The Epic Scale Of The Poem Beowulf - 2968 Words

The Anglo-Saxon story of Beowulf, as it appears in the version written by an unknown author in the early Middle Ages, is unique as a rare surviving example of epic poetry in the English tradition. In this paper, I will show the qualities that make Beowulf an epic, and I will explain the significance of the epic scale of the poem by looking at the battles that take place in the story. The three great beasts that Beowulf has to defeat represent the fears of the Danes about the uncontrollable violence of nature and about their own fallibility as men. At the same time, these creatures also represent an inversion of the three primary qualities a hero and a leader must possess, namely courage, justice and generosity, and Beowulf’s attempts to defeat them symbolize his internal struggle to become a good and just leader. Beowulf follows most of the conventions of composition that are characteristic of a literary epic, such as the use of a grand temporal and spatial scale. The hero of an epic must be a figure of great national or cosmic importance. (Abrams and Harpham 108) According to the story, Beowulf is the legendary representative of the King of Denmark, and he defeats a monster that has long terrorized the kingdom, thus saving the nation of Denmark and making him a great national hero. The beginning of the tale strengthens the importance of Beowulf as an epic, as the narrator tells us that this is a story about how the kings of the Spear-Danes in days gone by had â€Å"courageShow MoreRelated Epic of Beowulf Essay - A True Literary Epic1700 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf : A True Literary Epic       The Adventures of Beowulf, a rousing Old English poem of man and monster, and perhaps the earliest European vernacular epic, is rightfully considered an epic for it possesses those features which characterize epic poetry.    For example, in epic poetry the central character has heroic or superhuman qualities. In The Adventures of Beowulf, the main character, a Geat warrior named Beowulf, possesses such qualities: â€Å"He was the strongest of men alive inRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf1040 Words   |  5 PagesWhile the epic poem Beowulf has no specified author or exact translations, the legendary story echoes through time as the fame of this hero continues to expand. Beowulf, the King of the Geats, is the protagonist in this epic; many describe him as the greatest man to have ever lived. Beowulf fits the architype for hero extremely well, possessing all the essential traits; he creates an aura as the ultimate source of good in this entire story. Of course, Beowulf is not alone, there are several otherRead MoreEssay on Grendel1169 Words   |  5 Pages In 1971, American author John Gardner wrote Grendel. With a mastermind of creativity, John Gardner successfully retells the classic e pic poem, Beowulf. He captures the reader by giving an interesting view of order and chaos, good and evil, hero and monster, allowing the monsters point of view to be seen. On July 21, 1933 John Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. He was the son of a preacher and diary, and his mother taught English. They were very fond of Shakespeare and lovedRead MoreAnglo-Saxon Literature Was Composed Between The Years 6501510 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween the years 650 and 1110. Beowulf is one of the most famous epics written during this time. It’s also known as the oldest surviving Germanic epic and the longest Old English poem. Most stories written during this time were about the deeds of warriors, heroic acts, and religion. Beowulf is a warrior from the Geats who is asked to come protect king Hrothgar from an attack by a sea monster named Grendel. All of these characters are men. There are very few epics from this time that put any focusRead MoreBeowulf And The Anglo Saxon Epic Poem, Beowulf1637 Words   |  7 Pages In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf, a myriad of virtues define the warrior Beowulf. Coming from his homeland, Geatland, he a rrives in the land of the Danes resolute in helping King Hrothgar defeat an evil monster, Grendel. Beowulf is an impressive, strong warrior who will triumphantly defeat Grendel; moreover, he will demonstrate how one must seek glory before death, a legacy. A man’s reputation and his lineage is exceedingly important in the patriarchal society Beowulf lives in. ConsequentlyRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Beowulf900 Words   |  4 PagesThe main character in the epic poem â€Å"Beowulf† is Beowulf. An epic hero is one that has superhuman qualities and who beholds values of his society and is braver than life. â€Å"Epics are stories told on a grand scale, with armies, heroes, gods, and the brutal forces of nature depicted over long character arcs and sweeping landscapes.† (Rebecca Ray 1) Beowulf is a selfless warrior that puts the kingdom of Herot first and tries to rid evil for the people. Beowulf wanted to help his kingdom. The evilRead MoreTragedy And Epic Of Beowulf2267 Words   |  10 Pagespoetry, tragedy, and epics. He details the specific characteristics that poetry, tragedy and epic needs to have in order to make it such. The poem Beowulf is a wonderful example of a brilliant piece of poetry, originating from England, tells of the great warrior Beowulf and his battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and finally his last battle with the dragon that terrorizes his city and leads to his death. Considering Beowulf’s death while fighting the dragon, should the poem, Beowulf, be thought ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Killing Of Grendel 1532 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor of Beowulf uses to describe Grendel’s vicious descent on Heorot not only places the reader in the shoes of the victims and allows them, in a way, imitation of fear experienced by those being attacked at Heorot. As Aristotle points out, reversal and suffering are two critical compo nents in the nature of tragedy (Poetics 30). Reversal being the change in direction of events from good fortune at Heorot to bad fortune; although this should be expected as only good fortune in a poem, or any writtenRead MoreBeowulf - The Glory And The Fame880 Words   |  4 PagesFor the Glory and the Fame (What Motivates Beowulf in the Epic Poem Beowulf) In heroic novels or poems, there is always some sort of ulterior motive for the hero. Maybe they are doing what they do for someone else, or for a prize as in some sort of money. In the epic poem Beowulf, he is doing some things that you don’t really understand why he is doing them. There is a monster that is attacking a town in another country and he decides that he wants to help. He hears of the attacks so he heads overRead More Beowulf, Christianity, and Paganism Essay963 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf, Christianity, and Paganism The poem Beowulf is a renowned story that displays many different surroundings and religious beliefs. Some may believe the story of Beowulf portrays pagan beliefs or customs and others believe that the poem is more in agreement with Christian ethnicity. The author of Beowulf uses both Christian and pagan elements in the poem to define the heroic warrior, Beowulf, and the evil dragons. After reading Beowulf the author clearly shows how Beowulf is a man who