Hrunting Essays

  • Epic Of Beowulf Essay: The Dishonoring Warrior

    960 Words  | 4 Pages

    Furthermore, as Beowulf left the Hrunting sword behind and did not return it back to its owner, the text suggests that Beowulf carried it without preserving its integrity as promised. In addition, Beowulf saw a “victorious blade,/ ancient giant-sword strong in its edges,/ worthy in battles;

  • Character Analysis Of Beowulf

    1447 Words  | 6 Pages

    When one visualizes the word “hero”, often images of hulking, muscled people in military uniforms, fireman carrying children from burning houses, or police officers arresting dangerous criminals come to mind. Most heroes are commonly described as handsome and strong, almost as if they look like a God; and because of that, some are even treated as if they are royalty. Young people may imagine a highly-skilled, famous athlete or a good-looking movie star. However, a true hero is more often defined

  • Beowulf Theme Essay

    1015 Words  | 5 Pages

    The ideas of battle and victory are recurring themes in the epic Beowulf. The main character and hero, Beowulf, demonstrates his generous and courageous attitude in three different situations of conflict. Each scenario represents the strength, bravery, and in some cases, the sense of defeat that he felt. The beginning of the story introduces the Danes and the trouble and terror they are experiencing. As the evil demon, Grendel, goes about preying on the people in the kingdom that belonged to king

  • Beowulf: The True Characteristics Of An Epic Hero

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    The epic poem, Beowulf is about a hero who comes to the aid of King Hrothgar. Hrothgar’s Mead Hall was being destroyed by a demon that lurked the boundaries of the small town. Beowulf hears the news and comes to try to defeat the demon. He performs this admirable deed because he wanted to achieve immortality by being a hero. He fought the monsters with his bare hands. He had the true characteristics of a hero, strength, bravery, and courage. Nobody would dare do the things Beowulf attempted in his

  • How Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

    581 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bravery was shown in this epic battle between the two. This time he brought weapons. This was a difficult fight for Beowulf. He loses his sword, but then sees a giant sword on the wall. It was Hrunting a famous old sword that hung on the walls of the cave. Beowulf said “, I shall shape the glory with Hrunting, or death will hurry me from this earth!” pg. 53 Grendel’s mother dies and then Beowulf discovers the head of Grendel about the cave, and takes it back to Hrothgar to show

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Beowulf

    673 Words  | 3 Pages

    is the better man and warrior because he would never do such a thing, and the Geats know for being a hero in his homeland. The second way we see honor in Beowulf is when Unferth gives Beowulf Hrunting, a sword for a worthy warriors: “And another item lent by Unferth / a rare and ancient sword named Hrunting” (1455,1458). Beowulf's acceptance of the sword shows honor because he is willing to do anything to help the Danes even if it means to bury the Hatchet with Unferth. Similarly one way honor today

  • Monomyth In Hero's Journey

    1018 Words  | 5 Pages

    To become a hero or heroine, one must participate in a process, or transformation, known as the Hero’s Journey. Mythologist Joseph Campbell found patterns in literature, better known as archetypes, concerning the monomyth, or a prevalent aspect in folklore. In other words, most stories are made of essentially the same elements, described as the monomyth. A common outline in tales involving a hero, the Hero’s Journey begins with escaping a dull world to enter the underworld. The traveler faces barriers

  • Beowulf: The Greatest And Epic Hero

    296 Words  | 2 Pages

    The greatest and epic hero Beowulf comes to Denmark to kill Grendel, who was attacking the herot only to find that he was only seeking attention. Beowulf is a thug because he only seeks fame, treasure, and glory. In his epic story, Beowulf is a warrior king who has proven to possess the battle-hardened personality of an epic conqueror. Yet, through acts of lethal skill and incredible bravery he has maintained a durable reputation and his sense of royal duty. Beowulf shows the magnitude of his bravery

  • Comparing The Hero, Myths And Legend Of The British Race

    303 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hero, Myths and Legend of the British Race Knight is a symbol of honor. In Britain, most of people are worship of the knight, just like a hero. In contrast, people are worship of the Buddha in China. Firstly, the book of Hero, Myths and Legend of the British Race, my favorite hero is Beowulf. Beowulf is the son of Ecgtheow, who wedded the daughter of the Geat King Hrethel. He was a lad of great stature and handsome appearance, with fair locks and gallant bearing; but he greatly disappointed

  • The Hero's Journey In Beowulf '

    338 Words  | 2 Pages

    father Ecgtheow, he chooses to journey to her realm which is under gloomy monster-infested waters and face her. Beowulf is a warrior who is bold, brave, and unafraid of challenges. In this grueling battle Beowulf comes close to perishing, as his sword Hrunting fails him. However he finds an ancient sword in the cave and uses it to kill her. He was setback by the loss of the sword but he prevailed and defeated the troll-dam. This fits with the Ordeal stage in the hero’s journey. Beowulf is faced with a

