...BEOWOLF Grendal is a sadistical monster. He survives by killing and eating his victims or shall we dare say prey. He is a sadist because only a sadist would say “they squeak, and I simile like exploding spring”. This leaves the impression that even though it’s a fight for food and his survival, he takes joy in their death. He revels in it. Grendal fought and killed for his food, which happened to be humans. At times you think he had some form of remorse with statements like “all at once I’m filled with gloom again”. He would lead one to believe he was convicted with the acts he made. As you look deeper into his character you begin to realize that it’s not conviction but regret that the event is over. When he makes the statement “all at once I’m filled with gloom again” he wants us to believe that he is can feel sadness and remorse. He wants us to believe his remorse was sincere and it overwhelmed him like an ocean of waves. Yet he leaves door open for speculation. There is neither remorse nor guilt in his ply. He sees his victims as toys and plays with them. He takes pride in others fear of him which makes him sound like a psychopathic creature with emotions like a demon. “I’m watching for potential victims and going to take to forest and eat you.” Overall, Grendal is a colorful person. The way he describes his victims before killing them is elegant but quite disturbing. His mannerisms are that of an enigmatic person. His choices...
Words: 275 - Pages: 2
...Women in Beowulf Beowulf shows the importance of male heroism and the significance of women is minimized. Even though it is true that their appearance is limited and brief, they do play fundamental roles in it. The women in Beowulf could themselves be considered showing heroism, just in different ways. There are two queens in the poem: Wealhtheow and Hygd. They are both queens by marriage to the king, and they are hostesses in that they receive people in the hall and make sure that everyone is drinking and having a good time. Noble women played an important role in heroic Anglo-Saxon society and had an essential influence in the hall, especially in hall ceremonies, though they also played an active role in peacekeeping. The hall is presented as the central social element in the poem, where people gathered together to talk about the major events of the court and to socialize. The poet always makes use of positive words to describe them: Wealhtheow, “she graciously saluted the men” (614), “queenly and dignified” (621). Her role as hostesses has to do with the duty of carrying the mead cup and pass it to the king and warriors. This apparently unimportant task is more revealing than we may think; it establishes a hierarchy in the hall. The first time Wealhtheow makes her appearance in the poem (612-641), she offers the cup to Hrothgar first, making clear that he is the most powerful figure in the hall, the king: “handed the cup first to Hrothgar, their homeland’s...
Words: 1197 - Pages: 5
...9/12/2010 English 41-01 Beowulf was a strong warrior hailing from the Scandinavian tribe called the Geats in Sweden, where he served under Lord Hygelac. During the 10th and 11th century, the relationship between Lord and warrior was more of a friendship rather than one doing the bidding of the other. The role of the warrior was to fight for the honor, and glory of his Lord. He would then bask in the glow of his achievements, and be rewarded for his valiant efforts. Beowulf was a great warrior known for defeating many monsters in Sweden, but when he heard that there was an undefeated monster terrorizing the Danish, he sailed there, eager to face his opponent. He arrived at Heorot, met with Lord Hrothgar, and told him he would defeat the monster, Grendel. His intent was to help the Dane’s, but mostly bring eternal glory to his Lord. All of Beowulf’s actions throughout the poem can be traced back to the traditional relationship between a Lord and his warrior subject. Before the battle with Grendel, Beowulf makes the decision to fight without using any weapons; a decision most warriors would consider to be foolish. “The monster scorns the use of weapons,” “hand to hand is how it will be (433-439). This statement by Beowulf reveals to us the reasoning behind his decision to “renounce” his weaponry, and fight “hand to hand” (436-438). Grendel is not armed with anything but his own strength; therefore Beowulf sees weapons as an advantage that would aid him in defeating his opponent...
Words: 633 - Pages: 3
...“If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right” (Ford quotes). This quote expresses how one should always keep a positive mindset because the outcome of a situation depends solely upon on ones mindset. It can also help people establish a certain type of attitude one should keep when going through obstacles in life. Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, and modern day hero, Nelson Mandela can be characterized as archetypal heroes from the characteristics that define them. Ancient hero Beowulf along with present day hero Nelson Mandela similarly have comparable quests during their time. Both heros during their quests experience great struggle and obstacles which they had to overcome in order to achieve their goals. Beowulf’s quest dealt with him having to defeat the monster, “Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell” (Raffel 44). The Anglo-Saxon hero may not have used weapons on his quest but he did use his Geats to his full advantage. In his epic quest to slay the monster, Beowulf realizes he cannot be successful alone and that he will need the aide of his loyal Geats. When faced with adversity he always had his men at his side. By succeeding in defeating the monster, Beowulf would have freed people of their nightmare. They showed their gratitude by holding ,“...a banquet in [his] honor, [and toasting to his] victories..."(Raffel 49). Like Beowulf, Nelson Mandela had a difficult quest to fulfill as well, “Mandela's main...
