Examples Of Literary Devices In Beowulf

The Three Devices The use of literary devices is in every literature that is written. Authors always tend to put these term to great use and the terms will always emphasize their writing. In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are three main literary terms that help people understand the poem better; the three devices are theme, symbolism, and conflict. The first device that is used is theme. Theme is usually a moral or a lesson that is given in any literature writing. Authors use theme to show and teach people about little lessons that can make a tremendous difference in everyday life. In Beowulf, one of the themes is that greed is always a downfall. For example the speaker says, “Then he brought their treasure to Beowulf, and found/ His famous king bloody, gasping/ For breath” (Lines 810-812). In this scenery, Beowulf was told about a treasure …show more content…
He had let his greed get the best of him and sought out to battle. The battle was tragic, and finally the dragon landed a hit and Beowulf was badly injured. He later on dies and passes his kingdom to his solider. The theme is shown by how greedy Beowulf became, but the greed he got was his downfall and soon brought death. Another example of theme that is used is good versus evil. The speaker says, “To the floor, gold-covered boards grating/ As Grendel and Beowulf battled across them” (Lines 351-352). This shows how Grendel, the evil monster, is in a fierce battle against Beowulf, the hero. In many literature works, there are many good versus evil theme. The author tends to show the relationship between the two opposites and always makes the hero win. The reason for that is to show that good will always be victorious over the bad. Beowulf is full of theme and some are really helpful in everyday life. The critic states, “Beowulf celebrates those who exhibit friendship, self-sacrifice,