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Comparing Beowulf To Modern Society

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Beowulf, an epic poem written in the sixth century, addresses modern problems that society faces today. Beowulf centers around a hero who saved the Anglo-Saxon community when a monster threatens their community. The community is threat by a creature for many years until Beowulf interferes and kills the monster. Eventually, the creature's mother comes for revenge, and in the end the creature's mother dies and so does Beowulf. Throughout the poem there are parallels to the current society from Anglo-Saxon culture in the modern society. In the poem is the elements that can make the reader connect the poem to modern society. The poem addresses the questions of the military system and the problems of monsters in modern day society. The …show more content…

The epic poem follows Beowulf's heroic journey of saving people from Grendel and Grendel's mother. The poem points out military system and the hospitality that goes along with it. Beowulf aids Hrothgar's kingdom against Grendel when he did not belong to that kingdom. Beowulf's hospitality correlates to America's military assisting allies against their enemies. A question that is addressed in Beowulf is how long does one remain loyal to an ally? America has lost thousands of men and women in the Middle East assisting our allies. Beowulf lost a few men against Grendel and Grendel's mother. No matter how many people are lost, loyalty remains in both cases. From Beowulf loyalty is a key element in the Anglo-Saxon culture and is proven that people rely on each other. Also, Beowulf identify the problem of recognizing the bad guy or the monster. In the poem, Grendel is the monster from the viewpoint of the Anglo-Saxon. On the other hand, Grendel views the Anglo-Saxon as the monster for throwing events and being the cause of Grendel's angry. Americans identifies monsters as terrorists and muslims. But, Americans do not realize that terrorists and muslims are not the only monsters in society. Americans forget that some monsters are Americans. In the end Beowulf covers modern society topics even though the poem was written in the sixth

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I have to admit that I first didn’t like reading Beowulf, the language and poem structure made it a little difficult for me. It wasn’t until I began working on this journal that I began to appreciate the poem, the author, and the many angles that can be discussed about this literary piece. Subjects like religion, timeline, and the author’s reason for writing Beowulf has made me become more interested about the story. How are the themes of the story observed in life and society today?

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Beowulf is an epic hero who fights for justice and honor making him the epitome of the civilized in the poem. There is an obvious divide between the high class Europeans

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Many problems and questions found in Beowulf can relate to modern times. The punishments aren't as brutal. We don't have dragons in today's time. Beowulf showcases good versus evil, which we still see everyday. There are many differences, but at the same time there are many similarities.

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In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king.

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Throughout the epic poem Beowulf, the battle between good and bad is clearly represented. There are several fights between men, the good, and nastily depicted monsters, the bad. Beowulf is portrayed as a hero for slaying beasts and saving communities from destruction. The monsters are described by words commonly associated with a negative connotation. For example, Grendel, the beast who lived in the Lake of Monsters, was labeled a demon even though it was never clearly stated whether or not he had any direct association with the devil.

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Beowulf is a heroic, Anglo-Saxon poem that takes place in the 6th century. It is believed that the poem was not manuscripted until 1000 AD. The poem originally had no title but was later named after a warrior from Scandinavia. A brave sailor who arrived to herot as the hero to all, and fought for nothing but glory, even though he seeks fame as well. By fighting the monsters that are frightening Hrothgar, the king, and his thanes, Beowulf's reputation grows.

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Loyalty, one of the main themes throughout Beowulf, is an important aspect of the Germanic culture. Loyalty in the Heroic Code is a bond between the king and his warriors; loyalty to the king is first above all, even family in this text. If the warriors lack the loyalty for their king, the urge to protect their king and tribe is diminished. Beowulf’s king, Hygelac, gave him permission to help the Danish king and his people. Beowulf exerts his loyalty to Hrothgar by protecting the king’s people, and killing Grendel.

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Literary Analysis Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving texts that is written in Old English, which was written between 700-1000. The story is an epic narrative that requires a hero on a quest, it is usually good or evil. Beowulf, the main character, represents an Anglo-Saxon lifestyle through four elements: bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship. As Beowulf enters into the city of Herot, he has accepted his challenge to compete with the ferocious, human-eating monster, Grendel. As he approaches Hrothgar, he explains what he has been informed of Grendel and how he will prepare himself to battle with him.

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Society has a need to know that good will triumph over evil and that the world will be set right again. Beowulf is just one of many tales to reassure that there is a higher power keeping score and that injustice doesn’t go

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From Oral To Epic The “mother poem” of England is Beowulf, an epic from around 449 A.D. in which a mighty Geat warrior embarks on a journey to the land of the Danes to defeat an evil creature. The people saved from monsters by Beowulf glorify their hero and his superior strength, ethical values, and braggatry. Beowulf has many themes and teaches the readers life lessons; such as good versus evil, Christianity versus paganism, and that it pays to be loyal to good people. Beowulf also teaches the readers about the Anglo-Saxon lifestyle of warfare, loyalty, and poetry.

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These nations were all founded by Anglo-Saxons and while they shared languages, religions, and culture, they were constantly at war with each other, as all Anglo-Saxon warriors must embody possibly the most important of the Anglo-Saxon values, loyalty. Warriors must be absolutely loyal to their own kings and must fight to protect him and the kingdom even at the cost of their own life. In Beowulf, both loyalty and lack of loyalty are displayed. Beowulf's loyalty is shown when he asks his king, Hygelac, if he could be allowed to help King Hrothgar defeat the monster Grendel, who had been attacking Hrothgar's kingdom for the past 12 years. His victory over Grendel added greatly to his reputation as a warrior, and he had earned the respect of Hrothgar, but Beowulf remained loyal and returned to his king.

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He did travel across the sea to kill a demon and then the demon’s mother for what seemed to be good will. Beowulf even states he is helping Hrothgar since he had helped Beowulf’s father in the past and Beowulf is returning the favor. Yet, Beowulf is still acting on his pride. He wants to defeat Grendel being that no one has been able to in the past and killing the monster for the Danes would surely bring him more honor and treasures. Beowulf never says that is why he is helping Hrothgar, but the context in which Beowulf says why he is there would suggest he cares more about glory than loyalty like he originally said.

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821 Words | 4 Pages

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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As he ages, Beowulf defends his people with the same intent as the former king and displays the same heroism that is apparent in the United States military. Heorot, a dining hall that provides Hrothgar’s people place

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Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that as one of the most interesting or important books in Anglo-Saxon literature. The poem is set in Sweden. It informs the reader about a hero who defeats numerous monsters, although the characters were somewhat based on real people. Some researchers did a search in Scandinavia, about artificial discovery from the poem that might have been true. The writer of Beowulf is a mystery, but all Anglo-Saxon authors are.

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