Beowulf Analysis

Are everyone's 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 today, it was not a common syndrome in the tenth century. In the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, a mighty warrior named Beowulf fights three terrible monsters. Beowulf is a hero of the tenth century. Beowulf's motivations to fight the

In the epic of Beowulf, many circumstances helped shape how he would affect his people and the story, this also has much to do with our very own lives. Who we grow up around and how those influences were, has much to do with how we shaped our personality. The people we sometimes didn't even think would affect us actually were a big impact in us, just how Beowulf was probably changed without even knowing it by some few bystanders. But this perhaps sounds like our life was predetermined, and to some of us it probably was inevitable.

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.

“There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil.” – Ayn Rand. To fully understand the complex world and culture of the Anglo-Saxons, one must examine the only form of historical evidence available – texts. One particular great work from this time period is often underrated and overshadowed in modern society by many other ancient works such as Iliad or Oedipus Rex. The epic poem, Beowulf, was sung by multiple unknown Anglo-Saxon poets four centuries before the Norman Conquest. The theme of good versus evil was constantly reappearing throughout the storyline, the portrayal of evil and its downfall initially shaped the poem’s plot, and illustrates an alien presence; something that

Through analysis of the text Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, it is questionable of whether or not Beowulf is good or evil. Based on his actions, intentions and motivations behind his actions, and the way culture shapes him, it is clear that he is, in fact, an evil character. Beowulf is a dishonorable character who is self-absorbed and only saves the people of Herot for fame and wealth.

Throughout the book of Beowulf by an unknown author, the main character Beowulf was an amazing leader and hero. To the naked eye, he would appear to be the ideal person to become, and he would have done nothing wrong. Looker closer at the text, some shady details are discovered. The primary example being the last words of the book “They said he was, of kings in this world, the kindest to his men, the most courteous man, the best to his people, and the most eager for fame” (Chickering, Line. 3180-3182, pg 243). The last line saying most eager for fame almost negates all of the other fantastic things about him. The writer does this purposefully, but it is hard for the audience to tell what this means. The remaining question asked is whether this is Beowulf’s fatal flaw or not. I believe that it truly is, and that it the end, it leads to his downfall. Throughout the book, Beowulf had been very prideful in what he does, which is actually a good thing for a king to do, but only to some extent. The first time we see a hint of his pride going too far is near the beginning of the book. When Ecglaf’s son, Unferth, which means “un-peace” talks about how Beowulf was foolish and boastful to swim in the freezing cold waters with his friend, and it was out of pride that made him decide to do it. By the end of this tail, Beowulf replies telling what truly happened. He explains that they were just kids, and they ended up going through so much, and that he was a stronger swimmer, but he did

In the book Beowulf, Beowulf, the main character, is a man of great strength and ability. He is depicted as a man of wisdom, and that he is a prince that comes from a kingdom that is well respected. He fights many battles, and is seen as a hero with glory to his name, but this does not mean that he is as flawless as he seems to be. Beowulf is a man who desires to help those in need, however, he is greedy for the glory and treasure that he will receive in thanks of his success. He is truly confident, but because of this he is impulsive, never questioning his ability to take on a task. He is also brave, he has almost no fear, but this tends to make him reckless. He is a hero to many, but he believes in himself in such a way that he acts foolishly, and it will eventually be the death of him.

The tale of Beowulf follows one of history's oldest heroes as he ventures throughout Nordic Europe on a quest to kill the infamous monster Grendel, however in contrast with many of the regaled heroes of the past Beowulf remains constant in every aspect of his character. His goals, values, and actions never undergo even the slightest amount of alteration, even throughout his unusually long life, he remains static, Why? Some would argue that Beowulf’s unchanging personality could be contributed to poor penmanship by the author of the tale, or that it simply could have been lost throughout the ages of the story being retold orally, but despite all of that, it seems most likely that Beowulf was intentionally portrayed this way in order to set an example for those who would encounter his story, in all senses of the Nordic Culture that he came from, Beowulf is the Paragon of what a nord should aspire to be, his values encompassed everything their culture held dear in this world: gold, glory, the well-being of his people, and an aspiration to have his name ring out for the rest of eternity.

