Essays on Grendel

Different cultures sustain various values, some of which are not even comparable with one another. Societies have myriad ways of expressing this, yet their cultural productions are some of the richest ways of understanding how they conceived the world. In this sense, the epic poem Beowulf is one of the greatest epic poems that have ever existed. This is especially true and evident in that, even though Beowulf was not actually Anglo-Saxon, he does represent the ideals of this people. As such, one can see that bravery was one of the most extraordinary characteristics that this people had as ...

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What is the miracle of Caedmon’s hymn? Consider the poem itself as well as Bede’s account of its genesis The miracle of Caedmon’s Hymn according to the Venerable Bede is that while Bede had always known Caedmon as a great poet of unmatched skill. He did not always possess such a talent. Bede contended that the gift of song that Caedmon had could have only come from God. The reason for this was so Caedmon could bring the people that come to listen to him away from evil. For much of Caedmon’s life he had ...

Introduction

This essay will use sources from six key films, and written text in order to describe, discuss, and analyze how society picks on people with less power over time. The sources used in this essay, depict a narrative where there is an underdog, and a person in a position of authority over them. They highlight the underdog’s struggle to align themselves with the values of society, and to be recognized as equal members within it. Each of the narratives discussed in this essay depicts people who are used, and discarded by society. These underdogs are seen as outcasts ...

After more than two hundred years of the first publication, the heroic poem about the adventures of Beowulf is still of high interest to the public. Not only do the scholars investigate Beowulf as an example of Old English literature, but a wider audience also finds this epic poem an important representation of Scandinavian culture. What attracts them is the fact that Beowulf is the only complete surviving text dates from the 8th and the early 11th century. The poem is indeed written in Old English language, but the stories take place in Denmark and Sweden. England is not ...

It is interesting to note that two heroes a thousand years apart can be so alike. It is their humanity that makes them real, it is their strength that makes them heroes, and it is their persona that makes them vulnerable. The audience that observes the hero seeks more than just a person who is victorious. Heroes are subject to the same human frailties as those who follow their exploits, but "a hero is someone who rises above his or her fears and limitations to achieve something extraordinary a hero embodies what we believe is best in ourselves" (Fingeroth ...

Interpolated Tales in Beowulf as Reflection of Anglo-Saxon Perception of World

Classical pieces of literature evoked and continue to create fierce discussions and debates about their various aspects. However, the most valuable and enigmatic literature works belong to Anglo-Saxon period. Thus, the most mysterious and bewitching in its way of narration representative of that period is epic poem Beowulf composed by the Anonymous. It is the most controversial and debatable epic poem in terms of all aspects starting from its characters and ending by interpolated form of composing text. It should be mentioned that there is no information at all about creation of this poem, except approximate date and its ...

Beowulf’s’ ‘Beowulf’ and Spencer’s ‘Redcrosse’ were both heroes in the making. In those ages, the deed of heroism was widely praised in the society. In this accord, I will compare and contrast Beowulf’s and Redcrosse knight’s heroism, and the line that separates the man from the monster. Both knights developed deeds that came to be the epicenter of fine pieces of ancient literature. Beowulf’s epic poems and Spencer’s ‘Canto’ brings up interesting contrasts of these two readings. Contrasting the two readings will make use of real life examples to discover what separates a ...

The heroic tale of Beowulf, a Geatish warrior, who travels to Denmark with the intention of aiding the land in ridding itself of the demons Grendel and its mother, portrays multiple traces of religious beliefs harbored by the characters. From the presence of the mentioned demons to that of the Anglo-Saxons’ belief in personal destiny and fate, a religious theme is evident throughout the work. To that end, Tietjen’s views in the writing of God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf stems from the notion of the original work being a “pagan poem” that later had “Christian elements” ...

Introduction

Beowulf, the heroic poem first published in Old English is presently finding a common place in modern media. However, Beowulf is portrayed as one eponymous conqueror who is not only hot headed, but dim-witted as well (Haydock 9). Conversely, in Old English literature, he is depicted as an iconic epitome of social intelligence as well as personal restraint. As much as Beowulf is described as having the power of 30 warriors and crowned on numerous occasions for destroying Herculean monsters, his actions as well as a form of dialogue exhibit both deference and modesty (Allard and Richard 76). In ...

