Beowulf's Epic Poem 'In Media Res'

The story of Beowulf is clearly an epic of mass proportions. It takes its readers through an immense journey of great battles with horrific beasts and also manages to teach about pride and honor. The main character Beowulf faces many challenges throughout the epic but conquers them in the end, giving the word “epic hero” its true meaning. The use of Alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, emphasized the certain image of nobility and principle.

If you have ever found yourself captivated by a novel, or whisked away following a journey, you have most likely read an epic. An epic by definition is “a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation”. Every epic has a main character that undergoes the same archetypal journey as all other heroes, an epic hero. There are specific qualities one must have to be considered an epic hero. Each epic hero possesses superhuman strength, displays a strong sense of leadership, and reflects their culture in a positive, admirable manner.

Beowulf is an epic that is large in scale and scope in terms of both time and space. Early on within the tale, the reader is introduced to the great hero and namesake of the story, Beowulf. He is a man above men and exemplifies what it means to be a great hero within his time. Predominantly,

Beowulf has delighted and intrigued a wide array of people for centuries. The timeless nature is visible in modern-day extensions of this epic, through heroics and battles of good versus malevolent forces. Beowulf continues to appeal to sophisticated audiences because it tells the story of a great hero prevailing over evil, a timeless theme valued by society and portrayed by his counterparts in modern media, although these new heroes display more complex qualities.

In the poem “Beowulf” the protagonist encounters three enemies of large proportions: Grendel the serpent, Grendel’s Mother, and a Dragon. All these creatures pose a large and terrifying threat that need a special protagonist to fight what the land’s strongest warriors could not accomplish. Before monks wrote this fabled tale in the form of a poem, Beowulf captured the attention of its listeners and teach them lessons about their cultural society and how to act in the society all in an oral fashion. Each battle has many similar environmental, physical, Moral, and cultural elements, but also differ in what elements were better represented from battle to battle.

Evidently, the setting of Beowulf helps the readers to better understand the cultures and events that occur in the

Beowulf holds a key to understanding how the author can invoke a response from the reader through different narrative forms and the heroic/non heroic trope. The form of the epic poem is used to present the themes of power, war death and life itself in an enhanced way that allows the writer to arouse a particular response from the

Before the story of Beowulf was written down, the tale was spoken through the oral traditions characteristic of Anglo-Saxon Literature. This oral ritual was mindful not only of the particular event and time in which it was recited, but also of the receptive nature of its audience. Moreover, these stories contained repetitions of key elements and themes as a way to stress their significance. Ultimately, however, all the stories told through the oral tradition usually mirrored the principles and ideals of the Anglo-Saxon culture at the time they were told. This tradition remains ever-present within the modern text of the medieval poem of Beowulf. Two notable tales of character in the poem gain deeper nuance when placed in Beowulf’s

As a result, one can assume that Beowulf’s decreased strength with age has been recognized on some level. His understanding that he requires aid in battle is a recognition that his prowess as a hero has diminished over time. For this reason, his ability to “barely [escape] alive” will soon vanish entirely as he loses more and more of his strength to age. Thus, Beowulf’s ability to act as a protector of his people is waning as well. What makes a cycle of heroism vital in this specific social environment, then, is the plain fact that, while Beowulf’s physical strength is clearly faltering, his status as a “triumphant hero” is not, potentially forcing him to remain in power as an ineffective leader (2352).

In the story Beowulf, many different ideas can be extracted. It envelopes lineage which was crucial in the Anglo-Saxon period. It also envelopes kennings, litotes, and alliteration which was crucial to the formatting of the story. Most importantly it involves various themes. These themes include loyalty, generosity, reputation, and revenge. Themes are a vital part of a story and Beowulf in particular involves many.

The 2007 film adaption of Anglo-Saxon text Beowulf naturally takes its liberties to make changes to the plot, but unlike most other Hollywood adaptations, this one brought more depth and plot to the otherwise simple epic. As a consequence, the underlying theme of the film shifts from the blind glory seeking of the text, towards a theme of lust for wealth and power. The events that showcase this contrast are heavily rooted within the three iconic fights of the epic.

    There is considerable debate as to whether the poem Beowulf is an epic narrative poem or an heroic elegy. Which is it. This essay intends to present both sides of the story.

The story of Beowulf Definitely fits the characteristics of an epic poem. In the story Beowulf saved Herot and many more people. He was a hero. He showed powerfulness in each of his battles such as ripping off Grendel’s arm, wielding a heavy sword made by giants, swimming long distances, and killing a dragon at a pretty old

Beowulf is an epic hero but at times his bravery exceeds all normalcy and shows the author’s

In the story Beowulf triumph for glory to be an epic form. Beowulf’s story is one of most importance to be passed down thru the generations as it can teach many things to today’s young age group.