Rhetorical Analysis Of Beowulf

The poem begins on a dead and unappealing tone. It just goes into detail about the Danes and the Geats and their problems. There is no real action that occurs throughout the begging other than Grendel attacking Herot Hall. Furthermore, when the poem reaches the middle the tone takes a massive change. Beowulf arrives and agrees to take down Grendel and make Herot Hall available again. Then it hits a high point when he battles Grendel and his mother and defeat them both creating a live and action packed tone that appeals to the reader. It goes to great extent to make sure the reader stays fully involved and keeps full interest. As the poem progresses through the stages of much intensity and action it then comes toward the end. In this part of the poem the tone takes a dramatic turn. It changes from live and upbeat to sad and solemn as Beowulf fights the last battle of his life. This is the point where he defeats the dragon but receives a fatal blow and all the land must now know that Beowulf is no longer with

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

Beowulf is an epic poem that has been handed down orally for centuries, but was finally written down in the eighth century. It is the story of an epic hero, named Beowulf, who travels with his men, the Geats, to conquer the many beasts who terrorize the lands of the Danes. The scops describe Beowulf as “greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world”(110-111). This example shows one of many qualities that make Beowulf the epic hero that he is. He uses his strength to demonstrate both the dedication and bravery needed to bring peace and justice to the people who have been terrorized for such a long time. Cultural elements exemplified in Beowulf occur in the aspects of the mead hall, the warriors, and their belief system.

On behalf of our kingdom I the queen of Heorot, we are all thankful for your courageous spirit. We’ve been crossing through seas to find someone willing to banish our demon. With your lionhearted leadership, the malignant spirit was blinded by your name. The day you took its flesh away was the day the sun rose out of the dark. We kneel before your victorious name. As you left your home with the elder’s approval, you are honored and would be celebrated for your gratitude and bravery. One million miles from here was not one single soul that was heroic like you. For centuries we the people did not feast with joy, “all were endangered; young and old were hunted down by that dark shadow who lurked and swooped in the long nights on the misty moors; nobody knew where these reavers from hell roamed on their errands.” It was easy to go down to hell; night and day, the gates of dark death stood wide; but to climb back again, to retrace ones steps to the upper

Many people believe that initially, Beowulf was a Pagan artifact. In fact, such belief has developed further to support that an anonymous Christian rewrote the piece with the intention to apply Christian characters in the first script. Academics, however, differ on whether the central thematic argument was Christian or Pagan. The author remarkably puts actions into the context of the Bible owing to the impulse at the era of converting everyone to Christianity. By, interlocking the old Pagan elements of folklore and Christian belief, Beowulf grows into a standard of fiction, which is difficult to outshine. The epic of Beowulf has no recognized author ever since its original tradition. However, it does represent the culture of the Anglo-Saxon from which it originated. Besides, it serves its goal of moral teaching as a work of art and the meaning hero-life (Disraeli). The poem’s hero, known as Beowulf, seems to display great bravery in all the things he takes part in during his time. Indeed, Beowulf represents one of the greatest epic heroes in history; he symbolizes bravery and honor, loyalty to his people, and the reputation he holds, as he represents the Anglo-Saxon culture.

