Epic Themes In Beowulf

What is the purpose of an epic? There must be a logical explanation to how they could still exist after all this time. Even stranger most people do not realize how regularly they show up. For example, when they read a story, watch a movie, or even play a video game, each and every one of them gives a story with an epic hero. Epics play a huge part in the world’s history from the B.C. ages to now. They show their dreams and values from there culture. Even now in America’s culture they play a bigger part then anyone could ever imagine. People do not realize that “[everyone] must fight [their] own Grendels and dragons – [as well as their own] inner and outer demons,” as said on page 55. Although from different time periods, both Beowulf, from the epic poem

Beowulf: A New Telling by Robert Nye is a story of horrendous monsters of legends Beowulf has to face. But, Beowulf is not your ordinary hero, and this story isn’t your ordinary hero legend of Good Vs. Evil. In Fact, the story shoes things aren’t so black and white. You will hear again and again, about light and darkness being in the same being, a kind of a yin and yang concept. That is one of many themes throughout this story, and the longer you read the more you see the deeper, overarching theme of the entire story.

What do Achilles, King Arthur, Harry Potter, and Beowulf all have in common? They all demonstrate the qualities of epic heroes. Beowulf represents several characteristics of an epic hero and demonstrates the values of the Anglo-Saxons. He is the main character of his story, he has a main goal, he travels and fights with a group of people, and he accomplishes many valorous deeds; the values of the Anglo-Saxons are also shown through the actions of Beowulf, such as courage, loyalty, and fame. For example, when Beowulf heard a cry for help in a far off land, he answered. He fought larger than life monsters, and won. His exceptional strength proves his epic courage and heroism.

Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.

Beowulf’s strength is beyond any of human comparison and has allowed him to accomplish tasks that would have obliterated lesser men and gain renown throughout the world. Beowulf’s boasts of his strength are not to be received as prideful or egotistical but rather as a true representation of his power as Beowulf always fulfils his boasts. When Beowulf pledges to vanquish Grendel, he does not take it lightly and tells Hrothgar and his wife, Wealhtheow, that “..I shall fulfil that purpose, prove myself with a proud victory or meet my death here in the mead-hall.”(636-638), showing that he is prepared to die, if needed, to defeat this hellish creature. Later that night, in his battle with Grendel, Beowulf showed his strength. “The Captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth… in all his days, he had never been clamped or cornered like this”(749-752,755-756). Beowulf’s strength surpassed that of even supernatural beings and allowed his to go on the offensive against a foe that had ravaged Heorot for years and thus allowed him to fulfill his boast. Beowulf power is brought out in his recitation of his deeds and again later actions against the mother of Grendel and a fire breathing dragon that threatens his home. In all of this fights, Beowulf is not seeking glory for himself, but

In the fictional epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is a hero that can defeat any monsters and he saves towns from their wraths. Although the battles between Beowulf and the various monsters may seem clear cut as good versus evil, Beowulf has a mix of both humble and selfish intentions behind each battle. In each of the three battles in the book, Beowulf does something to create a more difficult battle for himself to appear stronger and better. Against Grendel, Beowulf restricted himself from using weapons because when he would win, he would look that much better. When Grendel’s mother fought Beowulf, he kept his men from helping him and fought the beast himself. Against the dragon in his final battle, he used weapons and the help of his men and quantified it because he was older than he was against Grendel. Beowulf set the bar too high and each battle after the first made him seem weaker and weaker. But in each battle, Beowulf challenges himself unnecessarily to appear as a better warrior.

Beowulf: A New Telling is a book for people that need reassurance that light will overcome darkness and that we need to accept that we have some darkness inside of us, then our weaknesses can become our strengths. Beowulf has to face many faces of evil, including Grendel, the cruel slimy creature who murders Beowulf’s friends and She, the wife of Cain and malicious monster that lives at the bottom of a pool of blood. He becomes king of Geats and is famous all throughout the land.

Beowulf’s most seen quality in this epic is his confidence. The scene that most directly shows his confidence is his famous boast. “So, every elder and experienced councilman/ among my people supported my resolve/ to come here to you, King Hrothgar, / because all knew of my awesome strength. / They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies/ when I battled and bound five beasts, / raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea/ slaughtered sea-brutes…” (Heaney lines 415-422). Beowulf’s boast is said publically, which shows an inspirational sense of confidence to defeat Grendel. The boast also demonstrates Beowulf’s courage and brave characteristics that makes him appear very heroic. Furthermore, Beowulf’s promise to kill Grendel to the Danes is a confident and risky thing to do, but Beowulf is able to pull it off. In Forbes article, it states that good leaders need to “deliver on [their] promises. Which our hero does that very night, killing the beast by ripping him apart ‘The monster’s whole/ body was in pain, a tremendous wound/ appeared on his shoulder’” (Forbes).

Strength is without a doubt one of the most important traits which a hero should possess and the Anglo-Saxon’s felt the same way. Beowulf’s strength can be compared to that of the American comic book heroes, Superman and Batman, for he is deemed the “strongest and greatest of the Geats”. The first time that his strength is witnessed, not just spoken of, is when he kills Grendel by ripping the monstrous villain’s arm off. But his most notable display of strength occurs when he enters into combat with Grendel’s mother. When everything seems to be going all wrong for Beowulf, he spies a “heavy” sword hanging on the wall of her lair. With all his power and might, Beowulf drew the sword, “hammered by giants...and….so massive that no ordinary man could life it”, from its scabbard. He “lifts it high over his head”, the sword clasped

If you're looking for a classic that involves lots of violence, gore, and horror, then Beowulf is the book for you. As defeating demons and defending kingdoms are the story's sole purpose, it isn't slow-paced or boring, like many other classics of literature can be. This has made it quite an enjoyable book to read so far, because most of it is spent in action and adventure. In fact, its core themes involve a longing for war and a requirement of bravery and courage.

Beowulf is an epic story that relates well to the time that it was introduced by having the stories of the epic battles and the defeats of the treacherous monsters that kept everyone entertained during this era. Not only does Beowulf represent the era well, but it also has very interesting characters, themes and symbols that help teach us lessons that are very much so needed in today's society.

The fight with Grendel shows both Beowulf 's power and strength. Although anyone who ever fought Grendel wore armor and used weapons, Beowulf showed bravery by using absolutely nothing. Ultimately, he was characterized as the strongest man ever during the fight and freely bragged about his strength. As stated in the text, "The captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he has ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth," (749-752). Grendel was notably being overpowered. "He was overwhelmed, manacled tight by the man who of all men was foremost and strongest in the days of his life," (787-789). The two quotes show the strength of Beowulf being that Grendel has never come across anything so powerful. To sum up, the fight between Beowulf and Grendel shows

Life is full of excitement and adventure, but also depression and strife. Some writers choose to write about the ups about life but some choose write about their downs, they can create characters that resemble themselves, or who they would like to be. In many cases writers choose to project their own morals into the theme of a story or poem.

9. BEOWULF is set in a male-dominated world full of violence and danger. What role does

Interpretations of Beowulf’s theme vary much more than commentary on the poet’s style. In this essay I hope to state clearly some of the popularly mentioned themes running through the poem, and to carefully delineate many aspects of the author’s style.