Analysis of Beowulf Essay - 1298 Words

After a long journey, you find yourself in uncharted territory. As you scout the area, you notice a small village off in the distance. Upon approaching this settlement, you are greeted by some armed townsfolk. They attack you without warning, and take you to a large hall in the center of town. There, you see many men parading around in an intoxicated stupor, showing off their trophies and talking of their success in past battles and wars. They eat with bare hands, ripping at the food and drinking until they can no longer handle themselves, finding a home on the open floor. The hall is dressed with weapons of war, from shields to swords and everything in between. The women are wrapped in chains, fulfilling their only purpose of serving the†¦show more content†¦When describing a nation as â€Å"barbaric† or â€Å"uncivilized†, there are a few key factors you search for. One of the most common factors discussed in an uncivilized nation is the over abundance of vio lence, most likely due to a lack of social order and control. If you were to base the idea of barbarism exclusively on violence, then the Anglo-Saxons would without doubt be considered uncivilized. The author of the poem seems to have a fascination with the violent nature of man kind. Beowulf, the main character of the poem, seems to thrash about the countryside looking for violence around every corner. For example, at the beginning of the poem, Beowulf travels to the â€Å"lord of the Danes† to â€Å"proffer [his] wholehearted help†¦a way to defeat [Hrothgar’s] enemy and find respite†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (278-280). It seems, at least to the poet, fighting is the best way to establish favorable renown and show your power among others. The firstShow MoreRelatedBeowulf Analysis1683 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf Beowulf is another incredible epic poem that was first written in the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed that the story is not an original piece by the author. Rather, it was part of oral tradition that the author later committed to inscribe it. The author of Beowulf is still a mystery since the work was not sign the work, although scholars refer to the author as just Beowulf poet. Since much about Beowulf is still unknown to the present generation, various debates have risen especially asRead MoreBeowulf Character Analysis885 Words   |  4 Pagesanalyzing and reading the text in Beowulf, I realized that Beowulf himself is a leader and a hero in the text also he plays a big role as the protagonist being a hero for saving his kingdom against monsters and mortal enemies but exactly how does it make him a greater hero than the average hero? In the text Beowulf’s uncle which is Hygelac was said to be a great ruler and it is evident that this is Beowulf’s role model and hero and as the story goes on. As a character Beowulf encounters with great monstersRead MoreBeowulf Character Analysis942 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Motivator (An analysis of Beowulf’s Motivations) Are everyones motivations to become a hero pure? This question can be hard to answer depending on the hero. Spidermans motivations for saving an innocent child were pure, but what about people suffering from hero syndrome? A syndrome, that has become a recent phenomenon. This syndrome makes people seek heroism or recognition by creating desperate situations that they resolve in order to become a hero. As common as this syndrome is todayRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Beowulf 851 Words   |  4 PagesThis essay offers literary analysis of Beowulf, the oldest epic poem that has survived in English literature. It is also widely known as the earliest surviving piece of literatures in vernacular European Literature. The language of this poem is Old English, spoken by Saxon people. This poem depicts a traditional story that is a part of oral Germanic tradition. As per experts, this is work of a single poet and was composed in then England. It has been determined by the scholars that thi s poem wasRead MorePoem Analysis : Beowulf 1619 Words   |  7 PagesBen Sparrow Ms. Finkelstein Honors English IV September 5, 2015 Beowulf is renowned as the oldest poem written in the English language, thought to be written over 1500 years ago this epic poem is still being heavily studied and compared to modern literature regularly. The protagonist, named Beowulf is a great warrior whose called to defend the Danes from the vicious attack of many monsters. Many would label this call to action as the start of his hero’s journey, although it isn’t an ancient conceptRead MoreBeowulf Analysis997 Words   |  4 PagesIn the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, the stupendous hero’s many great deeds often appear to be for other’s benefit, yet Beowulf’s final conquest exposes his lust for glory and fame, thereby showing his lack of concern for anything else. This lust for immense glory and fame feeds his ego and causes his death and the imminent downfall of his great people the Geats. Throughout the poem, Beowulf’s deeds seem marvelous and good, yet in the end we can see the real motive behind his actions was his lustRead MoreAnalysis Of Beowulf s Beowulf 968 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish IV 21 September 2017 Battle Comparison Beowulf is a story about the quests and battles that the main character, Beowulf, endures. Though he faces many challenges, he is able to overcome them because of his superhuman strength and braveness. During the story, Beowulf fights three beasts: Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and a Dragon. With the strength of 30 men in each hand grip, magical weapons, and the support of Wiglaf, his right hand man, Beowulf is able to defeat all three beasts, but suffersRead MoreAn Analysis of Beowulf1608 Words   |  6 PagesThe Old English epic Beowulf is built around the archetype of the journeying hero. Beowulf exemplifies a classical hero, one who is not immune from hubris, but who channels his strong will into judicious endeavors. Thus, Beowulf dies with the honor and glory befitting a king. His story is one of distinct binaries between good and evil. On the side opposite to Beowulfs goodness is the gruesome Grendel. Grendel is a monster, and the original epic poem does nothing to introd uce moral ambiguity thatRead MoreBeowulf Analysis712 Words   |  3 PagesWhile reading the epic tale of the almighty, brave Beowulf, readers are forced to ask themselves questions regarding the reliability of the story. In these types of stories literature, â€Å"readers are required to do more ‘detective’ work to determine whether a narrator is trustworthy or not† (Olsen 104). The tale of the almighty warrior Beowulf can be hard to believe due to because of its use of an unreliable narrator. In the epic poem Beowulf, the third person omniscient narrator can be seen as unreliableRead MoreBeowulf Analysis1236 Words   |  5 PagesKnowing Your Place In the poem Beowulf, the author shifts from Beowulf being an orphan to being a king, by incorporating underlying themes such as strength and skill, identity, and shift in power to demonstrate the importance of social structure and the adherence to the comitatus code between noblemen and thanes. The most important literary element that the poet utilizes is strength and skill for the reason that the better you are in combat the more respected you are and the greater your rewards