Different cultures have different ways of defining what they consider heroic. For example, in the 2016 campaign for the Democratic nomination for President in the United States, one candidate who has emerged as a hero for the Left is Bernie Sanders. His followers tend to praise his refusal to accept donations from corporations or to have anyone set up one of the gargantuan political action committees (called SuperPACs) that raise millions of dollars in money. They also tend to praise the fact that he has not changed many of his positions on matters of social justice, in an era ...

English literature spanning various centuries reveals idiosyncratic trends and ideals of British history, which allows students and scholars to examine and assess successive literary periods. Indeed, literature can be situated within its historical context because literature cannot be separated from the context in which it as written. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales underscores societal concerns with regards to corruption. Moreover, it provides a window into the historical ideals with regards to gender and how women were expected to behave and comport themselves according to their class. In a similar fashion, Beowulf, a classic in old English literature, reflects the ...

Since time immemorial, English literature has incorporated pagan ideas as well as Christian beliefs. In the pagan culture, warriors got the treatment of heroes, people believed in battles with blood and gore, and revenge was carried in the presence of wrong doings. On the other hand, Christian values ensured they promoted loyalty, sympathy, and sacrifice to make the world a better place for every individual. In this paper, I will elucidate on how the two concepts amalgamated to establish most appreciated literary works in the history. The Dream of the Rood and Caedmon’s Hymn portrays several incidences associated with ...

A monster is a mythological animal with a ferocious, physical appearance; it can either be partly animal and partly human. Examples of monster stories are Grendel and Frankenstein. Frankenstein is a story written by Mary Shelley. It is about the monstrous creature that was created and abandoned by its creator. After being abandoned, Frankenstein tries to integrate with the society, but he is completely rejected. On the other hand, Grendel is a story written by John Gardner. The story is about a monstrous character that battles to have a meaning in life and live like the rest of the people. He was confused about his ...

The epic poem Beowulf is one of the earliest long-form stories known to man, and it suitably deals with the themes of good versus evil in a very straightforward way. Heroes are virtuous, villains are villainous, and characters are less real people than they are forces of nature. The allure of good is even illustrated through the narrator's treatment of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes: "In the end each clan on the outlying coasts beyond the whale-road had to yield to him and began to pay tribute. That was one good king" (pg. 1). At the same time, these ...

Introduction The movies, Beowulf and The 13th Warrior had their setting in the ancient days where technology was not yet established. They were the times of swords, arrows and bows. Both movies have got characters that are not somewhat fully human. Like in Beowulf, there is a monstrous creature called Grendel while in the 13th Warrior, the antagonists are half men and half bear. This personality of being is what stimulates these two films. Both represent wars between the ordinary man and a creature that is definitely much stronger. However in both films, despite the, despite the physical advantage, the ...

Total Word Count:3000 words

Part A: Ethical Dilemma Essay Ethical Dilemma Description This essay describes the ethical dilemma faced by an equipment assistant in a health care organization. It draws on the theory of moral intensity. There are organizations that develop stringent policies and procedures that could pose various ethical dilemmas. One is aware that there is an organization that developed strict policies on safeguarding the company’s assets, including office supplies (paper, pens, hygiene materials such as paper towels, plastic trash bags, and the like). The policy is that any personnel who brings out the company’s assets and resources would ...

Classic English Literature

The world of “Beowulf” is a world of kings and fighters, world of banquets, battles and duels. The poem paints the reality from a specific point of view. “Beowulf” is one of the examples of medieval heroical epic. The poem was based on the old Germanic legends relating to pagan times. These legends appeared in the environment of the Germanic tribes long before the migration of the Saxons to Britain. The antithesis between good and evil plays an important role in dualistic myths, where each of the characters and symbols refers to either a positive number as a bearer of good, or a ...

Beowulf is an epic poem written in the medieval time. The main theme of the poem is the struggle between good and evil. A courageous warrior engages in a battle with dragons and other supernatural creatures from hell. People are united by this common predicament and join hands to fight the monsters from hell. Beowulf is driven by the pursuit of fame. He travels to a foreign land to prove his bravery by facing a supernatural monster. He prefers to face the monster with bare hands to wielding a weapon. Only a man driven by the pursuit of fame and glory would risk ...

An abstract image is something, frequently a question, that stands for a critical notion or arrangement of plans. Frequently an image is significant of the qualities of the characters. In Beowulf, a portion of the most vital images are Hrothgar's mead-corridor, Grendel's hole, Grendel's arm and head, and the mythical beast's fortune trove. Typically, Heorot speaks to the accomplishments of the Scyldings, particularly Hrothgar, and their level of progress. It is a position of light, warmth, and delight, diverged from Grendel's horrible marsh and in addition the dim and icy of winters in Scandinavia. In Heorot, Hrothgar praises his triumphs and prizes ...

