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The Epic Poem 'Beowulf'

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Recommended: Analysis of beowulf by burton raffel

This will be about Tthe epic poem “Beowulf” is by an unknown author. The poem Beowulf is about a hero killing several people/beast because he thought he was the strongest man. This is going to be about lof, comitatus, and wyrd and how they are important to Beowulf 's culture. First is lof, lof is important to Beowulf because Beowulf likes fame and considers himself to be the strongest man alive. A quote to support lof would be “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth” (Raffel). This quote was saying that Beowulf was the strongest man and he was giving them examples of blue he knew he was the strongest man. Another quote would be “My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster” (Raffel). This quote is saying that he fights with only his hands. Part of Beowulf’s culture is lof and that means’ fame which Beowulf loves to think that he’s the strongest. …show more content…

A quote from Beowulf would be “So the Geat people, his hearth companions, sorrows for the lord who had been laid low” (Raffel). His quote is saying that the Geat people were loyal to Beowulf when he died and they supported his people. Another quote would be “I remember that time when mead was flowing, how we pledged loyalty to our lord in the hall, promised our ring-giver we would be worth our price” (Raffel). This quote is saying that they have all their loyalty to Beowulf. Comitatus was important to Beowulf because he loved having loyalty from

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Hrothgar mentions that, "what [Beowulf has] done is to draw to peoples,/ the Geat nation and [them the] neighbouring Danes,/ into shared peace and a pact of friendship/ in spite of hatreds we have harboured in the past" (1855-1858). In that statement, Hrothgar is stating that Beowulf would be the right person to be a king for the Geats. It shows that Beowulf follows the ethics of king when he decides to makes peace with another nation when they had conflict. Also, he even states that Beowulf is "a protector of his people, pledged to uphold/ truth and justice and to respect tradition. . . in a things you are even-tempered,/ prudent and resolute" (1700-1706).

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Beloved Beowulf…” Pg81, King Hrothgar to Beowulf These two quotes are essential to the story of Beowulf, as it describes Beowulf’s sincere character, his valor and loyalty to those he meets. The quotes above carry themselves throughout the story, as our protagonist proves again and again that his good nature, and incorruptible character is faithful to the end. Beowulf retained that personality, while still remaining a noble warrior in the battlefield, slaying hundreds upon hundreds of those who threaten his homeland. And when the dragon awoke from his slumber among riches, and terrorized people of Beowulf’s land with torrents of dragon fire, Beowulf took it upon himself to end the dragon where it stood, instead of having further

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1250 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights three different monsters and in each of these situations he chooses to begin the fight without their help. He enters into combat with his men by his side, but when the actual fighting begins he defeats the monsters with very little help from them. Beowulf’s strength and physical prowess was unlike any other man in comparison to his height and incredible grip. Furthermore, Beowulf can be categorized as an outcast based on his personality traits. The main character is set apart from the other warriors because of his courage and humility.

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687 Words | 3 Pages

1. How does Beowulf character compare with other heroes you know about? When compared against modern heroes, Beowulf comes off as a more of a rugged dirty character. When looking at heroes such as Captain America or Luke Skywalker, both of these characters are never pictured as dirty. Captain America, also known as Steve Rogers, is always pictured as clean and his suit never dirty, same thing with Luke Skywalker.

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Demonstrated in lines 197-203, Beowulf (the hero of the Anglo-Saxon period) is described as the “mightiest” man on Earth; he is also considered “highborn” and “powerful.” These are some of the necessary traits a hero needs to the Anglo-Saxons. Also, this hero must be a generous person; when the honorable Hrothgar needs a protector

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976 Words | 4 Pages

This quote specifically explains the scene where Beowulf takes down the demon Grendel with his incredible strength. Imagery of Beowulf clamping down on Grendel's arm and wrestling him as he joint-locks the demon occurs. C. Beowulf also proves his strength even when there is no physical task to be accomplished. 1. Beowulf once said, "Well, friend Unferth, you have had your say about Breca and me.

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The description of the hero Beowulf help the reader imagine the savior that faces evil. For example “ The grey bearded lord of the Geats ended those flying burning raids forever” (pg 68 lines 792-794). The imagery in this quote shows the great king old but still very brave. he is showing that his pride and fame will overwhelm even the fact that he is not as strong and young as he used to 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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532 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf attempted to comfort Hrothgar and the warriors by exclaiming, “Let your sorrow end! It is better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever”. He then aims to convince Hrothgar that “for the glory of his name, fame after death is the noblest of goals”. Beowulf believes it is worth dying for a good

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451 Words | 2 Pages

Beowulf is an archetypal character within a legendary piece of text. He embodies the conglomerate of many Anglo Saxon values expressed throughout his heroic journey. Contrived by the mighty Northern Anglo Saxons, Beowulf is the manifestation of the Anglo Saxon ideals. This work of art helps us identify and analyze Beowulf’s ideals in a way that lets us deduce the values of the Anglo Saxon society. Examination of this poem lets us familiarize ourselves about a society obsessed with religion, vengeance and war-lust beings.

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526 Words | 3 Pages

In Beowulf, an English epic poem that tells of the tell of the incredible warrior Beowulf, Anglo-Saxons values of the time period are displayed. Loyalty, bravery, and honesty are three of the most important values

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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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668 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf, the epic Anglo-Saxon Poem teaches about the three motivations of Beowulf; a warrior's duty, the essentialness of trophies, and the understanding that one needs to be glorious. In the great epic, Beowulf is faced with many great challenges that he is not so willing to do, but he must do them because of the duty he feels. Duty can be defined as, “it is also used… to designate

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503 Words | 3 Pages

A hero's journey is a pattern of narrative identities that appears in many dramas, storytellings, myths, and psychological development. The journey consist of twelve different steps and in the story Beowulf we read about the magnificent and rough journey that Beowulf and this men accomplish. Many people question if Beowulf is considered a hero and if what he did was good. The journey that he embarked on, leads me to believe that Beowulf is a hero and always will be. The first step in the hero's journey is called the “call to adventure” this is when something is disturbed from external pressure of from inner conflict.

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