Beowulf: A New Telling Analysis

Beowulf: A New Telling is a story that fits well with other classic hero stories yet also stands out for its creativity. It is different in how the hero isn’t the hero because he has powers or strength but because he admits his flaws. The whole story is based off of the moral that admitting your flaws allows for you to show your strengths. Wealhtheow even stated on page 56 that “He admits to his weaknesses and in the admitting they become strengths.” By admitting his flaws, Beowulf was able to defeat Grendel and Grendel’s Mother, become king of the land of Geats and in the end, even in his old age, he helped defeat the Firedrake. Beowulf in my eyes is a classic story that should not be forgotten. The story has many fictitious elements yet still manages to stay mostly believable in parts without monster-type characters. The characters have traits that seem completely real and fit in with the time period. Some problems I encountered were I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the amount of time passing and some characters features weren’t described as well as I would of liked. I feel that this story’s pros way outweigh its cons. …show more content…
The theme of light and dark is very apparent in parts of the story where the people are battling a monster. When Grendel attacked Hrothgar, he saw the light inside Wealhtheow. On page 74, it is said that “Somewhere deep in Grendel’s hellish heart a memory stirred. Something to do with light and another of these children of day, one who had flung herself between him and his food, and by her love had thwarted him.” This theme can also be seen on page 73 when Beowulf is holding Grendel and says “Light holds you, Grendel. Light has you in its power. You, who have shunned the sun, meet me, once stung by bees that drank the sun. There’s honey in my veins, Grendel, a liquid sunlight that can kill you