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Anglo Saxon Qualities In Beowulf

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How Does Beowulf Show Qualities of the Anglo-Saxon Era? What defines the Anglo-Saxon era? Warriors? Bravery? Beowulf is an epic that includes all of these and much more Anglo-Saxon culture. It allows people today to get a glimpse into the life of people in that era, giving us insight to the values, thoughts and daily lives of the Anglo-Saxon people. Beowulf highlights Anglo-Saxon characteristics by giving a storyline, literature type and history appropriate to the time period. The plot of Beowulf shows what traits the Anglo-Saxons valued. For instance, when Beowulf goes out to slay fearsome beasts like Grendel and the dragon, he is portrayed as a strong, confident and fearless hero, which were the aspirations of the Anglo-Saxon men. He also demonstrates the value of self-sacrifice for the greater good when he accepts to go up against monsters that might cost him his life, all for the lives of the society. Another Anglo-Saxon belief Beowulf demonstrates is belief in the supernatural as he is seen to have tremendous courage and strength, which are more qualities the Anglo-Saxons greatly …show more content…

The first example of this is the impact of Anglo-Saxon culture in the names of all the characters in the epic. The influential people in the story have names such as Wulfgar, Hrothgar and Beowulf, these names originate from the area of the Anglo-Saxons. More evidence of historical influence is seen in the setting. Beowulf is sent to protect the Danes who were a real group of people of the Anglo-Saxon time. The mead hall was a very crucial part to daily Anglo-Saxon life where people could eat, sleep, and most importantly, be safe. In Beowulf the mead hall has been invaded by Grendel, taking away all the things that make the mead hall such an integral part of life, making it one of the biggest conflicts in the epic and showing, once again, just how much of Beowulf is influenced by

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The epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney used character archetypes to explore the values embodied in Anglo-Saxon culture. The first battle in the poem occurs between Beowulf and Grendel who best embody the Anglo-Saxon value of courage. Beowulf is the perfect representation of this value due to his insistence on fighting Grendel without weapons; “No weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me” (Heaney 683-84). Thus when Beowulf proclaims that he is not using weapons he displays both honor and courage since it takes guts to fight a monster without an advantage. The Anglo-Saxons respected this quality and made their epic hero a perfect fit for this trait.

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Thesis: The role of the Anglo-Saxon Hero in Beowulf represents and defines the values of strength, intelligence, selfness, and courage. Beowulf himself models the culture of the Anglo-Saxon hero, as he is willing to face any odds, and fight to the death for their glory and people I. Strength and physical appearance A. Strength is clearly an important characteristic of heroes in Anglo-Saxon culture and heroic code. 1. The beginning of the story Beowulf is described as having the strength of "thirty men" in just one of his arms. 2.

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Beowulf from Beowulf has very few things about him that are not chivalrous. His character exemplifies the Germanic hero and the Anglo-Saxon ideal of being strong, fearless, bold and loyal. One example of Beowulf being a chivalrous warrior is his bravery and courage. The evil demon Grendel has been terrorizing Herot for the past 12 years, so Beowulf wants to try and defeat him. When he arrives in Denmark Wulfgar greets him by saying “My lord, the great king of the Danes, commands me to tell you that he knows of your noble birth and that having come bravely and are welcome.”

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The anglo-saxons have beliefs about fate and how people were destined to fulfill some of the legends. Many stories have fate as an underlying tone that impacts the flow of the article. “.... Heard how Grendel filled nights with horror and quickly commanded a boat fitted out….” (112-113) in the beginning you can infer someone will come along to defeat Grendel. The person destined to defeat Grendel is a young warrior named Beowulf. Beowulf is centered around fate and the inevitable results that are planned with any action.

