...heroic fate of Beowulf Introduction The narrative of epic poem Beowulf consists of three episodes in which the hero is engaged in the peculiar mission of fighting with three fabulous monsters (Fisher 1958, p.173). The first monster Grendel is quickly defeated; the second, Grendel’s dam is depicted with greater elaboration but also ends in demise at the hands of Beowulf; and the eventual dragon, distanced from the previous two in a span of fifty years, brings the heroic career of aging Beowulf to an end. The unity of Beowulf’s three fights from ease to death, perceived by some researchers like Klaeber (1950), holds the epic together. Others see the epic poem more than a collection of three different fights in a hero’s life, but it is united and intertwined by two parts—the fights with Grendel and his dam and the final dragon fight—signaling “the opposition of hero and king, youth and age, the beginning and ending of a life achievement” (Tolkien 1936). On the basis of this premise, Fisher (1958) conceives the theme of the epic as the “doom of Beowulf”, the integration of “redemption and judgment treated in a way which skillfully blends the Germanic hero with the Christian saint” (p.171). Wrenn (1958) states the similar notion, arguing Beowulf, a Germanic hero, shows his greatest splendor “ not alone in winning glory by victory, but rather by finding his supremely noble qualities especially in the moment of death in battle”. The essay aims to analyze the three fights in detail in...
Words: 3103 - Pages: 13
...Epic Poem of Beowulf show the brutality and shear power of the great warrior Beowulf. The battles are individually significant but are also equally connected in many ways. The arrival of Beowulf from his home tribe of the Geats in the tribe of the Danes is due to a cry for help from the king of the Danes, Hrothgar. This great king has done everything in his power to defeat the beast named Grendel who ravages there mead hall at night. The second battle is between Beowulf and Grendel’s bloodthirsty mother who is out for revenge. The epic poem of Beowulf ends with the final battle between Beowulf and the Dragon who lives in the remains of a forgotten tribe. These battles will show the attributes of courage, sacrifice, leadership and honor displayed through Beowulf’s actions. The first battle takes place between a beast named Grendel and Beowulf in a quick but gruesome battle in the mead hall. The mead hall is the central meeting places of tribes during this time period. The mead hall that this battle takes place in, the mead hall of the tribe of the Danes, is the greatest mead hall of the time. Named Heorot, it was grander and more magnificent than any other. It is a sacred place to the tribe of the Danes, a place of celebration and sanctuary. Grendel made it a place of death and with the strength of killing 30 men, Grendel is a force of destruction. The king of the Danes, the Great King Hrothgar, has tried to defeat the beast but his forces were unsuccessful. Beowulf hears of Grendel...
Words: 1725 - Pages: 7
...Good Vs. Evil In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the poem's main and most important aspect. The poet makes it clear that good and evil doesn’t exist as only opposites, but that both qualities are present in everyone. Beowulf represents the ability to do good or to perform acts selflessly and in help of others. Goodness is also showed throughout this epic as having the ability to cleanse evil. Even though evil is presented by Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon, who are filled with a desire to act against people and ultimately destroy them, even pride, a human quality, is presented in Beowulf as a sign that evil exists. This story might even be considered a classic because it mainly talks about the old fashion good vs. evil, hero vs. villain. Beowulf and the three monsters show the significant difference between good and evil, and why god will always prevail. At the beginning of the play, one reads about Grendel, who is a man eating monster who is feared by everyone. Grendel represents sin and evil throughout the story in various ways. Evil is first shown by the monster Grendel when, “Suddenly then the God-cursed brute was creating havoc: greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men from their resting places and rushed to his lair”. (Beowulf 120-124). Grendel lives in the darkness and has absolutely no remorse on human life. This shows a very big quality of an evil being and how the Anglo-Saxons viewed evil in forms of monsters. Evil is also thought to be greedy...
