Can the medieval and the contemporary ever be compared? Although they were written many years apart, the great classics Beowulf and The Hobbit share several similar elements. J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, The Hobbit, was published in 1937. In contrast, Beowulf’s author is unknown, and the earliest manuscript dates back to about 1000 A.D. Written in distinct styles, the narratives differ since one is an epic poem and the other is a novel. Despite the age difference, parallels abound between the two tales, including brave protagonists, similar plot lines, and malicious dragons as the antagonist.…
In both Lord of the Flies and A Long Way Gone, William Golding and Ishmael Beah depict the plight of young boys who are forced to endure various hardships. Through their characters’ adversity, both Golding and Beah suggest that fear and the struggle to survive may result in the degeneration of civilization and logical thought, the loss of one’s humanity, and the corruption of leaders. Both Golding and Beah illustrate how society can collapse due to terror and chaos. For example, in Lord of the Flies, the boys heatedly debate the existence of a monster, and “to Ralph...this seemed the breaking of sanity” (Golding 88). Golding clarifies how the boys’ fear of the beast makes them wary and unreasonable, hinting at the start of their civilization’s…
Grendel from Beowulf and Satan from Paradise Lost can be both compared and contrasted, shown by the text. Grendel is described as an evil, powerful monster (Beowulf 23). Satan in the story Paradise Lost, is also described as a monster born of cain and the archenemy of God (Beowulf 38-51). While Beowulf’s Grendel and Paradise Lost’s Satan exemplify power, evil, and unsuccessfulness, their tactics prove different. Grendel and Satan can be compared as powerful.…
Both Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, and Grendel by John Gardner depict similar qualities between the two main characters, but different perspectives offered by each book also differentiate the characters by illustrating unique details described only in one of the books. There are many qualities of both Beowulf and Grendel that are mentioned in both books. For example, Beowulf possesses superhuman strength in both Beowulf and Grendel. This is shown when Beowulf, “__________” (Gardner ##).…
Since the start of time, people discussed and examined the concept of the tragic hero in stories. A hero is an example of valiancy and intelligence and in times of danger a hero must remain strong, valiant, and fearless. The actions of a hero must be brave and of high caliber. Beowulf and Oedipus are two stories from different times who share similar qualities yet are destined by two different fates. The stories of these characters have been told for centuries and are examples of the respects and values of the cultures in the times they were written.…
There are many different kinds of heros. Some people think of a hero as an everyday person who just happens to do a good deed. Others may consider a hero to be fictional character who possesses some form of super powers. A hero can also be a historical figure, who did great deeds and saved many people. Overall, a hero is someone who does things just because they can, for the greater good.…
In the film for example, King Hrothgar commits suicide, there is no evidence in the text supporting this. The film implies that Beowulf takes interest in the queen, while in the text there is no evidence of any romantic interest among them. This line from the film shows Beowulf’s interest, “Me It's not me he wants, my queen” (Memorable Quotes for Beowulf (2007))? The film states that Beowulf not only had an affair with Grendel’s Mother but also had a child with her. In the movie Beowulf marries the queen after Hrothgar’s death and eventually cheats on her similar to how Hrothgar did.…
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.…
The poem Beowulf is the telling of a great, brave, and fearless leader. Some would even say he is arrogant and thinks too highly of himself. Even though the book is different from the movie, Beowulf does live up to his name. You will see other people in this essay who may not like Beowulf for his titles; however, other people will forever live in his glory days. You will see many differences between the book and the movie.…
Throughout time, society has come in contact with individuals who are praised due to their bravery, loyalty, humility, and tendency to go beyond the limit. One may call these individuals heroes and if asked to give some examples of heroism, one may pick the literary hero Beowulf and the modern comic book hero Batman. Both Beowulf and Batman are similar when it comes to physical strength, and protecting citizen’s lives. However, Beowulf and Batman are two heroes from different moments in time. They are classifies as two types of hero, have different personalities, and technology differently.…
The novel, Lord of the Flies, can be examined as a Biblical Allegory as many parallels are drawn between the novel and the story of the Garden of Eden. Golding uses similar environmental factors that can be compared between the two stories. The powerful theme of temptation is also evident, and represents how evil can sometimes over power against good. A third parallel can be drawn on the idea that the boys are under the presence of God, but are left by themselves on this microcosm without a physical higher authority to guide them away from evil.…
The Contrasting Adversaries of the Island In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew is major character that has tension with another major character, Ralph, throughout the book, becoming arch enemies, or, rivals if you will. Jack and Ralph have a paramount power struggle over who exactly is the leader of the boys that crashed on the island along with them. The two boys gain and lose followers or tribesmen throughout the book as these two different figureheads clash in almost all-out war.…
These two great literary pieces, “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” revolve around the idea of heroes being brave, courageous and honorable. Both are very similar with slight differences, such as the way the hero is depicted throughout the story, the various elements of the stories, magic, and more. These stories influence readers at the time like what it means to be a hero and also there are Christian influences. In “Beowulf”, the main character Beowulf is legendary and venerable.…
“Beowulf” is one of the oldest and most legendary tales of strength and valor. It only makes sense that this story would eventually be adapted by Hollywood into a film. Despite the story being as engaging as it already is, the most recent film adaption strays far from the epic poem. These changes affect the characters, themes, and plot. Though both the poem and the film are good on their own, the film’s meaning does not stay true to the original story it pays homage to.…
The poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight both display powerful men and highly esteemed warriors. However, the main characters in each of these poems, Beowulf and Sir Gawain, are fundamentally different individuals. Both poems are very in that they both describe essential characteristics of valiant warriors and knights of the day. These characteristics include bravery, honor, heroism, and loyalty. The characteristics are shown in a variety of aspects by each of the characters.…