The Beowulf poem is a story of a great hero and the great strength he possesses that aids in his fight against the monsters terrorizing the people around him. Beowulf stays strong until his last breath; his grand death will be passed through generation for as long as someone can remember they occurred. However, he is not the only character is important in understanding the society of this time. The poem wanders to stories of other great leaders, some who have fallen. A particular story involves King Hrethal who cannot contain his anguish over the death of two of his sons.…
In the story Beowulf, there are many side stories. One of these side stories is the story of Finn. Frisian King Finn, without warning, attacked King Hnaf’s people, the Danes, and Hnaf himself, taking out half the men in the tribe. In an attempt to settle the feud, Hengest married away Hnaf’s sister to Finn. Peace between the two remained until the Danes later revolted and killed Finn and his son in revenge.…
Grendel’s Mother In Grendel’s Mother by Susan Signe Morrison, the author creates a new perspective on the epic poem Beowulf. The novels the life of Grendel’s mother, Brimhild, from her mysterious arrival to the Danes as a child all the way until her death, told by her adopted granddaughter, Sif. By reworking the poem into a novel, there are many similar thematic elements present in both works. Morrison adopts the theme of the role of women as peacekeepers and the ultimate impossibility of achieving this both with outside tribes as well as within the Syclding’s own kingdom.…
Hrafnkel’s Saga is an anonymously written Icelandic Family Saga from roughly the late 13th century. The central focus of its plot is a blood feud between a prominent chieftain Hrafnkel and a poorer farmer Thorbjorn’s family, initiated when Hrafnkel kills Thorbjorn’s son, Einar. The passage selected is earlier in the saga and is the first chapter directly related to the blood feud. Lines 1-3 introduce two critical characters of the saga. Einar, the first death of the feud, and Thorbjorn, his father, who later seeks compensation from Hrafnkel for Einar’s death.…
In medieval Europe, the image of strength was equally as important as the ability to act on that image. Enduring kingdoms were capable of subduing others, both through intimidation and in battle. In Beowulf, violence is a key part of maintaining society’s stability. The hero, Beowulf, is the epitome of the physically imposing, battle-triumphant warrior that is highly idealized in medieval culture. Just as a sound king indicates a sound kingdom, Beowulf’s presence increases the power of Hrothgar’s rule; individuals such as Beowulf and Hrothgar rely on violence to better their reputations, equating to a rise in the prestige of their kingdoms.…
In John Knowles’s A Separate Peace, the author focuses on the painful and sometimes difficult transition to adulthood in an adolescent character named Gene Forrester. Gene has a nonconformist friend called Phineas, or Finny, who is extremely physically talented, but does not do well in school. Gene, on the other hand, is very conventional, does well in school, and always follows the rules. He becomes intensely jealous of Finny’s athletic talent and makes him fall out of a tree and shatter his leg. Finny is crippled for life, and will never return to playing the sports he loved so much and excelled at.…
The king of the Danes is beset with sorrow, as he and his men cannot stop Grendel’s attacks. Grendel attacks Heorot until “the greatest house In the world stood empty, a deserted wallstead” (145 – 146). No matter how much havoc he wreaks, however, Grendel is stopped from sitting on the throne in Heorot because he “rules in defiance of right” (144). Grendel rules in defiance of what is right because he had no cause to attack the Danes, and as such cannot sit on the throne because he is not considered worthy. Grendel’s attack on the Danes is particularly disgraceful as the Danes had done nothing to provoke him and yet he attacks them viciously, in their own hall, for twelve…
A hero is usually described as someone who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities. However, another aspect someone must experience to be considered a hero is embark on a hero’s journey. A hero’s journey is when one leaves their realm after receiving their call to adventure and accepting that challenge. This person also often encounters evil forces and will be both defeated and victorious when engaging in battle with them. Beowulf fits the mold of a hero because of his fearlessness, determination, and acceptance.…
On the one hand, Beowulf was written in the Anglo-Saxon period, so we must know the dissimilar of history in which women are guided by the idea of women in the Anglo-Saxon society. At that time, the female role referred to inferiority or to be passive; and being a woman meant being inferior to the male figure, which always took the title of hero. In addition, the role of women would always be secondary with respect to the men. It can be said that the more predominant female character in the poem, and who has caused an impression as an element of criticism is Grendel’s mother. "She is identified only by her biological function of having given birth to Grendel" (Shari Horner) (DISCOURSE OF ENCLOSURE).…
Takeo Makin Ms. Kline Brit lit per. 5 2 Mar, 2017 Beowulf Essay Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem about, a Germanic warrior named Beowulf, he sailed across the sea to the land of the Danes to fight against the monster Grendel. The story about Beowulf is one of the oldest poems, first told by the scops in 400 A.D. and finally transferred to paper in 1100 A.D. it has changed alot over the years from books and big screen movies. Although Beowulf the epic and Beowulf the movie share many similarities, the different portrayals of Beowulf the character, religion, and gender roles in both the poem and movie expose the values of the societies in which they are told.…
Maxine Hong Kingston shows that one can form an identity through silence in The Woman Warrior; Kingston develops this theme through different stories her mother tells her. Throughout The Woman Warrior, Kingston slowly finds her own identity by examining heavily weighted talk-stories, stories containing the mores and values of society through many generations. These stories are relayed to Kingston through her mother, Brave Orchid. Convinced by her mother’s stories, Kingston grew up believing, “we failed if we grew up to be but wives or slaves” (Kingston 18).…
The Virtuous Vice Pride is an exaggerated feeling of satisfaction. Some might say that pride is the spawn of an unchecked ego. Others could argue that pride is embodied by the denial of truth, or the expectation of nature to reflect an inaccurate or grandiose personal belief. When nature does not reflect this belief; disorientation and confusion is created within the believer. As the believer tries to reconcile their beliefs with nature’s truths, they can become enraged or empowered and act in irrational ways, often disregarding natural consequences.…
History Will Not Absolve the Militant Peacemaker History has shown that the quest for power is absolute. Many have used any and every excuse they can in order to obtain it. Those that are hungry for power will use all forms of manipulation necessary in order to obtain it; even the cloak of peace. They say that in order to create a peaceful environment, they must burn it down. They say that in order to create peace they must first kill anyone in their way.…
In the epic poem Beowulf, the poet demonstrates the various loyalties needed to maintain trust within the Geats. The poet, specifically in lines 2712-32, shows many virtues that outline the reasons why Beowulf makes a great honorable, king. With Beowulf’s knowledge, he is able to demonstrate many values that help shape Wiglaf’s character. The themes of honor and loyalty often arise to show how Beowulf stays truthful to his thanes, as well as himself, during difficult times. Throughout the many battles seen in the poem, Beowulf exemplifies unfailing loyalty to his tribe.…
“By as much as a maiden’s strength, a woman’s warfare, is less than an armed man’s (line 1283-1284).” This statement made by the poet of Beowulf takes on an ironic turn as Grendel’s mother takes on the mighty Beowulf. We can see in current society that women are being looked down on as inferior to their male counterparts. This is not new to us, as women have fought for equal rights for over a century. The poet thinks no differently as he imposes a societal commonality on the female “monster,” only to turn around and present her in a manner in which she puts on a greater fight against Beowulf than her son.…