Words: 1649 - Pages: 7
...hero was found in the literary piece “Beowulf”. An epic hero is defined as a larger - than - life figure, who pits his courage, skill, and virtue against opposing, often evil forces. Beowulf is clearly the epic hero in “Beowulf” because he displays bravery and strength, as well as demonstrates that he is a smart Anglo-Saxon leader. The first trait that Beowulf showcases that makes him an epic hero is bravery. Driven by honor, Beowulf confronts Hrothgar with a proposition to fight the monster...
Words: 741 - Pages: 3
...What does Beowulf say about himself and what he intends to do? When Beowulf enters Hrothgar's presence he tells him of his past courageous victories. He tells Hrothgar that he intends to fight Grendel without weapons, using only his hands. 12. How did Hrothgar help Beowulf's father in the past? Hrothgar told Beowulf that he helped his father in the past by ending a feud that he had started between him and the Wulfing tribe, by sending them ancient treasures. 13. What does Unferth say to Beowulf, and why? Unferth reminds Beowulf about a swimming race that Beowulf competed in against Brecca, and lost. He tells Beowulf that he will surely be defeated in the battle against Grendel. Unferth says this because he is envious of Beowulf's accomplishments, and jealous of all the fame and glory he earned, and the courage that he had. 14. How does Beowulf respond to Unferth? Beowulf is unshaken by Unferth's taunts, and after saying that Unferth is drunk, he tells them what really happened with the swimming race against Brecca. He explained that after five nights in the freezing sea, he was attacked by nine sea monsters, and slayed them all. Beowulf said that neither Brecca nor Unferth could have survived in that...
Words: 584 - Pages: 3
...themselves for others in order to teach a lesson. The major theme is the triumph of goodness over evil. Beowulf and King Arthur, the epic heroes of grand tales, stand out for all that is good, brave and proper, while the villains stand for evil. However during the course of the stories the two heroes die tragically in a triumphant battle over vice and evil the course of the tale. The characters only perish after the evil is vanquished and destroyed. Sir Thomas Mallory brings forth a courageous character King Arthur, utilizing weaponry and leadership, to enlighten the kingdom of the unique characteristics of a true hero While Beowulf depicts the Anglo-Saxon era to tell a story of one who fights to better society. It is a known fact that heroes over time and overseas all heroes have something in common; which is true in the case of King Arthur and Beowulf. It is obvious that they are similar in the fact that they are both heroes, but what makes them an idol of their time and in their culture are poles apart. There are many things that are different about Beowulf and King Arthur, but the ones that stand out the most are what kind of hero they are and what actions they did to make them heroic. Both heroes possess qualities that others do not have, but it is what they do with those abilities that prompts someone to write a story about them and idolize them in time. King Arthur and Beowulf are both heroes whose stories originated in the England area. They were written at different times...
Words: 1760 - Pages: 8
...James Walker English 240 Professor Johnson 24 November 2008 The Associated Importance of Grendel’s Mother “In revenge and in love, woman is more barbarous than man” --Friedrich Nietzsche Among the phratry of characters descended from the lines of the epic poem Beowulf, none capture the reader’s attention as “the son of Ecgtheow,” Beowulf himself, and perhaps few others as the three prominent monsters he finds himself grappling with. In the Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume A, the editor’s introduction to Beowulf notes the inclination towards the three monsters in the poem center[ing] around Beowulf’s three great fights against preternatural evil, which inhabit the dangerous and demonic space surrounding human society” (31). However, despite the critical importance of Grendel’s mother, both as an overwhelming presence in the fight with Beowulf and as a symbol of reflection, the climax and resolution in the first half of the poem, it is easy to miss her prominence due to the limited number of poetic lines she’s given. Thus, the essay attempts to provide credit where credit is due in analyzing how the physical description and Grendel’s mother’s presence is significant or enhances a reader’s understanding of the poem, in emphasizing Beowulf’s increasing aptitude as hero, as well as to the overall poem. Grendel’s mother, unknown to the reader until well after her son’s detached arm is returned to him, is overshadowed by the poem’s abundant reference...
