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How Is Beowulf Relevant Today

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Even though Beowulf is an ancient epic poem that was written thousands of years ago, it has still remained very well-known and relevant in today's world. It tells the story of a heroic Geatish prince named Beowulf who repeatedly risked his life in order to save the people of Denmark and Sweden from being tormented by malicious monsters. The story of Beowulf reflects the Germanic and Norse traditions, where the warrior culture was viewed as common and an extremely prominent part of the Germanic and Norse people's lives. The Norsemen were not only known for being passionate warriors, but were also attributed with sharing the other aspects of their culture with the various places that they attacked. Beowulf gave the Norsemen a way to be able to
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1676 Words | 7 Pages

With ancient understandings and tales in the early times, Beowulf sings of times long forgotten, the times where the only tombs men sought was the battlefield, and their legacies, glory from the most extraordinary of feats. Eras filled with monsters, demons and selfless devotion towards the Glory of God. Even the flamboyant stories from the early centuries, still ring with connections to our world today, that our

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684 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf, the epic tale of a Danish society plagued by evil beasts, reveals many thought-provoking and admirable character traits of the main character and hero, Beowulf. Firstly, he shows chivalry through his interactions and actions towards the king of Heorot, showing him the respect and honor he deserved. Secondly, he demonstrates bravery in all battles above and beyond the standard of the times and the standard of his fellow fighters. He owes his bravery in part to his seemingly immeasurable strength, having more power in each fist than that of thirty men. Lastly, he demonstrates a trait that applies to people for his time and ours, pride.

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455 Words | 2 Pages

Beowulf and Archilles are two kings. Beowulf, I find, is a good ruler, unlike Archilles. They both like doing something heroic alone just to get the fame for it, but they’re both really different from each other. I believe Beowulf is a better fit for modern times.

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516 Words | 3 Pages

There have been epic stories about saints and fearless pioneers who bring down shrewdness and convey peace to the general population in which they reside, Beowulf follows this traditional concept. The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most essential work of Old English writing. The epic recounts the account of a saint, a sovereign named Beowulf, who frees the Danes of the beast Grendel and recounts his brave demonstrations battling Grendel 's mom. All through the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller utilizes numerous components to construct profundity to the characters. Only a couple of the essential character components in Beowulf are Wealth and Honor, Biblical, and Man versus Wild topics.

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549 Words | 3 Pages

There have been many stories about many different heroes and their different power. In this story the hero's name is Beowulf. The great warrior was called about to come to Geatland and help its people because of a hideous monster that’s killing them all. Through this brilliant story Beowulf shows many attributes to being a real hero. He’s extremely courageous and fearless.

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679 Words | 3 Pages

Now and Then A hero is one that shows great courage, responsibility, and wisdom. As society ages, so does its morals and beliefs. The standards of a hero, for instance. The first written story in English, Beowulf, which written in the 6th century is an appropriate example. Beowulf was your typical hero: a large, muscular male that could virtually do anything with his superhuman abilities.

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589 Words | 3 Pages

The epic poem Beowulf was a story told in the anglo saxon time period. A time when people believed in dragons, monsters, and curses. Many stories told by people of this time talked about the good and evil forces there are in the world and what happens when they collide in battle. The hero in this story has sailed from his home to fight this evil being named Grendel, a monster that has become a nuisance in Herot.

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341 Words | 2 Pages

Beowulf was a strong hero based on glory. “Beowulf celebrates warrior culture and deeds requiring great strength and courage” (page 36). Defeating Grendel, the monster terrorizing the Danes, took great strength and courage. He was a huge monster who killed many; however, Beowulf was not afraid. He didn’t even use a weapon, yet easily destroyed Grendel and more.

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959 Words | 4 Pages

In the great epic, Beowulf, an unknown poet describes Beowulf as an invincible hero with the amazing strength stronger than any human ever, but does having the traits of an incredible warrior, make him a great king? A great king is loyal, generous, reliable and should be able to realize what he needs to do to make sure his people are safe. Beowulf is brave, strong, and extremely confident in his combat abilities, but Beowulf does not think about the possible effects of his actions. Beowulf cares about his fame, fortune, and legacy, but he often makes rushed decisions that risk his life and could potentially leave his people powerless and unprotected. During Beowulf’s transformation from thane to king, he has always had more of a warrior’s mindset,

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760 Words | 4 Pages

Anglo-Saxon was a tribe of both the Anglos and Saxons that came together to settle in Great Britain. During the settlement of the Anglo-Saxons, they began to combine different words and languages that were left by invaders from other countries that had soon impacted our English language that we know today. This group of people contained their own culture that is quite similar to our cultures today. Even though our English language is very similar to one another’s, their value systems and perspectives of the world were viewed differently than ours in today’s time. In the Anglo-Saxon world view they valued fame, courage, religion, and their fate.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable

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988 Words | 4 Pages

Beowulf took place in the sixth century, in times where “rank and ceremony, human solidarity and culture” were key components of social culture. Glory also played a huge role: “veterans with their tales of warrior-kings and hero-saviours from the past [rubbed] shoulders with young braves,” influencing the latter to strive for greatness (Heaney). Heroism and sacrifice are part of what “gave drive and sanction to the Germanic warrior-culture enshrined in Beowulf” (Heaney). Christianity played a large part in both Germanic society and the poem Beowulf.

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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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1151 Words | 5 Pages

Literature has maintained a strong influence on society and its perceptions of heroes for centuries. In consequence, the time period in which a literary work is written reveals much about that society’s ideal. For example, the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, illustrates the deeds of a heroic knight and reflects the values of his community. Throughout the poem, Beowulf displays commendable behavior by saving another kingdom, defeating three villains, and maintaining allegiance to the lord and his people. Even though a millennium has passed since the release of this epic, heroes today display characteristics similar to those of Beowulf.

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1363 Words | 6 Pages

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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