  • Beowulf Themes

    993 Words  | 4 Pages

    The epic poem Beowulf was written in Old English by an unknown author in England during the eighth or ninth century. It takes place in Scandinavia during the beginning of the sixth century and illustrates the idea of a traditional Anglo-Saxton hero. Beowulf is a god-like hero who courageously sets out to defeat the monster Grendel as a way to repay his father’s debt, and continues to increase his heroic status by defeating Grendel’s mother and the dragon. Reputation and a person’s lineage are themes

  • Beowulf's Strength

    369 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the poem of Beowulf his resources used and those close to him eventually only fail him in the end. At first in the poem Beowulf only relies on himself and his own strength he even goes as far as to take on the monster Grendel with his bare hands and without the protection of armor he fights him as an equal he is so sure of himself that he lets the monster attack him first while “sleeping” one could argue that Beowulf’s main source of strength is his belief in himself and those around him

  • Similarities Between The Hobbit And Beowulf

    904 Words  | 4 Pages

    stories claim, but once he kills Grendel and begins his hunt for Grendel’s mother, he realizes his words were wrong. He tries to apologize by lending Beowulf his own sword, Hrunting. Beowulf gladly accepts the sword and even states “‘to that far-famed man I bequeath my own / sharp-honed, wave-sheened wonder-blade. / With Hrunting I shall gain glory or die’” (1489-1491). Beowulf’s ability to accept Unferth’s apology instead of holding a grudge shows he is forgiving and humble about others. Thorin does

  • Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Luke Skywalker

    375 Words  | 2 Pages

    The epic poem Beowulf may be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English and it is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature. There are still heroes of Beowulf's basic type today. Some heroes in popular culture act basically like Beowulf even though they were created over a thousand years later, even though they may act very differently from Beowulf. In the movie, Stars Wars, Luke Skywalker has many similarities to Beowulf and their heroism. From the

  • Examples Of Monomyth In Beowulf

    438 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf, an ancient tale of a tragic hero, is an ideal example of adventurous journeys, unwavering bravery, and divine intervention. Stories such as these follow the precedented rules a hero will encounter on his journey, the monomyth cycle. This cycle is defined by three main stages, each stage consisting of several sub stages that serve as a guide to analyze the stories of mythological heroes. Beowulf fits the mold of a tragic hero as his actions and dilemmas are described in the monomyth cycle

  • Theme Of Symbolism In Beowulf

    1040 Words  | 5 Pages

    armor or weapons when he fights the beast. Later, in the second act of the story, Beowulf seeks out and faces off against Grendel’s mother. This time, Beowulf is fully equipped with chainmail armor and Unferth’s family sword, Hrunting. However, in the actual battle, Hrunting cannot even scratch the beast and Beowulf only survives because his armor saves his life and he then

  • Importance Of Weapons In Beowulf

    941 Words  | 4 Pages

    have killed him instantly (1503-1504). Beowulf then obtains the sword Hrunting from a coward named Unferth. Though the sword “had gone through many/ hand-to-hand fights… the fabulous powers of that heirloom failed” to harm his opponent (1524-1528). The sword is not powerful enough nor is it worthy of use by Beowulf, since it came from a man who is too cowardly to fight the monster himself. While Beowulf is unable to wield Hrunting, he uses another sword he finds during the battle to chop off the monster’s

  • Beowulf Essay

    979 Words  | 4 Pages

    Unferth, who “had forgotten all those taunts he flung when tipsy with wine,” he still has a desire to prove himself and secure his status as a hero to the Dane people (49). Unferth loans Beowulf Hrunting, a sword that has never failed in battle, as a gesture to Beowulf being the better warrior. Even though Hrunting breaks and fails Beowulf in battle, he is still successful at killing the hellish monster. Once Beowulf resurfaces, he does not have the profuse amount of treasures that were in Grendel’s mother’s

  • Beowulf Comparison Essay

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    fight with grendel, he had a nightmare about grendels mother, shortly he realizes she was killing many people quietly. Grendels mother lair was guarded by a group of sea monsters, but Beowulf scared them away. When Beowulf tried to strike her with hrunting, it cannot hurt her. Then he saw a sword and he uses it to cut her throat, but the swords hilt. Although in the film grendels mother never dies. He gives her a gold piece she asked for and she would no longer attack their kingdom. Beowulf returns

  • Examples Of Unferth In Beowulf

    369 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unferth seems to be mad and jealous of Beowulf’s arrival. He even tries to undermine Beowulf unjustly. On Beowulf’s arrival, instead of showing some hospitality, he insults Beowulf at a banquet saying, “Are you the Beowulf who took on Breca/ in a swimming-match on the open sea/ risking the water just to prove that you could win?” (506-508). However, Beowulf refutes those claims. He defends himself suggesting Unferth that he don’t want to abandon the weaker boy, while he was swimming with Breca for