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Examples Of Christianity In Beowulf

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In the great epic Beowulf, written by an unknown author in around 1000 AD, the main character, Beowulf, is portrayed as a Christ-like figure. While reading the story of Beowulf, I picked up on some of his qualities, which reminded me of Jesus Christ. Two of the qualities that particularly stuck out to me while reading this novel was Beowulf’s heroic reputation, and his urge to conquer and accomplish everything that comes his way.

When the reader is first introduced to Beowulf they may notice the Christ-like qualities shown through his actions, victories, and his personality. Beowulf was very well respected and loved, just as Jesus was. To most, Beowulf was a hero and was worshiped for his defeats. These similarities are evident just as the novel opens up, and all throughout the story as well. One particular line stuck out to me while comparing Beowulf to Jesus, “ Hell’s captive caught in the arms of him who of all men on Earth was the strongest (Cantos11, 225-230)”. That line in Beowulf is a perfect example of how highly the people of Geatland view Beowulf, and how Beowulf can be compared to Jesus. Here, the author is describing Beowulf as the strongest man on Earth, something that we Christians believe Jesus is and always has been. …show more content…

When looking up the definition of Jesus I came across much abroad answers, but one website linked perfectly the definition of a hero, Beowulf, to the definition of Christ. On one of this websites pages it says “Jesus never possessed a spirit of fear. His faith was so strong that it allowed Him to willfully submit to the plan of God( beliefnet 3)”. This quote caught my attention, because it made me think of the ending of Beowulf. Beowulf never showed fear towards a battle, and always accepted the challenge. He was always so confident, and always accepted whatever was thrown his

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Both of these men have a different story of their own and we will be talking about what they have in common. Beowulf is a story full of heroic traits and attributes such as sacrifice because Beowulf was willing to sacrifice himself to help save people that weren't even his own. Beowulf showed characteristics of a true and valiant hero by helping Hrothgar and his people defeat the monster Grendel. Religion wise Beowulf is seemed to believe in one god, who we assume to be the true God that christians believe

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1-C To many, both Beowulf and Jesus are heroes. In the story of Beowulf, Beowulf risks his life for others the same way Jesus did for our sins. He puts his life on the line just to kill a demon and save other people.

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Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be

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In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.

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Leader for the People Beowulf is a strong leader in “Beowulf”, a poem written by an anonymous Christian, and is seen to be a hero in the face of the Danes. There is a lot of controversy on the topic of whether Beowulf is a hero or not; however, I believe the answer is quite evident. Unlike a character such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf does not look death in the face just to boost his ego, he fights for the safety of his people. Beowulf is considered as a selfless hero due to his confidence, his lack of a fear of death, his exemplary actions, and his attitude towards the final outcome of his battles.

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The Christian influence in Beowulf’s epic adds certain meaning and connotations for the events that are happening within the story. Without it, many implications written would hold no meaning, and instead appear to be completely random and without any reason. In Beowulf’s fight against Grendel’s mother, Beowulf managed to survive a fatal blow due to miracles created by God (Seamus, pg 107). If Christianity is taken out and God is removed from the story, Beowulf’s survival would’ve been very unlikely or he was truly lucky. A moment after, however, Beowulf stumbled upon a lucky encounter once again; a godsend sword that is able to slay Grendel’s mother was just hanging around the cave walls (pg. 107-108).

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Beowulf is a Christ-like figure because of his selfless leadership to protect others, not for himself. Beowulf is seen as a Christ-like figure because he is unearthly . Jesus and Beowulf are leaders who make loving decisions and

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Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”

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“Throughout the epic narrative, the emphasis is placed on the solitary nature of the hero’s task. Beowulf appears to live and fight alone” (Fisher). He became the savior of the Danes and the Geats because he saved the people from great

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Before each battle, Beowulf makes it clear that he is not afraid of the outcome of his fight. Whether he comes out as the victor or perishes, Beowulf knows that he is not the one in control, nor is his enemy. Instead, before his battle with Grendel, Beowulf announces that “it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend. Whichever one death fells must deem it a judgment by God” (31) and asks that “the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side He sees fit” (47). Beowulf then braves the battle, knowing that God will be the one to either protect him and lead him to victory, or let him die by the hand of the other.

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I believe that Beowulf can be seen as a Christ figure throughout the epic of Beowulf. He shares many characteristics with Jesus. He faces a devil figure, sacrifices himself, and is recognized as a savior by his people. Beowulf to the Danes is a savior, taking away the fear that Grendel will kill all of Hrothgar’s people. In the Christian sense Jesus Christ is a savior to all Christians.

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Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.

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