Hygelac

Beowulf, a narrative written by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet, has a vague beginning considering it was originally told as an oral narrative until written down. The story tells the heroic deeds of the Geat warrior Beowulf and displays multiple elements which relate to the time and society which the book is set in. The most obvious way Beowulf reflects the tie and society which it is set in is through the social and political structures displayed in the story. For example, the idea of having…

During times in which people are desperately in need, they always seem to turn to the same person for guidance, a hero. This distinguished leader is composed of various qualities that are vital to their heroic makeup. Throughout history people have been taught the stories of many real and fictional hero’s that have graced our world with their presence. Among these influential leaders is a man named Beowulf. Needless to say it is no coincidence that he is remembered as a great hero. Beowulf will…

heighten Hygelac’s fame / and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce / sword and the shelter of the broad shield” (Heaney 31.433-7). By showing that he is willing to put down his life for his King Hygelac and for King Hrothgar, who he owes nothing, Beowulf will be rewarded significantly if he is to succeed. King Hygelac gives Beowulf one of the greatest honors in increasing his reputation in the Geat Kingdom; this allows Beowulf’s claim to the Geat throne to be through his heroic reputation rather…

Beowulf is an epic written about a great warrior named Beowulf. Before Beowulf, there was a noble king, Shield Sheafson. After Shield died and many successors later, an heir named Hrothgar takes throne. During Hrothgar’s prosperous reign, he builds Hearot Hall, where his warriors enjoy spirits and each other’s company. Due to a demon that lives in the swamplands, Grendel, the warriors are slaughtered every night. Beowulf hears of the news and travels to Denmark to slay the beast. When Beowulf…

In this section Beowulf and his men return to his homeland and we are introduced to King Hygelac and Queen Hygd. It is mentioned how Queen Hygd, is a beautiful and wise, though very young women. Like Wealhtheow in Denmark, Hygd is presented as a positive example of proper behavior in women—she is gracious in bearing and manner, attentive to the men around her, and loyal to her husband and lord. In order to highlight these positive qualities, the narrator positions the legendarily wicked Queen…

when they face the dragon on their own. Beowulf is painted as a great hero before his name is even mentioned in the story, and this image does not falter against those of previous kings. we find that the narrator may be untrustworthy because King Hygelac states "I dreaded the outcome of your expedition and pleaded with you long and hard to leave the killer be, let the South-Danes settle their own blood-feud..." The foes that Beowulf fought were all beyond…

A symbolic object is renewed when Hygelac died in battle wearing it, furthering the ideas of kinship and continuity. The great banquet at Heorot after the defeat of Grendel represents the restoration of order and harmony to the Danish people. The preparation involves the rebuilding of the…

The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf was established as the earlier form of heroism and was then later introduced into the English culture. Highly praised and admired by his people, the Geat leader possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo- Saxon hero. Beowulf exemplifies an ideal Anglo Saxon hero who holds the characteristics of eagerness to seek glory and fame rather than richness and treasures,…

An epic hero is not just some everyday, ordinary hero. They are the people that normal heroes look up to. These heroes have qualities that some people could only dream of having. Epic heroes are the heroes in epic poems, but what makes them so epic? The epic hero generally embodies the values of the culture in which the poem comes from. Many of these heroes are superhuman or have superhuman abilities, meaning that they are stronger, faster, smarter, or more courageous than normal human beings.…

Beowulf: A New Telling Image you are walking through the dark fen on a night of no moon and the only light you have, is your flashlight. Bats fly overhead and rats scurry along beside your feet. Evil creatures surround you in this fen. Your flashlight dies and everything goes pitch black and the only sound you hear is your footsteps and the evil creatures around you. Then, you heard the sound of something big coming toward you carrying the sound of crunching bones. Beowulf is a story told…