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Masculine Ideals in Anglo-Saxon Society The concept of a hero is prevalent through all generations because it presents a template for ethics and behavior. Beowulf is a pivotal epic told by poets throughout early european society and mirrors the manly nature of their ideal hero. The patriarchal values of the Anglo-Saxons are displayed through the epic Beowulf. The characters’ loyalty to their leaders as well as their conventional sense of masculinity indicate that the values of a society determine the values of an individual.

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The novel, Beowulf, intertwines and twists many different motifs within its story. These include monsters, weapons, and feasting. One motif, storytelling, is woven throughout the tale, and has an essential role in Beowulf. With little or no access to the written word, storytelling was the ideal way to spread ideas for public consumption. Oral tales provide a view into Anglo Saxon beliefs, how their monarchy functioned, and their socio-political structure.

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Meghana Sunder Mr. Wachtor English 12 31 August 2015 Beowulf Character Analysis In the poem Beowulf, we see the Anglo-Saxon hero. It is an epic of a hero who embodies the honor of the Anglo-Saxon culture and tradition. The poem in itself is an elegant script of Anglo-Saxon times. Composed in 8th or 9th century the epic was passed down from generation to generation orally and has no known author.

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In Beowulf, an English epic poem that tells of the tell of the incredible warrior Beowulf, Anglo-Saxons values of the time period are displayed. Loyalty, bravery, and honesty are three of the most important values

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Finally, throughout the whole poem, Beowulf has Gods or supernatural beings that take part in the action to affect the outcome. Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, the dragon, the serpentine creatures, and the sea monsters that Beowulf fought in the past have all affected the outcome of the

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Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength. In the poem, Beowulf displays courage. “Now, I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat” (Heaney 425-426). This quote shows courage because he’s telling them that he can fight Grendel and wants to weather he wins or loses.

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The epic poem “Beowulf”, translated by Burton Raffel, focuses on a hero by the name of Beowulf who goes on a quest to rescue King Hrothgar and his people from an egregious monster by the name of Grendel. This Anglo-Saxon tale gives insight into the values and beliefs of the people from whom the story originated. Their war-centered ideology and views on loyalty and courage were the principles that the Anglo-Saxon culture was founded upon. While warfare was a focal point in their lifestyle, it was far from a savage, barbaric state of fighting. Honor and prestige were bestowed upon those who died during battle and selflessness for fellow warriors was a fundamental belief.

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The Anglo-Saxons were a complicated people with an even more complicated society but they are nonetheless a very interesting people’s. Beowulf swiftly implied since the beginning that “courage” is the ultimate form of “greatness”(“shmoop”). Bravery and heroism comes first in the Anglo-Saxon culture because they used it to prove how worthy they were of power and if they didn’t show it they feared that they would be punished or shunned this can be shown when I Beowulf it is stated that “ Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked.” Beowulf shows courage and bravery when he fights Grendel by ripping Grendel

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Very little is known about the epic poem Beowulf besides that the story was told during the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically between the years 500-1100. The author is unknown, due to the fact that the story was originally told verbally and not documented until much later. Like many stories told throughout the ages, Beowulf consists of many archetypes. An archetype is a recurring symbol found in literature, such as the Hero archetype. In this epic poem, the hero, Beowulf, travels from his homeland to Denmark to save a kingdom from an awful beast that has been attacking men late at night for over twelve years.

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The epic poem, Beowulf was influenced by Anglo-Saxon cultural beliefs. Beowulf is the longest, and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The setting of the epic is the sixth century in what is now known as Denmark and southwestern Sweden. This poem strengthens the Heroic Code. This code was derived from the Anglos-Saxons’ Germanic roots and was a basis for Anglo-Saxon honor.

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1718 Words | 7 Pages

Though it is fiction, readers can comprehend Anglo-Saxon thoughts and their concepts of heroism, life and death. Anglo-Saxon culture valued strength, honor, courage, loyalty, and fearlessness. Beowulf was a hero because he was strong, loyal, brave, honorable, and fearless. He wanted to be remembered beyond the years of his life. These values in heroes has not disappeared like its culture.

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