Words: 2182 - Pages: 9
...Course: Date: The role of violence in the world of Beowulf In the poem, Beowulf is an aging king who wears the identity of a warrior has different faces according to the situation at the moment. The poet describes Beowulf as “ greater/ and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” implying that he was a strong man but still as any human being, he was mortal (Warsh et. al., 8). Violence in the poem is surfacing as a tool to venerate superiority. The poet explains Beowulf’s anxiety to battle Grendel but still exuding courtesy, diplomacy and patience. However, the battle that he craves for, is only possiblen after he gets permission from Hrothgar “Beowulf-anxious to meet with Hrothgar, from whom he hopes to receive permission to battle Grendel- is courteous, patient, and diplomatic”. This explanation also shows that violence is a measure of power and superiority but there are limits that a person is confined that makes them to give respect to people. In this case, Beowulf respects the boundary that he cannot fight Grendel until he gets permission from Hrothgar (Warsh et. al.,8). The aim of Beowulf wanting to battle Grendel could be a way of proving his heroism to gain prominence, amassing wealth or helping people. The poet writes“What does Beowulf want? Is he motivated to perform heroic acts simply by a need to help other people? Or is he interested mainly in accumulating as much wealth as possible?. It implies that Beowulf wants the battle to gain either of the three things:...
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...and His Greatest Enemy Beowulf is an epic poem created by the the ancient Anglo-Saxons of Britain. For a poem to be an epic, it has six requirements: long and narrative, involves a long journey for the hero, the hero must overcome obstacles, long prideful speeches, the poem takes place over a long period of time, and the hero reflects the culture from which he comes. The poem was recited as early as the sixth century when stories were passed along orally by scops who were traveling storytellers. Since stories were passed on orally, the authors of many Anglo-Saxon poems are unknown. Beowulf was passed on orally for centuries until the eleventh century, it was finally written down by scholars. Since then the story about the mighty Beowulf has become a polyglot epic poem translated by hundreds of people such as Burton Raffel who translated the poem into modern day English. The poem grew from past traditions such as the monsters, loyalty to the chief, and the decent to unknown regions of the earth were familiar element of Celtic and Scandinavian folk tales. By combining different traditions and later adding Christian ideas into one story, scops created a cultural reference point for Anglo-Saxons to learn from. Since there are various traditions blended into Beowulf, there are underlying themes such as heritage, pride, respect, gifting, good versus evil, strength, and customs. A major theme of the poem is pride. One can believe that the pride of Beowulf led him to his own downfall...
Words: 2275 - Pages: 10
...The story of Beowulf is the story of a seemingly invincible hero written by an unknown monk sometime in the 11th century. In the story, Beowulf completes multiple quests; however, despite there being multiple quests, all of them follow multiple archetypes commonly seen in epic poetry. The first quest that Beowulf must complete is slaying Grendel, a hostile monster that is terrorising the Danes. Second, he must kill Grendel’s mother who took the head of one of Hrothgar’s closest friends. Finally, Beowulf is tasked with slaying a dragon that is aggravated that someone stole his treasure. In Beowulf’s first quest, he is tasked with killing Grendel, a monster said to have the strength of thirty men. Beowulf takes the quest to show that he is one of the...
Words: 1043 - Pages: 5
...In Beowulf, as in many stories the titular character can be portrayed as a hero. However, Beowulf like most stories due to the argument that can be made for him not being a hero. In the poem there are many examples of Beowulf being a “hero”. The examples are seperated by the two stages of his life, youth and adulthood. There maturity of Beowulf as a leader also coencides with his maturity as a leader. As Beowulf grows and becomes a better leader he also becomes a hero. Beowulf can be defined by his strength in his youth. These acts contribute to the lore of him becoming a hero. His swimming match against Breca is a perfect example of him establishing himself as a hero. All heros make mistakes and Beowulf did not listen to the advice of the elders and ended up losing the swimming match. He is also the perfect model for the way a warrior should live as he follow the Germanic Code perfictly. He redeems himself from his swimming loss by defeating Grendel and his mom. He also helps the Danes and this exemlifies an outstanding leader because he goes out of his way to help other countries when they are in need. The expirences in his early life help him to become a good ruler when he does acend to the throne. Beowulf’s adulthood (in the story) focuses more on his encounters with leaders and his warrior as opposed to his youth...