Hrothgar is referred to as “peerless among kings” because he demonstrates certain outstanding qualities that other kings of his time fail to demonstrate such as military success, kindness, wisdom, bravery and good leadership. He is a successful ruler whose symbol of success is the Heorot that is an amazing hall “It came to his mindthat a hall-house, that he wished to commanda grand mead-hall be built by men” (Lines 67, 68 & 69). He is popular with his followers as demonstrated by “gracious Hrothgar, for he was a good king” (Line 863). His kindness is demonstrated where it is stated that he housed ...

Dark Ages is a term that is commonly used together with middle Ages. It defines a period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the start of the Italian Renaissance as well as the Age of Discovery. An Italian scholar Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) 1304-1374 coined the term Dark Ages. He used the label in the description for what he viewed as a lack of quality in the Latin literature of his time. The term evolved with time to define lack of culture and development in Europe. At the time, Greek and Roman civilizations were well advanced for the time as they ...

In the history of human civilization, stories always had educative role. In the literary works of fiction, authors use diverse images and symbols in order to trigger a particular reflection from the audience. On the other hand, some authors use traditional images in new contexts in order to stimulate a different reaction and challenge the audiences’ perception of traditional images. In other words, authors often argue that the same images can have different meaning and perception in different cultures and different times. The best example of this is a perception of monsters in different times. The aim of this paper is to ...

The women in Beowulf and other heroic narratives of other cultures were forced to take the background roles in the society because they were considered as weak and passive. The women in these epic stories were considered inferior to men and they were owned by their husbands once they got married. In the story of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Geoffrey Chaucer, the women took active roles than what was expected of them by the society. Beowulf is an epic poem that primarily focuses on the men heroic deeds, however, women play an integral ...

Throughout history, the ruling classes have normally offered protection to the areas of their jurisdiction. These rulers usually have the false hope of controlling their territory forever; thus they build harmonious relationships with the people they rule so that these people can protect them from external attacks. To achieve such a relationship between the ruler and his subjects, the rulers would occasionally instill fear into their warriors’ minds. The other way of building this relationship was through cultivating respect between them; the rulers and the subjects. In an Anglo-Saxon work like “Beowulf”, comitatus refers to the relationship created between the ...

Introduction

There is a long history when it comes to the incorporation of monsters into narratives and stories. Many authors found the monster genre to be quite attractive to the audience and, therefore, in the 19th and the early 20th Century; there was a rise in the number of monster stories authored by different writers. Some of the most famous works of literature that have incorporated the element of monsters include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley (1818), “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1818), “The Invisible Man (1897) and “Dracula” (1897). Many of these monster narratives have been such hits ...

Grendel is one of the most focused character from the Anglo Saxon poem known as Beowulf in which he is believed to be a human monster that relishes in cannibalism yet he doesn’t feel the need to play by the rules (Liuzza, 2000). Grendel is a human monster that feeds upon men and is cannibalistic in nature. In the poem, he is known to be a descendent of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve that killed his own brother. As any descendent of Cain is to be known as a creature himself, so is the case with Grendel. However, the ...

In the sixth-century A.D., the Anglo-Saxon culture left behind nearly 30,000 lines of literature. Of those, 4,000 lines formed the epic poem, Beowulf. The author of the piece remains shrouded in mystery as does the exact year of its writing. The ancient, alliterative poem tells the tale of the adventures of the strong and courageous warrior, Beowulf, who comes to the aid of Hrothgar, King of the Danes. Beowulf himself is the nephew of Higelac, King of the Geats, and is said to have the strength of 30 men in each of his arms (pace.edu, n.d.). The story ...

The Gilgamesh is a Sumerian poem that is regarded the first poem to be written in the world. The content of the Gilgamesh revolves around the use of archetypal symbols, through which gods are presented as omniscient and omnipotent. The gods in the poem are characterized by their foolish use of power. On the other hand, Beowulf is the oldest Anglo-Saxon epic that was written in the 8th century A.D. The concerns of the poem are original symbols, powerful images, and powerful gods that control the action (Scheub 21). The epics of Gilgamesh and Beowulf concentrate on the immorality and ...

