Francesco Di Mola
Ms. Mekari
British Literature
29 October 2015
To stand up for something you believe in requires a tremendous amount of bravery. Many people know this, especially the authors of Beowulf and The Iliad. Two authors who used imagery and characterization to show how men are motivated in any situation to be brave. Beo-wulf and The Iliad are both epic that have become the cornerstones of modern English literature. Beowulf was written during the Anglo-Saxon time period and was based on a young warrior and his quest through life. The author of Beowulf is an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet. Beowulf who is the main character is described as a proud and stubborn warrior who never gives up. On the other hand, The Iliad was written during 800
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The author uses imagery to describe the clash be-tween the Greeks and the Trojans. Achilles, a famous Greek warrior is a very prominent character during The Iliad. His most notable deed during the war, was slaying Hector, the Trojans most feared hero, after Hector had killed his best friend Patroclus. Homer uses imagery when Achilles refuses to eat breakfast together with the other warriors after the death of Patroclus. This is a clear indication of the skillful use of imagery to represent the alienation of Achilles from other warriors. In the poem: “neither drink nor food shall go down my very throat/Since my companion has perished.” (Peterson & O’Hare 2014). That kind of act remains prominent during Achilles’s rampage against the Trojans, giving a clear indication of the motivation of men to be brave and persevere in situations that …show more content…
For example, the poet uses direct characteriza-tion to portray the character of Beowulf through the use of various phrases. The specific use of direct characterization include phrases such as “Higlac’s/Follower, Greater/and stronger than an-yone anywhere in this world.” (Raffel 42). On the other hand, indirect characterization has also been used by the poet for the readers to use their judgment and clues on how the writer describes the men. Consequently, indirect characterization involves the use of physical description, de-scriptions of character’s actions, feelings and thought, and the revealing of the character’s effect on various people. Further, Beowulf is also characterized by his feats of strength and courage such as his swimming match against Breca. Importantly, the encounter between Beowulf and the monster emphasizes the responsibilities of men who are to face such challenges while working for the good of the people and not for their ego. Thus, such characters motivate men to be involved in various difficult situations to protect their selves and their community, families and
Through the observation of both books it is quite clear that Beowulf would be considered much more of an epic than The Odyssey. Along with that the character in Beowulf has much better morals than that of
They had confidence and courage to win the battle in the name of Beowulf. The author’s perception of courage displays that good will always outperform evil. In conclusion, “Beowulf” illuminates characters and their dauntless actions. In the heroic tale “Beowulf,” the author’s tones strongly demonstrates themes of loyalty, honor, and courage.
The heroes in the two epic poems The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf are very similar in terms of their values. Beowulf in the poem Beowulf and Gilgamesh in the poem The Epic of Gilgamesh are the two main characters. The two men possess great physical strength unmatched by any man from the ancient or middle period.
It takes bravery and courage to face such events in life, but it can be done. Note every battle is won, Beowulf also lost battles, but in the end he is the hero of Herot and the poem "From Beowulf". Therefore, Beowulf shows that his bravery and courage is the main theme of the poem, and one shall not give up even though they have lost a battle in many. All in all, the text becomes valuable in that the moral of the poem and theme is that courage and bravery play a major role in life, as in poems or stories, and that the poem,"From Beowulf", is a great example by using Beowulf and his courage to overcome his problems, and the conflict in the
Many actions Beowulf performed can be considered the bravery people expect to come from heroes. " Leaping to journeys, always set in thoughts traveling on a quickening tide" (The Seafarer). There is this ideal that heroes do not rest or stop till the job is done. They keep moving forward and have to be fast paced.
The epic poem Beowulf may be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English and it is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature. There are still heroes of Beowulf's basic type today. Some heroes in popular culture act basically like Beowulf even though they were created over a thousand years later, even though they may act very differently from Beowulf. In the movie, Stars Wars, Luke Skywalker has many similarities to Beowulf and their heroism. From the start, Beowulf showed hero characteristics.
The speeches and boasts were the same, with Beowulf telling how great he is and King Hrothgar telling how hard, yet important, it is to be a warrior. Another similarity is the fight between Grendel and Beowulf. In the movie, Beowulf tore Grendel’s arm off, and fought him by hand, not by sword or shield—same goes for the book. In conclusion, both the poem had their similarities and differences.
The Honorable Hero The epic poem Beowulf describes a famous heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon period. The hero, Beowulf, is a seemingly unstoppable person with all the inhuman traits required of a hero. He uses his courage and
In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values.
Beowulf and King Arthur are both portrayed as heroes and someone to look up to. Some similarities are both of them are very brave. They are also both very compelling leaders in their own respective ways. Even with their similarities they have differences in their heroic qualities such as Beowulf not really being a human in the sense that he can do superhuman things and King Arthur being a normal human being. It's also interesting to note that King Arthur was more of a hero for his character whereas Beowulf was more of a hero in the sense that he slays monsters and dragons.
(R 23-35). The Greeks hearing Achilles return, gain strength, will and perseverance to carry on the war. The responsibility that Achilles takes plays massive role, affecting the men 's actions throughout the
Ironically in his efforts to gain fame and riches, Beowulf 's traits overlap with those of an epic hero. More important than Beowulf 's lack of morality though, is the warrior 's lack of growth throughout the story. Usually, in epic poems, the protagonists change
The Mythological Influences of Beowulf on The Lord of the Rings It was not by chance in the way which Tolkien has infused his Lengendarium with the flavorings of myth and legend. Tolkien’s childhood and early writings were steeped with the learnings of primeval languages and Middle English myths. Tolkien’s interest in the languages of Old-English cultures would drive Tolkien to delve deeply into the realm of poetry and myth in pursuit of his passion for understanding the languages of those cultures. When Tolkien was 23 Years old, he had already learned Greek, Latin, Anglo Saxon, Old English, Finnish, Welsh and Gothic, a budding philologist even prior to becoming a professor of the Anglo-Saxon language at Oxford (Carpenter 56). As if the triumph
Beowulf uses the sword to fulfill his second task of the story, which essentially saves his life but would have been useless if not for his persistence and strength. Additionally, character archetypes are also very present in Beowulf. The archetypes present help depict what kind of character Beowulf is, and establish his leadership skills over his men. In the story, Beowulf is a Hero, and he is accompanied by his Loyal Retainers, who will do anything to protect Beowulf and stay by his side in
Epics are stories about heroic feats that usually illustrate society’s idealistic qualities such as bravery and loyalty. The poem Beowulf has outlasted the trials of time and has become a classic epic. Considering the story Beowulf was originally told orally, no one today knows the primordial author. Whoever the author was, he would demonstrate the idealistic warrior in these primitive times through his writings. Not only does he reveal the ideals of society, but he also shows complex topics such as the passing away of society and loyalty of friends.