Epic poetry

“Beowulf ” is an epic poem that has been translated by Burton Raffel. It marks the beginning of English literature. This epic is filled with many amounts of action pack scenes. “Beowulf ” is set around the Anglo-Saxon period, also known as the Dark Ages. It tells the tale of a magnificent hero, Beowulf, who travels to another’s kingdom to conquer evil forces. As Beowulf gets older, he somewhat loses his luster and is defeated in his last standing battle. His death may have been tragic, but he…

When the reader reads the epic, the thought would never cross his/her mind that Beowulf is going to become soft, or that Beowulf is going to develop feelings for Grendel, and actually understands the reasoning for Grendel’s actions. Now that the event of Grendel speaking, an even more mind-boggling even occurs, in that Beowulf builds a shrine for Grendel at the end of the film. This event is never mentioned in the epic, for the tone and attitude that the author gives the…

Heroes triumphing over monsters is a major theme in Beowulf, with characters being clearly one or the other. Often, however, heroes and monsters share characteristics, making the distinction between what makes someone good or evil more blurred. They share similarities to show how thin of a line there is between being a hero and a monster, and how easy going down the wrong path is. In Beowulf, the word fire is used to draw the similarities between Grendel and Beowulf, as well as to highlight what…

interpretations of the term “monster”, it is often a word that is feared by people and can bring about many negative connotations. The term has evolved and changed over time but still can be interpreted to mean something that causes fear for people. In the epic poem Beowulf, one of the main monsters is a character named Grendel. Grendel has caused grief for the Danes for a long time, and has put people in danger because his destructive nature. Beowulf is seen as the hero in the story and fights…

between the 2005 movie of Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson) and the old Epic Poem called Beowulf (Heaney). These differences include the amount of realism and cultural differences between the two eras and the differences of the existing characters in the Epic in contrast to the Movie. Even though this so called, “new modern day Beowulf,” as depicted in the 2005 movie follows along some of the same paths as the first two parts of the epic, it is much different in a morality and cultural way. This…

The Oxford English Dictionary defines virtue as, “a moral quality regarded as good or desirable in a person” (virtue, n). In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf displays more virtuous qualities in his first fight, at Heorot, against Grendel, than he does in his last fight, in Geatland, against the dragon. In the fight with Grendel, Beowulf is helping the aged king Hrothgar defend his kingdom against a foe that Hrothgar himself cannot defeat. Beowulf doing this is both brave…

Beowulf is a traditional story passed on from generations of a great legend who comes from Geatland to defend and protect a kingdom surrounded by corruption from a demented source of evil. The kingdom is outraged with fear and suffering with absolutely no help or hope of the people who inhabit it. Beowulf takes it on himself to save this kingdom from its’ troubles and ends up succeeding in the defeat of not one, but two evil monsters. Later on, Beowulf’s own kingdom would be tormented and…

Beowulf, written in c.700-750AD, is one example of an epic poem written with uncanny roots to the Anglo-Saxon faith. During the approximate era the story takes place, most soldiers were illiterate, and would enlist the help of bards, or poets, to tell their stories and uphold their legacies. Though most poems written by bards, upon translation, ended up with strong Christian influences, the most fundamental aspects of Anglo-Saxon life are still evident in the work. Some of the most unequivocal…

Beowulf is a legendary story that has been passed down from generations of families and is still cherished to this very day. Its epic battles and tales of the strong and powerful Geats make the story still interesting and exciting. And although the story could be complemented for its adventurous themes, one of the largest lessons you can learn from this legend is how to become a powerful and respected leader. The main ideas of leadership expressed in the story can be based around how bravely…

defeated the Grendel. Some of Beowulf’s most important traits as an epic hero include bravery, loyalty, and the willingness to risk his life for the greater good. These characteristics are exemplified in Beowulf’s epic deeds, including slaying Grendel and his mother. Beowulf later also demonstrates the epic trait of being a just ruler of his people, the Geats, and sacrificing his life to slay the dragon that threatens them.He is an epic hero for many…