Essay On Beowulf

Beowulf is a epic poem that tell of a warrior that was stronger enough to take on three epic monsters. It tell how beowulf toke on the monsters with different method, weapon,, and the different reward that beowulf won after each epic battle.

Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is the hero. He shows that he is a great man by always putting other things before his own needs. He is important and needed by his people and is known by many as a strong, courageous and a helpful person. He shows all of the qualities and traits that a true hero possesses.

An essential part of epic poems is the presence of an epic hero who is a larger that life character and loved by his people. Burton Raffel’s translated version of the epic poem, Beowulf is about the battles of a Geatish warrior named Beowulf. Beowulf defeats multiple grotesque monsters, some of which afflict pain on humans and kill them. In his final battle with a dragon, Beowulf dies, but he ends up earning a great amount of glory and honor. Throughout the story, people see Beowulf as savior from vicious beasts. The poem Beowulf contains an epic hero, Beowulf, whose personality and actions reflect the characteristics of an epic hero because he is a braggadocio and exhibits superhuman strength and courage.

There are many great epic poems. They are all different but alike at the same time. Beowulf, which is one of the best, tells a story like no other. He is not just a honorable hero, he is also a man with respect. Getting deeper into this poem, realizing that from all of his encounters with different creatures he fought them equally. Starting with Grendel, who descended from Cain.

9. Why do you think Beowulf is included in the “Taking Risks” unit? (2 points)

In an epic poem the poem begins in the middle of a story. If you notice in this poem the story doesn’t state the early life off Beowulf. It doesn’t say how Beowulf got these supernatural powers. The story just starts with battles and how strong Beowulf is. It also doesn’t really give

Some great literary scholars think that the poem is an heroic elegy, celebrating the fantastic achievements of its great hero, and also expressing sorrow or lamentation for the hero’s unfortunate death. In “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” Tolkien states:

Beowulf is an poem. Certainly Beowulf’s feats of strength and victories in battles make him a legendary hero. Beowulf has fought many times, and he has usually succeeded in his many battles. Beowulf is a brave, loyal, and honorable person throughout his life. In addition, the epic story of Beowulf is a young warrior of great strength and courage.

An epic, is a lengthy narrative poem concerning about social and political organization, and events significant to a culture or nation. In Fred Robinson words, much of Beowulf is devoted to show the Germanic heroic code, in different aspects, which values strength, courage, bravery and loyalty in warriors; hospitality, generosity, responsibility and political skill in kings; ceremoniousness in women; and good reputation in the inhabitants.

Beowulf, originally a tale told only orally by poets, is one of the oldest and well known pieces of surviving English literature. An example of a great epic poem, the plot surrounds a courageous warrior king with super-human strength who defeats demonic monsters. Besides the allure of a hero who reflects the warrior ideals of Anglo-Saxon society, the imagery and poetic nature add to its appeal to people across time. Specifically, the symbolism of light and dark, kennings to describe the courage of heroes and the evil of monsters, and the descriptions of setting make the poem captivating.

Many readers of the poem Beowulf may find it difficult to distinguish the 'good' kings from the rest – indeed, almost every man who holds a throne in the epic is named at one point or another to be 'good'. By examining the ideals of the time period as identified by the 'heroic code', it becomes clearer that a truly 'good' king is one who generously distributes treasure and weaponry to deserving retainers to honour courage and strength displayed in battle and to encourage the defense of the kingdom (Intro). When Beowulf ascends the throne of the Geats, the heroic traits of courage and strength for which he was so highly praised as a warrior do not serve well in making him a good king. Indeed, by exhibiting the traits of a thane, that is, by

Beowulf is an example of Anglo-Saxon epic poetry. An epic poem is a narrative poem that that tells the stories of an amazing hero’s life. In Beowulf, great heroism is expressed through a character that travels extreme lengths to show his strength despite the odds he faced. The most prevalent characteristics are the features of heroic traits and the containment of grim realism. The first characteristics of heroic traits in Beowulf are seen on page ten when the writer said, “firm with our Lord’s high favor and his own bold courage and strength.

An Epic poem is one in which the hero risks his life to die in order to display his heroism and uphold the values of his culture. In Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, although the poem does not follow all the characteristics of a traditional epic, however, I believe that it can still be classified as an epic poem because of Beowulf embodiment of the essential characteristics of Anglo-Saxons and his heroism to prove his courage during his

Another literary element that offer meaning to the poem is imagery, by simply allowing the readers to envision the events of the story. In the first part of the story (129-134), Beowulf is described as coming over “seas beating at the sand” while “the ship foamed through the sea like a bird.” This scene truly guides the readers to admire the vivid description of how proud and tough the ship looks. This ship in this case, becomes a metonymy for Beowulf himself, who is certainly proud and strong, resulting in the readers’ admiration. Additional imagery is used describing the mere, or lake, discussed above, with “storms [an] waves splash[ing] towards the sky, as dark as the air as black as the rain that the heavens weep” (440-442). This clearly illustrates how dreadful Grendel and his mothers’ home is. It intensely aids us to picture how grotesquely unpleasant the lake actually is. Near the end of the tale (lines 651-653], Beowulf “[strides] with his shield at his side and a mail shirt of his breast….. Toward the tower, under the rocky cliffs.” While Beowulf awaits the battle, the description of his armor and the details of each entry help us to respect how ready he is for his concluding battle. Even as an elderly man, Beowulf is a hero beyond compare. In closing, the use of imagery greatly enriches the readers’ experience of this heroic epic.

Beowulf is the longest epic poem written in old english ever published. The composition centres around the exploits of Beowulf, a heroic warrior known for his strength and bravery. Themes of heroism are prevalent in the famous piece of literature in relation to its noble protagonist. The poem follows an adventurous plot containing conflict between both good and evil forces. Beowulf is often engaged in selfless conquests in the pursuit of saving others from evil forces, resulting in his emergence as the hero of this composition. The text is broken up into two main sections, Beowulf as a young warrior, and Beowulf as a seasoned ruler, while focusing on the main theme of Heroism as both a virtue and a downfall throughout the duration of the manuscript.