In the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, it is said, "Behavior that's admired is the path to power among people" (Beowulf 5). That being stated, it is very apparent throughout the entirety of the story. The main character, Beowulf, quickly comes to a position of power once defeating multiple atrocities and executing numerous heroic deeds. The people in the city admire Beowulf and abide to his ways; but once offered kingship, he declines. Throughout the epic poem, it is obvious that Beowulf would rather be a hero than a king because of the individual representation that comes with it, the rewards, and the self-reliant aspect.

Ms. Dawson, this poem is getting good a little too good. Lol. Well, Beowulf decided to return a favor to King Hrothgar by coming to fight the big coward Grendel. Lines 94-96 supports my idea of Beowulf wasn't afraid of nothing or nobody. He could have been in the king’s position, but he chose not too for the simplest facts that he wasn't next in line. Although he was the strongest, he wanted to do what was ethical. Beowulf decided to take 14 of his best men because he knew they were his ride or die. They weren't going to get scared and back down. His men weren't cowards. Line 111 and 120 supports my decision to where they stayed strapped and ready for who or whatever. In line 115-118, it describes their sign from God whether or not they should go and fight this battle or to turn the boat around and go home.

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

Anglo Saxons are Germanic people that lived during the 5th and 6th centuries. This early Anglo-Saxon society was centered on families and clans. The earliest Saxon settlers and families in England were pagans who worshipped a number of gods. Although Anglo Saxons had unalterable beliefs, Christians eventually purveyed their religion upon the pagans. However, the ideals of paganism still perpetuate through the most prominent epic poem of this era called Beowulf. Beowulf embodies both epic and Christian poetry, but since the written language of Old English was not fully developed during this period, oral poetry was the basis of passing down important information about their society.

There are several ways Lizbeth might differentiate Beowulf Passage Analysis and Presentation assignment to accommodate the needs of different learners. One way Lizbeth could differentiate this assignment by allowing students to choose how they would prefer to express themselves to their classmate during the presentation as well as how to engage their classmates. If Lizbeth would have presented her students with the opportunity of student choice, this would ensure that they will earn the total points assigned for fluency and expression. Furthermore, the assignment required the students to formulate questions to encourage class discussion and generate ideas on their chosen topics. Another way Lizbeth could have differentiated by permitting the

The tale of Beowulf is the idealization of a protagonist whose personal character disqualifies him from being considered an ethical hero. With an unknown author, much conjecture has been presented as to the likelihood of the writer and the age of which it was written. Consensus points to a time following the establishment of the christian faith within the British Isles. Correspondingly, authorship of Beowulf points to a monk, with christian parallels found throughout the tale utilized to depict Beowulf in a favourable light.

The epic Beowulf, over time has been interpreted many times over, and thusly misinterpreted by both critics and readers alike. For many reasons Beowulf is difficult to understand. Due mostly to the uncertainty of background and origin of the story, first time readers rely heavily on other peoples’ interpretations and ideas. As a result, it is nearly impossible to have an unbiased view of the poem. This paper’s purpose is to decipher between the author’s true intent and the thoughts of other members of the audience. The author of Beowulf’s intent in writing was to emphasize the “epic” history and “great” qualities of a civilization worth remembering. This was accomplished through the character of Beowulf who, as an epic hero, is the embodiment of all qualities viewed as admirable by the Anglo-Saxon society. What the author did not intend through the epic was to make a religious or political point. To prove this point, this paper will focus on the death of Beowulf. Throughout the poem, Beowulf is the ideal hero; however, is slain in combat with The Dragon, leaving a hopeless feeling in regards to the future of the Geats. The final section of this poem has a sort of ominous tone, as if the author truly thought of this time period as hopeless. This paper will attempt to show that Beowulf’s people were not in fact left without hope, that the burial of their riches were the correct course of action, and lastly Beowulf’s demise was in fact a positive thing over time.