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...Thesis x2?: The Beowulf poet aims to use the monsters as puppets in order to demonstrate the problematic pride of the Germanic society, thus making the good and bad more similar than initially believed. (Perhaps more like “than given by first impression”) Grendel is one of the representations of the problematic pride within the Anglo-Saxons’ heroic society. As known of the society, one’s glory arises from their accomplishments for their lord or king. The Germanic culture believed heavily on the sharing of prizes, thus making them (nonselfish) people. Their honor was seen to be eternal, considering how their names were known throughout history. In this sense, the natural (happening?) of these accomplishments is for the holder to go higher in...
Words: 1847 - Pages: 8
...Beowulf In the epic poem “Beowulf”, Beowulf was a hero. Beowulf was a prince. Beowulf was a follower and the strongest of the Geats, greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world. Beowulf heard how Grendel filled nights with horror and quickly commanded that he’d go to that famous king, would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now when help was needed. (Line 110-111, pg.42) Beowulf came from Sweden. Beowulf and his men sailed over the sea to the land Danes to offer help to Hrothgar. They are escorted by a Danish guard to Herot, where Wulfgar, one of Hrothgar’s soldier’s, tells the King of their arrival. Hrothgar knows of Beowulf and is ready to welcome the young prince and his men. I have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with enemy’s blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased that entire race from the earth. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was by errand and the fate, they had earned. (Line 153-157, pg.43) That I alone Beowulf had keep by his men, and may purge all evil from this hall. I hid behind some broad bidden shield; my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monsters. God had to decide, who will be given to death’s cold grip. The monsters flight fastened those Claus in his fists till they cracked, clutched Grendel closer. The infamous killer. (Line 283-285, pg.47) Beowulf, Ecgtheow's son, is strong in mind and body. He is born a true hero...
Words: 623 - Pages: 3
...Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war was inevitable and its inhabitants lived with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked in the unknown. Thus, it was rare for men to venture into the dark places of such a hopeless world. However, men willing to travel and suffer in such places were considered warriors and deemed worthy of honor and merit. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor requires him to suffer at the hands of monsters. In many ways, Beowulf’s...
Words: 1827 - Pages: 8
...Emanuel Dozier ENG271WEB Dr. Willis 4/22/13 Beowulf: Epic Heroism There are many answers people will give if they were asked the question what makes a good hero. If myself were asked what makes a good hero, my answers would simply say courage, morality, honor, strength, unselfishness, and loyalty. Reading all of the works this semester; analyzing the characters traits of heroism, without a doubt the poem Beowulf displays the most epic heroism of all the works from reading this semester. David Aaron White said it best in his article; “In the poem Beowulf, one's value as a hero is built on what he has done, and what he will do or the good of other people” (Literary analysis: Heroism as portrayed in Beowulf). Compared to the others the character Beowulf, he represents the true qualities that myself look for in a hero. It’s not even close to me; also his faith in God and knowing that he is in control shows his tremendous character that a lot of people would love in a hero. Beowulf defines heroism, from his bravery, honor, strength, and unselfishness to put others lives before his, and in terms of positive morals he fits that description perfectly. In the epic poem Beowulf, “Much of this epic poem is dedicated to conveying and exemplifying the heroic code which values such attributes as strength, courage and honor.” (Beowulf and the Heroic Code). Beowulf heroic ways in the story cannot be ignored he had several amazing heroic displays in the story. Beowulf’s first...
Words: 1408 - Pages: 6