The first battle in the poem occurs between Beowulf and Grendel who best embody the Anglo-Saxon value of courage. Beowulf is the perfect representation of this value due to his insistence on fighting Grendel without weapons; “No weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me” (Heaney 683-84). Thus when Beowulf proclaims that he is not using weapons he displays both honor and courage since it takes guts to fight a monster without a pronounced advantage. Anglo-Saxons respected this quality and made their epic hero a perfect fit for this trait. Grendel however, is the complete opposite of Beowulf. He is an archetypal outcast; a, “grim demon/ haunting the marches, marauding round the heath… condemned as outcasts” (36-45). The purpose of using this archetype is to show the distinction between good and evil. The people in the mead hall are the supporters of good. They follow the Anglo-Saxon warrior codes and are on Beowulf’s side. Grendel is opposite of this ideal. He lives in solitude in a cave at the bottom of the lake and upon hearing of the partying in the mead hall feels enraged. To further emphasize the archetype, he raids Herot only during the nighttime. This shows the degree to which he is ostracised from society since appearing in daylight is off bounds to Grendel. When Beowulf rends his arm, Grendel runs away, showing his cowardice since he runs instead of finishing the fight on the spot. For the Anglo-Saxons, death in battle was the most glorious type of death, thus Grendel’s retreat reinforces the quality of courage and makes him a laughingstock in Anglo-Saxon society. When the battle itself begins, Beowulf’s comrades stay to help him fight. The author states that he is, “Beowulf’s warriors worked to defend/ their lord’s life” (794-95). This ties into the theme of loyalty to one’s kin because although the weapons do no damage, Beowulf’s brethren stay by his side to help. This emphasizes the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture as the battles serve to show the listener the deep cultural significance of the kinship of the warriors. They are one; not only because of their

In the epic poem Beowulf is about a powerful hero that takes a journey to Herot to help restore peace within the mead hall. Herot is suffering because Grendel keeps attacking its people due to the noise they create. It is chaotic until Beowulf makes his appearance in Hrothgar’s place of meal. Beowulf seizes to amaze me by the way he overcomes

The epic Beowulf has many parallels to fairy tales. Examples of this include the promotion good deeds, Beowulf being an archetype for a hero and the contrast of Grendel being an archetype of a villain.Even in the vary beginning of the story Beowulf is described as “the strongest of men” and as a “warrior”, both are ways the Anglo-Saxons would describe heroes in their time. Beowulf has all the likeable and charming qualities of a hero, in the epic everyone he meets finds him courageous and likeable. Just as heroes in fairy tales represent what a society holds high, Beowulf represents the quality’s that the Anglo-Saxons held high; such as strength and courage. In contrast to Beowulf being a great hero, Grendel is described as a terrible villain.

First of all, the monsters. The epic poems usually are created heroes who must fight various monsters so that they can achieve the ultimate honor and glory. The character Beowulf is no different from other heroes. Beowulf must fight three monsters: Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. These monsters represent those who do not make their social roles, some people who live apart from civilization and which also have no value.

Literary devices is utilized by authors to help show common themes as well as tone and symbolism. The epic poem Beowulf (translated by Seamus Heany) is a three-part epic of the Anglo-Saxon warrior Beowulf. First, he brought his warriors to Heorot and to the King Hrothgar to help him get rid of the monster Grendel. Grendel is a monster, and is very isolated. Beowulf is successful and ends up killing Grendel, and kills Grendel’s mother after she returns an attack. The final part is Beowulf’s final fight with a dragon, in which he dies. Various literary terms are used in Beowulf to help provide the themes of fear of outcasts, the struggle of good and evil, and the difference between isolation and being part of a tribe.

Literary devises use utilized by authors to help show common themes as well as tone and symbolism. The epic poem Beowulf (translated by Seamus Heany) is a three-part epic of the Anglo-Saxon warrior Beowulf. First, he brought his warriors to Heorot and to the king Hrothgar to help him get rid of the monster Grendel. Grendel is a monster, and is very isolated. Beowulf is successful and ends up killing Grendel, and kills Grendel’s mother after she returns an attack. The final part is Beowulf’s final fight with a dragon, in which he dies. Various literary terms are used in Beowulf to help provide themes of fear of outcasts, the struggle of good and evil, and the difference between isolation and being part of a tribe.

The Anglo-Saxon poem “Beowulf” takes the reader back into a time long past; one of family, fate, and fealty. Beowulf offers a glimpse of a society struggling between two different paths, one path being the assimilation into the new Christian traditions and the other is the fast fading past of glorified warriors and family ties. In the poem, the reader can see the attempts of the poet to convey the values and stories of Judeo-Christianity in a society of Anglo-Saxon paganism. The poet illustrates the infiltration of the Christian teachings and how they might have appeared within the lives of the people through the literary devices of symbolism, allegory, and allusion.

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.

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.

“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.