Embodiment In Beowulf

Beowulf showed the characteristic of loyalty. To be loyal you have to be reliable and you have to be very trustful. Beowulf shows loyalty when he says,“ I sought out Hrothgar, first,came to him in his hall;/When Healfdane's famous son heard/That I’d come to challenge Grendel,he gave me/A seat of honor alongside his son”(Beowulf 322-24). This shows loyalty to Hrothgar because he came to him to tell him he will fight Grendel and kill him, and he wanted to do it alone because he did not want anyone getting hurt. He did it for the safety of his people, and he stayed true to his word and killed Grendel. Beowulf also shows loyalty by the statement, “Beowulf ruled in Geatland/ Took the throne he’d refused,once/And held it long and well” (Beowulf 451-53). This resembled loyalty toward Beowulf because it shows how he stayed true to his word and can be trusted. The last characteristic Beowulf showed as an Anglo-Saxon hero was friendship. Beowulf resembled an enormous amount of friendship throughout the novel Beowulf. An example of friendship that the hero himself showed was, “He gave Herdred/ All his support, offering an open/Heart where Higlac's young son could see/Wisdom he still lacked himself ”(Beowulf 619-21). This is showing friendship by showing him support and helping Hendred like a friend would do. That is how Beowulf has the Anglo-Saxon hero characteristic.

The novel, Beowulf, intertwines and twists many different motifs within its story. These include monsters, weapons, and feasting. One motif, storytelling, is woven throughout the tale, and has an essential role in Beowulf. With little or no access to the written word, storytelling was the ideal way to spread ideas for public consumption. Oral tales provide a view into Anglo Saxon beliefs, how their monarchy functioned, and their socio-political structure. These tales give modern historians and literary scholars concrete evidence to examine and understand Anglo Saxon life. In the day of Beowulf, storytelling functioned as principles to allow Anglo Saxon people to share and sculpt their future generations. Storytelling also played a large role in influencing civilians and leaders trust in others and each other. Stories could paint ideas and portraits of certain characteristics, even as either heroic or cowardly so as to manipulate civilians. In Beowulf, we learn the title character was widely respected. The stories of his triumph over the monsters spread throughout the land, affecting the other’s views on him as a loyal man and a hero through it all.

Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength.

In the epic poem, Beowulf, by the Beowulf Poet, it talks about the battles, and the challenges that Beowulf the protagonist has with the supernatural antagonists Grendel, and Grendel’s mom. After reading this poem and discovering what it took to become an epic hero, Beowulf strongly represents most of the characteristics of a hero. Some people may say that Beowulf was just a guy with some good luck, and he was not an epic hero at all, but this statement is proven to be false. In the poem it talks about the Anglo- Saxon way of life and what an epic hero was to them. The Beowulf character is based off many of the Anglo- Saxon characteristics and beliefs, which are portrayed throughout the poem.

Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.” (Heaney

Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable

UThe Anglo-Saxons were a tribe of people who lived in Great Britain during the 5th century. They were warriors who had traveled all the way from northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. The Anglo-Saxon people are very well known today despite not having been around for the several, several centuries. Their people led to the spread of Christianity through eastern Europe and the establishment of seven major kingdoms. They are also well known for the code of Honor, as the Anglo-Saxons had many values that their soldiers must live by. In Beowulf, an English epic poem that tells of the tell of the incredible warrior Beowulf, Anglo-Saxons values of the time period are displayed. Loyalty, bravery, and honesty are three of the most important values

Most Anglo-Saxons lived in tribal groups with a high class of warriors. Their culture valued human contact, family, virtue, and a good story. They feared humiliation and loneliness in their lives. Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats. He likes to win, but he doesn’t like to lose. The Anglo-Saxons desired richness, power, and appreciated heroic actions of warriors. Beowulf had much power, he killed nine sea monsters, and he kills everything with his bare hands. Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English which was the language that

Beowulf is an archetypal character within a legendary piece of text. He embodies the conglomerate of many Anglo Saxon values expressed throughout his heroic journey. Contrived by the mighty Northern Anglo Saxons, Beowulf is the manifestation of the Anglo Saxon ideals. This work of art helps us identify and analyze Beowulf’s ideals in a way that lets us deduce the values of the Anglo Saxon society. Examination of this poem lets us familiarize ourselves about a society obsessed with religion, vengeance and war-lust beings. They idolized the warrior code, an abundance of warrior like traits that portrayed you as noble as can be, a fundamental aspect of life for the Anglo Saxons. So let us leap into the fabric of time and take a peek into the Anglo Saxon civilization.

What do all great works of literature have in common? All impressive literary works have hugely contrasting alienated characters, usually portrayed by the villains, and heroic characters. These two distinct characters may not get along well, but they both work together to highlight the underlying themes woven in the story. Alienated characters reveal the things a society values and desires by embodying characteristics that go against these wants. On the other hand, heroic characters highlight these morals and aspirations by exemplifying them. In the epic poem Beowulf passed on by the Anglo-Saxons, the alienated character of Grendel and the heroic character of Beowulf underscore the values, assumptions, and morals of the Anglo-Saxon culture.

Beowulf is the best epic story. Including perfectly embodies the manners and values such as:

Beowulf was honorable throughout this epic story. Beowulf was strong, smart, one whom the town was looked up to. When he killed Grendal, the townsfolk were happy and relieved.

Furthermore, Beowulf’s death and the downfall of his people highlight the destruction caused by excessive pride. After defeating Grendel and his mother, Beowulf , the warrior, earns a name for himself and eventually rules as the warrior king of the Geats for 50 years. Yet at the end of the poem, Beowulf, similarly to Grendel, lets his insatiable greed consume him. His self-centered desire to gain and maintain fame and glory overrides his duties as a leader of his people, the Geats, and causes him to become irrational. He irrationally decides to battle with the dragon that was causing mayhem in his kingdom alone. This is evident when the speaker describes Beowulf’s decision to face the dragon alone by stating that, “the prince of rings was too proud,/ to

Though it is fiction, readers can comprehend Anglo-Saxon thoughts and their concepts of heroism, life and death. Anglo-Saxon culture valued strength, honor, courage, loyalty, and fearlessness. Beowulf was a hero because he was strong, loyal, brave, honorable, and fearless. He wanted to be remembered beyond the years of his life. These values in heroes has not disappeared like its culture. Today in the fiction of this modern world, the characteristics of a hero have not changed. Heroes in movies, TV shows, and literature all have these qualities. Beowulf's main goal was to seek glory and fame all the days of his life. Because of his heroic deeds Beowulf does not die, but lives on; not just in a tower above the sea, but in a poem that was sung for centuries around the

elements found in Beowulf and how this depicted culture in the early medieval ages. Broadly