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Archetypes In Beowulf

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Beowulf, the story that has traveled through the ages. Originally as an epic adventure told by storytellers instead of being read through the pages of a book, but was finally put onto paper around 1000 ad, but the exact details are unknown. Many years after it was put onto paper, Beowulf was translated into modern English in 1837 by John Mitchell Kemble. This epic tale is an extraordinary adventure symbolizing heroism, strength, and loyalty, with character traits that are pertinent to this day. As we delve into the background of Beowulf, we discover something a little peculiar. Most stories have a basis in one religion or another, giving the story a moral base, which makes Beowulf rather unusual. Uniquely, in Beowulf, we see a religious affiliation with not only Paganism but in Christianity as well. All of these elements, along with lovable characters, is probably why Beowulf is considered an undying classic. The story of Beowulf was formed in a time where Paganism was the dominant religion, and the story of Beowulf …show more content…

This larger than life archetype demonstrates many heroic qualities throughout the tale, characteristics we should strive for in life. One character trait that is shown in the story, but mainly through another character, was loyalty. Wiglaf shows not only loyalty, but undying courage as he rushes into the cave to help Beowulf defeat the deadly dragon, even after everyone else fled in fear of their life. To be loyal sometimes requires you to think of others before yourself and put their needs first. Wiglaf could have very well died, but still, he chose to stay by Beowulf’s side and fight. In the end, Wiglaf was greatly rewarded not only in title but in riches as well. Loyalty may not always result in becoming a ruler and getting mounds of gold, but it may result in long-lasting relationships, and in life relationships are one of the most precious things a person can

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The archetype of hero is a literary character that is all-round good. He or she will save other people, do the right thing, protect that is good and they will fight any monster that comes to his or her way. They are one of the basic paradigms in tales and mythology from across the world, but especially in European culture. For example, the hero archetype starts from Achilles until Beowulf via superheros such as Superman and other 1980s action

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The use of archetypes in literature has a rich history, and the epic poem "Beowulf" is a testament to this tradition. One of the most notable archetypes found in the poem is the Quest archetype, which is a journey taken by the hero in search of something valuable. In "Beowulf," the Quest archetype is used to develop the theme of heroism and the struggle between good and evil. Showed throughout the quest with the decendent’s of cain.

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Mythological or Archetypal philosophy has been around for centuries and is used across numerous cultures. Carl Jung, a close colleague of Sigmund Freud, defined the word archetype as “a figure...that repeats itself in the course of history wherever creative fantasy is fully manifested.” Archetypes can come in various forms: characters, images, and situations. Though many different forms of archetypes appear in the tale of Beowulf, specifically, the archetypal character roles of the hero and the outcast are major aspects of the story. The role of the hero is a popularly recognizable element of many stories.

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Beowulf is an epic story that relates well to the time that it was presented by having the stories of the epic fights and the thrashings of beasts that kept everybody engaged amid this time. Beowulf presents its audience with extremely intriguing characters, topics, and images that help show us lessons that are particularly required in today 's general public. Beowulf shows us strength through the various characters, for example, Beowulf himself that are consistent with his pledge and fearless, and it likewise indicates us images that give a picture of God and the trust that he conveys to the general population that demonstrate his strength. A considerable

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Sir Gawain and Beowulf: An Analysis of Culture Values Through Archetypes In literature, heroes or protagonists tend to mirror their cultural beliefs and values. Through the protagonist’s actions and decisions, the reader may recognize both the concerns and ideals of the hero’s culture. As heroes experience various trials and tribulations, the reader gains wisdom alongside them, building upon cultural ideals for proper behavior, attitude, and societal obligations.

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An archetype refers to a recurring symbol in art, and literature. It can display a hero, villain, warrior, a mentor, and so on. These figures are those whose actions are able to continuously affect our emotional connection to a piece of literature. In Beowulf, there can be found to be many types of archetypes, such as Grendel representing the devil per say, and Hrothgar being a mentor for Beowulf. The one I believe that everyone enjoys the most is the hero, who is Beowulf.

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“Beowulf” is an old English heroic poem written in the Anglo-Saxon Era. While the battles of Beowulf were mesmerizing, the concept of defending the civilians throughout the whole poem was self- evident. Even so, the poem contains many types of archetypes; situational, character and symbolic. Beowulf hears the monstrous acts of Grendel and sets forward towards a quest to conquer the wild beast.

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The Perception of Heroic Qualities Stories of great heroes have come and gone, but patterns have remained. These patterns are called archetypes, that can manifest themselves in different ways. The main reason that archetypes keep occurring in a hero’s journey is through the darwinism and evolution of literature. In the beginning, not all stories were written down. For a story to be put in writing it had to be great.

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We will explore their different religion settings of the time, and their thoughts on the afterlife. Beowulf was written in Old English based on the time period of around 500 A.D. This is a time when Christianity is emerging and growing without religious struggle. Even with

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When going into war you want the best men, you want the meanest and toughest guys, you want the men that won’t give up no matter how bad or one sided things may get. For Beowulf, Wiglaf was that man, he fought with great heart and tons of passion. He had Beowulf’s back and Beowulf had his, they counted on one another when times of war got tough. Wiglaf was the only man out of many to help Beowulf defeat the dragon, proving to Beowulf that he was a good successor. Wiglaf was no doubt our favorite character other than Beowulf for many reasons in our eyes this man was just a great as Beowulf, because just because he wasn’t the leader or warrior that Beowulf was but the reason we think he is so great is because his heart is so big, and

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His loyalty shows when he tries to inspire his fellow warriors to help Beowulf. “I remember that time when mead was flowing, how we pledged our loyalty to our lord in the hall… now the day has come when this lord we serve needs sound men.” (Beowulf 764). Wiglaf’s willingness to give his life for another shines though when Beowulf attempts to kill a dragon but seems to be losing the fight. Wiglaf in an attempt to inspire his men exclaims “As God as my witness I would rather my body were robbed in the same burning blaze as my gold-giver’s body than go back home bearing arms.”

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Beowulf is a story that has a lot of interesting facts and history behind the story than what it tells you in the poem. The story of Beowulf began to spread in this world before it was even written on paper. People may believe that the story that they read now is not the same story as it was once told because of this reason. For this reason, story of Beowulf is commonly caught in confusion on whether it is Christian or Pagan based. Even if the poem is based on one religion or the other, the reader can still have enjoy the poem due to its action packed battles.

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Beowulf is the oldest known poem written in Old English. The author was an Anglo-Saxon poet. The original poem was edited by Christian Monks. The latest found version was translated by Seamus Heaney. Like many other works of literature, Beowulf follows the mythological/ archetypal Hero Quest.

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Because of its complicated origin, Beowulf has elements of both pagan Germanic culture and Christianity. The story of Beowulf probably originated as an oral tradition sometime in the 7th century. But the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf was written in the 11th century by Christian scribes, who either inserted the Christian overtones to the story, or were working from a manuscript set down by previous Christians who added the Christian elements. Suffice it to say that the resulting Beowulf is like a pagan story wrapped in Christianity. This results in some strange inconsistencies.

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Beowulf uses the sword to fulfill his second task of the story, which essentially saves his life but would have been useless if not for his persistence and strength. Additionally, character archetypes are also very present in Beowulf. The archetypes present help depict what kind of character Beowulf is, and establish his leadership skills over his men. In the story, Beowulf is a Hero, and he is accompanied by his Loyal Retainers, who will do anything to protect Beowulf and stay by his side in

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