Wiglaf

Hero of the Year The novel Beowulf clearly depicts Beowulf as a noble hero, and a well known one at that. He could be depicted as the perfect symbol of Anglo-Saxon values. The monsters he’s encountered and battles he’s stormed into are well known especially after he defeats the terrifying shadow monger, Grendel. Ruler of the Geats for 50 years, no one dared to challenge him or his clan. As depicted in the excerpt from Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, the qualities found in Beowulf that…

rather my body were robed in the same burning blaze as my gold-giver 's body than go back home bearing arms. That is unthinkable, unless we have first slain the foe and defended the life of the prince of the Weather-Geats” (Beowulf 2650-2655). When Wiglaf says this in the epic, it shows how much the thanes were willing to lay on the line for their kings/princes and how they would even pay the ultimate price to ensure their safety. While action is clearly the most important aspect of being a…

When a leader is confronted with evil, it is imperative that they possess the characteristics of bravery, physical strength, and loyalty in order to defeat evil. The poem Beowulf recalls a heroic age in which monsters stalked men by night; further, Beowulf uses bravery, physical strength, and loyalty to defeat the demons and regain control. Beowulf, an Old-English epic poem, is characteristic of its Nordic-Germanic medieval roots as it tells the tale of a great Scandinavian warrior. This…

Everything is for the Glory (A discussion of the motivations of Beowulf in the epic poem, Beowulf.) “Early in the poem, Beowulf is young, brave, and has no one to worry about but himself. Because of this he can risk everything in his quest for personal glory” (Stitt). There is a vast and ongoing debate about the motivations behind many of Beowulf’s actions in the epic, Beowulf. Before indulging in Beowulf’s motivations specifically, mentioning what a motivation is might make some sense. A…

Beowulf is an epic poem that shines light on a different society. A society that would eventually develop into modern-day England. This community of tribes share some similarities with humanity in its current state but are also quite different. The Anglo-Saxons were driven by war and battle. They face a multitude of different problems compared to modern humans. This means that the conflicts in Beowulf should be taken and handled in a vastly distinct process. The differences between modern…

When the title of an ideal hero remains uneasily obtained, the substantially significant amount of standards one must uphold must be thoroughly checked for achievement. The acts of a hero should not be taken lightly and therefore neither should the label. A heroic archetype persists throughout the majority of works, especially epic poems. The in depth analysis of Beowulf in the epic poem “Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffel, proves Beowulf almost perfectly embodies the ideal hero by his…

Kristena Westerfeld English 11- Beowulf essay: personal dragons Throughout life, there are many obstacles that are faced day after day. Some obstacles bigger and more difficult than others. These obstacles faced can be either physical or mental and are found in today 's everyday life, the poem Beowulf and the story Grendel. Mental obstacles come in many different shapes and sizes, in real life or through a story. Anxiety and depression are common obstacles among…

The Anglo-Saxon Era was one of transition from pagan beliefs to Christianity, which can be see interwoven in the literature of the period. By the time “Beowulf” was transcribed, pagan mythology and Christian truths were viewed as mutually exclusive ideals, but to many people these tales coexisted within their hearts and minds as is revealed by the story of “Beowulf” as the author transitions seamlessly between the two warring worldviews. The relationship of Christianity and pagan legends is…

“Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?” The Flaming Lips has left this lyric embedded in the hearts of many people, but not everyone realizes this basic knowledge of human existence. There is a vast number of fundamental themes of our human existence that are not acknowledged, but is present in literature throughout history in every culture. Myths are fictional stories use metaphors to present and explain a mystery in the world—the source of study for human nature. They convey…

Christianity in Beowulf The devout followers of the Christian religion have a long-standing reputation for adapting and manipulating antecedent and subsequent “unholy,” outright pagan symbols, practices, and traditions to have their righteous agenda subsumed into popular culture, such as Christmas or December 25th - which, to Christians, is the birth of Jesus Christ, but historically was the celebrated day of the birth of the pagan god, Mithra, the Greek god, Dionysus, and the Phrygo-Roman god,…