Kubra Akyuz
Dr. Roy
Literature 104
Essay 1 Good Triumph over Evil Beowulf is one of the earliest surviving Anglo-Saxon epic poems. It illustrates the story of Beowulf, an epic hero fated to triumph demonic monster in order to save a kingdom from destruction. In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the main theme. The epic poem portrays Beowulf’s experiences coming from land of the Geats to save Danes. Throughout his adventures, Beowulf is fighting against evil, whether it is Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, or the dragon. Beowulf’s, journey to save a kingdom is threatened by evil. In the epic poem, there are many symbols of goodness. The epic hero, Beowulf is the essential source of goodness. Beowulf’s goodness is described in his battle against evil, symbolized by Grendel, one of the monsters defeated by him. The epic shows conflict between good and evil. In the beginning of the epic poem Grendel, who represents evil, is introduced. He is a giant man eating demonic monster. Grendel lives in the darkness and appears from the shadowy marshes in the darkness every night to kill. In Beowulf, he is described as evil in many words: “a powerful demon” (line 86), “fiend out of hell” (line100), “God-cursed brute” (line 121). Grendel holds no goodness within, he is only pure evil. He is the descendent of Cain, the first murderer. Grendel terrorizes the people of Herot for twelve long years. He brings nothing but death and misfortune every night. Grendel offers no salvation for the people of Herot. Grendel was a human once upon a time; he had mother and was in human form. However, Grendel lacked humanness and remained as “the Creator had condemned” (line 107), in other words he become a ruthless creature. Grendel’s falling can be compared to devil’s fall. He worked evil into the world just as devil did. Grendel and the devil are both fallen and unable to gain blessing of God’s love and grace. In contrast, Beowulf travels far from the land of Geats to defeat Grendel. In many ways Beowulf is a typical epic hero.
themes. Beowulf contains four themes. “A theme in a literary work is a recurring, unifying subject or idea, a motif that allows us to understand more deeply the character and their world. In Beowulf, the major themes reflect the values and the motivations of the characters” (Baldwin). In Beowulf, good v. evil emerges in the fight between Beowulf and Grendel, fate arises in Beowulf’s final battle, and desire for fame appears in the battle with Grendel’s mother. In the fight between Beowulf and Grendel…
Makes a Hero Epic? What is a hero? What does it take to become a hero? It can be said that there are as many answers to these questions are there are heroes. The dictionary defines a hero as, “A person, typically a man, who is admired for courage or noble qualities”. Hero’s have long been the subject of many genres in literature. One of the most revered epic poems is Beowulf. But what makes this poem epic? In the Beowulf unit module from Georgia Virtual School an epic poem “must be…
Christianity. All of these things that characterized the Anglo Saxon period are apparent in the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf is a timeless example of first century western European Poetry . He shows the tradition of his warrior culture. The deeply ingrained tradition of the Anglo Saxon warriors is overflowing with Honor and protocol. An obvious example of their insistence on honor and bravery when Beowulf tells Hrothgar “To bear a blade or a broad-fashioned target, a shield to the onset; only with…
Welborn TCC English Mr. Dannis February 9, 2013 Anglo-Saxon Literature Analysis and Response Anglo-Saxon literature is one of the most debated over and researched literatures. Many debate on its connotations and deeper meanings. Whether an epic poem, or short story, the thoughts and motivations behind the writings go deeper than the words can appear. Many have deciphered the writings and believe that most if not all writings have an origin from a biblical stance, even when the writing seem…
World Literature 22 October 2013 Warrior code in Beowulf Beowulf, which was written centuries ago, was one of the most important works of English literature. The context of the epic is the sixth century in what is now known as Denmark and Sweden. In such a society where Beowulf takes place, the warrior code, which includes reputation, courage, loyalty and revenge, defined how a noble person should act. This heroic adventure tells the tale of Beowulf, a brave knight, whose fame is known throughout…
Troilus and Criseyde: A Romance of Epic Proportions In terms of its specific genre, perhaps none of Chaucer’s works are so difficult to pin down with absolute certainty than Troilus and Criseyde. The poem documents a whimsical romance between two young lovers, a theme which contrasts spectacularly against the grim backdrop of the Trojan War. The poem seems to toe the line carefully between being a sprawling account of the Trojan War and being a fanciful tale of romantic love. One may go so far…
English pd.2 Beowulf Vocabulary 1. Scop Composers or storytellers of Anglo-Saxon poetry 2. Moored To secure a ship 3. Gables Decorative triangular-shaped roofing structures 4. Wergild A fine paid to the relatives of a murdered person to free the offender from further obligations 5. Linden Soft, light wood 6. Mead Alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water 7. Vexed Annoyed; irritated 8. Gorges Eat greedily 9. Sentinel A person or a thing that stands to…
Looking at poetry through the centuries, we can see how mankind, as a whole, has evolved in its approach to large-scale conflict, destruction, and death. Starting with some of the oldest English-language verses we still have available today, “Beowulf” (n.d./2005), we see the innate tendency toward violence and fighting within humans. Lines 708-709 of the epic poem state, “One man, however, was in fighting mood, / awake and on edge, spoiling for action.” The man in question is, of course, Beowulf, hero…
Many war poems are written about the glory of war. These poems are epics that describe war heroes, and men fight and die with honor and are praised for it. An example of this type of poem is Tennyson’s “Charge of The Light Brigade” which describes a troop of men that, even though they are completely outmatched, ride into the “valley of death” only to be slaughtered, but fight bravely with honor and nobility and are remembered and praised for it. Another example includes the epic of Beowulf, in which a hero continuously accomplishes amazing feats…
of The Hobbit is the quest, one of the oldest themes in literature. As a scholar of ancient languages and literatures, Tolkien would have known the theme well through Greek and Norse myth and Old- and Middle-English poetry. The quest theme is central to the story of Beowulf, the Old-English epic about which Tolkien published an essay of lasting scholarly significance in 1937. The quest story best known to modern readers is probably the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail, in which a knight ventures forth…
