Krish Sakaleshpura Stephanie Knapp Honors British Literature 16 October 2024 Beowulf in the Angelo-Saxon Society The story of Beowulf dates back to somewhere between the 8th and 11th century. A poem that reveals the bravery and leadership within one man, Beowulf. A man who takes on any challenge, battles, and fights for the wellbeing of others. Throughout the poem, according to the Angelo-Saxon Society, Beowulf also shows compassion, sacrifice, loyalty, leadership, and courage. Beowulf exemplifies fearlessness, heroism, honor, morals, and courage in Anglo-Saxon society, thus illustrating a sense of security and enduring inspiration to many people. What is the Society of the Angelo-Saxons? Tracing their history to the fifth century, when tribes …show more content…
So, who are these characters? The protagonist of the tale, Beowulf, is the name of the poem and is undoubtedly its most significant figure. He has accomplished many noble things. Beowulf is renowned for his combat, fidelity, bravery, and desire for notoriety. Beowulf is said to view King Hrother, the Dane monarch, as a father figure. Beowulf succeeds in his ambition to be king, just like King Horner is. Because Beowulf assists Hrother in killing Grendel in retaliation for what he caused to Hrother's village, Hrother plays a crucial role in the narrative. God has cursed Grendel, a monster, as a demon for killing Abel, Adam and Eve's first son. Grendel is thought to be the child of Cain, the first man to kill anyone. In addition to fighting Grendel, Beowulf also got to battle his mother, who was furious that Beowulf had beheaded her son. Her purpose of challenging Beowulf to a battle to avenge her son's death was a highly human decision, despite the fact that her acts and persona reflect relatively few aspects of human nature. Like Grendel and Grendel's mother, Beowulf's bouts with The Dragon are highly significant to the narrative. Once the dragon proved he had no benign intentions, Beowulf battled it to protect his people. One of the most important aspects of Beowulf's life is when his uncle Hygelac welcomes back his nephew after he has traveled to Denmark to assist King Horner …show more content…
He certainly wants to leave a legacy after death, but it could be something more. Could it be that he is doing it out of kindness of heart? Could be possible, however he has made it clear before each battle that he is prepared to die at any time, so he understands the consequences before engaging in his perhaps final combat. Throughout the story, Beowulf demonstrates tremendous acts of selflessness. After every fight, Beowulf receives a gift or something to remember the fight by, such as Grendel's head. After the encounter with Grendel, he was also granted a large reward by King Hrothger, who admired Beowulf's labor. Because of this, and in order to avenge his staff, Hrothger awarded him with an extraordinarily precious prize. Instead of retaining everything for himself, he distributed many of the gems and other treasures to his warriors who assisted him in winning the fight, before giving the majority of the treasure to his king. He did this in the hopes that it would enhance his reputation and demonstrate to the people of his kingdom that he is unselfish, brave, and humble. Beowulf believed in fairness and equal fighting, and as a result, he did what most people would consider foolish. While fighting Grendel and Grendel's mother, he observed that they were not armed. Instead of taking advantage of the easy victory, he felt it was best to lay down his weapons and fight with his bare hands. It worked; he killed both Grendel and his