo-Saxon “government” ran on the loyalty to each other, if there was no more loyalty between each other there would be no culture.
Immortality In Beowulf
1835 Words | 8 PagesDeath. An idea that permeates human thought. Symbolically embodied by the fictitious character Hrothgar from Beowulf as, “...an archer who draws a deadly bow,” (Beowulf 1744), its nature, its finality, strikes fear in the hearts of those who have yet to accept it, for it is a final inevitability escaped by no human. The idea that there is nothing afterwards has undoubtedly crept into the minds of even the most devoutly religious persons to walk the Earth. Consequently, any reprieve from the concept is welcome with open arms by scores; the nature of solutions embraced, however, vary culturally and individually.
How Does Beowulf Show Self Sacrifice
447 Words | 2 PagesIt 's easy to flee a battle, but it 's hard to stay knowing death is a definitive factor. Beowulf shows that he is willing to die for his glory and to protect the Danes in every battle he faces. Against Grendel, Grendels mother, and the dragon. During his battle with
Herot Quotes In Beowulf
532 Words | 3 PagesBeowulf attempted to comfort Hrothgar and the warriors by exclaiming, “Let your sorrow end! It is better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever”. He then aims to convince Hrothgar that “for the glory of his name, fame after death is the noblest of goals”. Beowulf believes it is worth dying for a good
Beowulf Rhetorical Analysis
533 Words | 3 PagesEveryone 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. Raffel’s tones remotely displays the act of loyalty within multiple characters. “Hail to these who will rise to God, drop off their dead bodies” (101).
Examples Of Honor In Beowulf
805 Words | 4 PagesHe has true honor and respectfully distributes treasure and gifts to those whom he believes rightfully deserves them. Beowulf’s loyalty to the Danes helps shed light on his true character. He expresses that he believes he may die in battle between Grendel, but that does not dissuade him from fighting the beast. Another example is when Hygelac dies, Beowulf is asked to take the throne. In doing so, that would mean the the son of Hygelac would be stripped of his own inheritance, which is dishonorable in Beowulf’s eyes, and thus he declines the offer.
Theme Of Fear In Lord Of The Flies
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