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The basis of the “Beowulf” storyline finds its basis in a similar named warrior who lives to be the greatest combatant that ever lived. As the plot begins, Hrothgar, king of Denmark holds a celebration to his powerful and successful reign. However, terror marks the nights as Grendel a demon residing in the kingdom cannot tolerate noise and as a result, attacks the village whenever there is a celebration (Heaney 3). The wealthy mead-hall, christened Heorot, in which the celebrations are held, becomes a slaughterhouse as Grendel attacks and kills the Danish warriors. This rapidly decreases the ...

This is the story which was composed as from the period when the Scandinavian militants invaded Britain. Beowulf has eventually played a big role towards the development of the modern literature. The author of the story is still unrecognized despite of the rumors which stress that the author was an Anglo Saxon. By the time the story was composed, invaders had already stayed in the Britain for so many years. Beowulf proved himself as the true warrior when he killed Greandal himself. He did not need mortal weapons any further since they were not helpful, instead he used the swords ...

Grendel is a character from the heroic epic poem Beowulf that is certainly worth remembering. Despite the ambiguity of his nature, Grendel, it seems that the emotions and impulses that drive him are vaguely human. Therefore, considering vaguely human character traits that Grendel possesses, almost any ‘human’ hero with the right set of heroic qualities could defeat a monster like Grendel. When Grendel first reveals himself and attacks the sleeping men at Heorot, which is King Hrothgar's mead-hall, the narrator of the poem claims that his motives are anger and envy of the nightly entertainment at the mead-hall, while he ...

Beowulf is an epic Greek poem based on a great hero named Beowulf. It is an epic poem because it emphasizes heroic actions of Beowulf who is the protagonist. The central character struggles between human feelings and heroic ethos in his adventures. It is a universal story of a life’s journey from adolescence to adulthood and to old age. Beowulf who is the hero in the poem grows in wisdom through pain and at the end of the epic tale, he triumphs through personal experience. In the poem, Beowulf is portrayed as the hero of the people for saving them from ...

Monster Madness

July 17 Theme of Isolation and Loneliness The themes of isolation and loneliness are illustrated in Beowulf through Grendel’s character. Grendel felt excluded and isolated from the humans because he was living alone with his mother and this made him feel that he does not belong to the community. The loneliness and isolation Grendel felt made him the monster he was, he desired to belong to the humans in the community but they isolated him. The exclusion from the rest of the community pushed him into becoming a hideous and cruel beast with a hard heart and thirst ...

Over the course of the several decades, numerous romantic tales and epics have been penned. Epics are basically tales of warriors with heroic traits, capable of performing superhuman feats and fearlessly saving the nation and the damsel in distress from a terrible fate. In most tales of romance, captivating adventures as well as exciting experiences usually occur. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, happens to be one of the most renowned epics in the world. The eponymous character of Beowulf is a strong and brave hero whose ferocity and skill in battle helps save the clan of King Hrothgar. Beowulf later is crowned the ...

Beowulf

Beowulf is an epic poem based on a great hero called Beowulf. He decides to help Hrothgar who was under attack by the monster Grendel. He defeats Grendel plus his mother and becomes king. After sometime, Beowulf dies after being badly wounded by a dragon which he defeated. Beowulf travelled in great places and distances while fighting against supernatural beings and demons. The themes of isolation and loneliness are illustrated in Beowulf through Grendel (Streissguth 78). Grendel felt excluded and isolated from the humans because he was living alone with his mother and this made him feel that he does ...

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Since time immemorial, the issue of gender has been subject to much debate. Literature captures gender perceptions of people in the past and the widespread sentiments of gender roles and equality back then. More often than not, women and men were boxed into the same set of roles in many classical literary pieces. Women were always portrayed as frail, gentle, submissive and passive. They obeyed their husbands and fathers without question. Men in classic literature always took on roles that characterized them as brave, strong, aggressive and initiator. Decision-making was their turf and they occupied positions of ...

(BEOWULF)

Introduction One of the key things to note concerning literature includes the fact that di9fferent people have different opinions and understanding for different pieces of literature, according to their own understanding and interpretation. This is, especially, the case in the field of poetry, whereby, people understand the literature differently, especially, based on their differences in their schools of thought. This is one of the most essential aspects to note in Beowulf, which has been noted include the fact that different linguists have had different opinions and perspectives concerning the 3182 lines-long piece by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet. ...

