Enter the Dragon

Beowulf possesses. In this epic poem, Beowulf exemplifies many heroic traits and Courage is among those heroic traits. In the poem Beowulf tells stories of slaying monsters by himself in the night while at sea. During the final battle with the dragon all of Beowulf’s followers flee, besides Wiglaf. Even after…

The battle between good and evil is something writers use to guide their stories. Good versus evil is a common thematic topic within literature, especially early British literature. Good comes in many forms, most often through the actions of the protagonist, whereas evil presents itself in many forms, including inanimate objects. Authors tend to use religion as a basis for good and evil. Many aspects of British literature are representative of the battle between good and evil; the temptation of…

boastfulness but rather their courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities. Martin Luther King Jr. and Beowulf were idolized during different times allowing them to be faced with numerous situations. Beowulf dealt with sea monsters and dragons, while Martin Luther King Jr. was faced with making an entire people more equal. Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. proved that the idea of what a hero is has changed since the times of the Anglo Saxons. These heroes exhibit bravery in their…

Heroics and Stoics Stoic ideas have been around for centuries. The ideas have flooded many legends about heroes and serve as a great source in which people should strive to live their lives. The ideas not only give ways to be a better person individually by taking responsibility for one’s own actions, but they also provide a framework on how to be a better addition to society. Stoicism was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. “The philosophy asserts that virtue (such…

Middle Age Superstition and Legend In the Middle Ages life was very different from today. Superstitions and legends were a key difference. During the Middle Ages superstition and legend heavily influenced day to day life and rituals. Witches, common superstitions, mythical creatures, and Arthurian legend each affected life in their own way. Each of these things were truly believed in, and this belief brought fear, hope, and excitement into people’s lives. During the Middle Ages witches were…

Exploring the Heroism of Beowulf F. Scott Fitzgerald once penned, “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy,” and, in the case of Beowulf, this stands true. Known as the “Mother Poem of England,” Beowulf was written between 700-1000 AD by an anonymous source. It most likely originated as an oral tradition, and was passed on from generation to generation. Throughout the reading of the tale, the reader learns that the namesake character is essentially an act of divine providence – he is a gift…

When the dragon burned down Beowulfs house, he has a weakness of him being too independent (38). Beowulf was so used to fighting his own battles, as he got older his strength was taken away from him. When the dragon attacked his land it was his responsibility to protect his people. He was overwhelmed by the dragon and had to be saved by Wiglaf one of the Thanes. Now his strength is no longer a strength it has…

seventy-five years old now. Despite his agedness, he insists on combatting the dragon – alone (Beowulf 2644). By this point, Beowulf’s hamartia is sheer hubris. Even the elderly Hrothgar delegated the duty of killing Grendel to Beowulf. Beowulf, instead of delegating the duty of killing the dragon to some more youthful and agile warrior, haughtily takes on the task himself. Even before Beowulf goes to attack the dragon, he is described in this way: Yet the prince of the rings was too proud…

and Indian culture. Both Beowulf and Rama have many people loyal to them, Beowulf the tribe of the Geats, Rama the people of Ayodhya as well as other wanderers. Near the end of Beowulf, after the dragon kills Beowulf, Wiglaf speaks to the other warriors who did not stay by Beowulf’s fight against the dragon: “But when the worst happened/ too few rallied around the prince” (Beowulf 2882). “too few rallied” speaks of the warriors shirking from battle, informing us that hiding from battle could be…

This morning, king Charles (The townspeople and farmers refer to him informally as Charlie or KC) received word that a fire-snorting dragon was again terrorizing the countryside. The monster is scaring the people of his kingdom, and several of the farmers have left their land. He summoned his legion of knights and advisors to the castle for a meeting. Once before the king sent the royal knights to stop the giant lizard from roaming the lowlands and raising havoc in the kingdom. But…