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Introduction Actually, community is such a main theme of the Beowulf and Odyssey that it just about looks like there is a stable reminder repeatedly in Beowulf. Each facet of life is overwhelmed in community matters; each meal, each gathering, each celebration is performed as a combine and whole. The happy times as well as the dire times are combined and shared inside the walls of the kingdom in Beowulf, mutually as one community. All through ‘Odyssey’, the perpetual gods rule the world with the ethical standard of caring the home as well as community. Anybody who deliberately ...

The central themes of one’s identity, and strength and skill are interwoven in the characters and the plot of the poem “Beowulf.” The setting of the poem and the time period in which it is set both characterize the identity of individuals is a string of lineage, where individuals are judged in society according to the repute of their ancestors, and the strength and skill they possess. Basically, Beowulf is a record of heroic deeds, so it is not surprising that the theme of identity, which revolves around individual reputation based on ancestral heritage, is central to the poem. Similarly, ...

Beowulf is amongst the most famed poems in old English. Beowulf consists of about three thousand lines and was drafted in England in the late 800’s AD. It was published in the Anglo-Saxon epoch from 449 AD to 1066 AD. During those days the theme fate, death, and afterlife were so trendy in British literature works. In the poem, a war lord from Geats rises to the salvage of Hrothgar, the ruler of the Danes whose territory is under siege by a monster, Grendel. Beowulf sails through and conquers Grendel. To demonstrate his proficiency, he even slays Grendel with his ...

In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul stands up during a meeting at the Areopagus, in Athens, and begins to speak to them about a statue he had seen while he was walking around the city. While many of the objects of worship had the name of their god or goddess on them, one was labeled “to an unknown god” (Acts 17:23). He uses this object to open the discussion of the God of the Hebrew and Christian faiths with the Athenians – people who worshipped a whole spectrum of deities, many of whom behaved like adolescents given too much power in ...

Introduction

A hero is a person who pursues his dreams and goals to the letter end. Such a person realizes the purpose which he is living for and is willing and ready to achieve them no matter what. Various personal characters in Beowulf reveal the nature of a true hero. This attributes include courage, persistence, passion and determination. These are some of the characters displayed in the epic poem of Beowulf. As we shall observe in the literature, Beowulf is one man who understands pain and will not allow such consequences to befall those dear and near to them. His is an act ...

Beowulf starts with the history of the royal Danish family for several generations. “So. the Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.” But it is mostly about the life of Beowulf himself. It is more than just the history of the Danes though. It is about the right way for a warrior to live and die.

The poem starts with Shield Sheafson, who was a great king. He was a foundling, who became a great king. When he died, he was given an elaborate funeral. His son, Beow inherited the throne, followed by his son ...

The hero narrative is as old as The Epic of Gilgamesh and as new as Superman Returns. We find hero stories compelling, not only because we secretly want to be a hero for others, but we also want to believe that there is some sort of hero out there keeping an eye on things for us. Culturally, in modern times we like to look to our political leadership to be heroic, although the 24-hour-a-day coverage that the Internet provides makes it difficult for anyone to remain heroic in appearance. King Arthur represented a shift in paradigm from earlier heroes such as ...

The complexity of the characters in a written work is often a significant method to invest the reader in a given work – following people who have interesting stories and who change over the course of the plot is one of the biggest draws to a work of fiction. As time passes, it can be thought that a greater emphasis on psychological complexity can be found in fiction; as society and language develops, there exist more complex problems that must be addressed. This can be seen in the epic poem Beowulf, there is not as much complex psychological development within the characters as there is ...

There is a vivid description of a heroic character in the two literature works: Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The heroic protagonist is portrayed, in both cases, as a plain human being with imperfections in one way or the other. In this work, I have critically analyzed and given a comparison of the heroic qualities of both the characters.

On the onset, Beowulf crosses the ocean to fight and the main reason for the fight is to attain fame and honour. In his society, one of the greatest achievements is fame, especially after death. This is the notion that drives ...

After reading the Old English heroic epic poem “Beowulf”, which considered to be one of the most significant masterpieces of Anglo-Saxon literature, and watching the 2007 American screen version of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis I have identified the similarities and differences of interpretation. The film director has chosen this particular literature work as it holds important information regarding relationships and controversies of the society and kingship in Old England. In addition, the poem is extremely exciting and contains numerous astonishing descriptions and vivid characters.

Altogether the movie accurately resembles the heroic poem; there are several dissimilarities ...