Words: 1769 - Pages: 8
...Throughout history, various stories surrounding heroes and their conquests have been composed. However, many of those stories have been forgotten in the passage of time. One of the few that has withstood the test of time is Beowulf; a poem that narrates the conquests of the ancient Swedish hero. In the following centuries, Beowulf has become a template for the modern day hero story. That being said, modern day heroes, such as Batman, are far more heroic due to moral values, humility, and overall intelligence. In both Batman’s and Beowulf’s individual societies, they are viewed as heroes. However, if there had been a hero equivalent to Batman in Beowulf’s time, the cheers of the Geats would have been instantly extinguished. They knew nothing more than warriors killing foes mercilessly. If there had been a vigilante-like crusader foiling Grendel’s plans, as opposed to slaying him, Beowulf story might have never been recorded. “Other monsters crowded around me, continually attacking. I treated them politely, offering the edge of my razor-sharp sword.” (Lines 559-561) As seen in this quote, Beowulf was far from humble. He constantly recounted his memorable battles and was quite arrogant. Batman, on the other hand, doesn’t receive any praise for his heroic deeds, nor does he have the desire to. He is perfectly content living in the shadows, protecting the citizens of Gotham, and not drawing any recognition from his actions. “The lake and the cliffs alongside it, brave...
Words: 389 - Pages: 2
...In this story beowolf, it very interesting thing that really take place in this story. Beowolf shows a lot of brave things he had ever done. You also have books and the movie about him the main character of this story. He’s a hero, strong, and shows a lot of leadership. If you had Not check it out go right now it very interesting. You have the beautiful palace which is for the kings who show loyalty to the brave warrior beowolf . The brave warrior is an hero that battle ugly big monsters. The brave warrior is an hero that battle ugly monster. The textbook show he brag a lot and he is very confident in what he say. But its crazy cause the monster been attacking the Danes for 12 years. So now the warrior come in cause he like to be competitive...
Words: 373 - Pages: 2
...Women in Beowulf Look especially at the role of women in the poem. Identify (try for 10) references to women--their actions, thoughts, motivation--in short, their role in the poem. Don't just identify them, however, react. Tell why these characters are important to the poem. Feel free to talk about anything else you want to about Beowulf. The role of women in Beowulf vary greatly from pedigreed hostesses to ravenous beasts, each plays a key role in not only the poem but, to mold an understanding of the culture, beliefs, and society of the time. We are introduced to several females however, most of these are minute roles within the poem, and they are usually to give the bloodline or ancestry of the character being spoken of. We are introduced to four main female characters, Wealtheow, Hygd, Hildeburh, and Grendel’s mother. Both, Wealtheow and Hygd act as hostesses within the poem. Both women are described using positive text and imagery. Wealtheow is described as “Adorned in her gold, she graciously saluted the men in the hall…“queenly and dignified, decked out in rings…”(” (43) Being adorned in gold and decked out in rings shows wealth and statute of that time which would be appropriate for a queen, yet she is described as queenly, dignified, and gracious, showing her compassion, and respect for her people. Hygd even though only introduced briefly, is described as “her mind was thoughtful and her manners sure.”(71) Again we here positive terms of thoughtful, and...
Words: 647 - Pages: 3
...Heroes Beowulf is a very brave and courageous hero. Many people have different thoughts as to what a hero is. We all have one hero, be are they a real hero? In Beowulf, the character Beowulf is the hero to almost everyone in the story. A hero is someone you believe can do anything to save you or anybody. A hero is your role-model. Beowulf is a role-model because he is brave, aggressive, and boastful. He saves other characters and does almost everything he can to make everything okay. Beowulf is a hero. In the book, Beowulf embodies the ideal of Anglo-Saxon in many ways. He is very courageous and brave. He can do anything he puts his mind to because he is very brave. He wants to die with glory. He is an important national figure because he is a hero to so many people. What makes him boatful is that he is confident in himself; he doesn’t give up on anyone especially himself. Beowulf is brave because he is a thane (lord), he is a mighty warrior. For example, when he kills Grendel, they fought single hand-to-hand combat and Beowulf wasn’t afraid. Today’s heroes are different from the heroes in Beowulf because fictional heroes now have powers, they don’t only kill. Non-fiction heroes are usually someone who saves a life or do all they can to try. “Heroes risk life and limb to help others” (Eagly). Heroes in the past were also someone who risked their life, or did something life changing. Now-a-days, a hero is so much more and more known to everybody. “Heroism consists of...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...The Lion King Beowoelf Style A fearsome feline king frantically forged on! His dreary languished behavior from days past bygone His bias beliefs have finally been beaten with backing from the Shaman a bombastic baboon and the vision of his revered father Mufasa, Simba is ready for revenge; returning to his fatherland to squelch his sadistic uncle Scar The lions' once prosperous Pride Lands, barren, filled with bone, not births The balance in the Circle of Life become a beggary with Scar and his savage stray mutts subjugating the land Contentment and hope hung only in the power of Simba’s claws Simba propelled toward Pride Rock in search of his mother Sarabi and the pride Hindering in his headway were hundreds of hyenas scavenging the sacred stone Furious and flailing with fiery Simba's strides continued “Scar!” Simba spoke firmly “I have returned to redeem my rightful role as king” “Felines I am filled with shame, for not forbidding this feeble fiend from power!” “My uncle I beg of you, take my ultimatum I demand you to abdicate your position as king of the Pride Lands Ascound! Forgo, I forbid you to ever return “Never!” Roared Scar ramming Simba rashly; then softly said “Simba I killed your Father” The brutal battle broke out in flames as the felines fought Not far behind Simba paced the loyal triplex, trio Nala, Pumba, and Timon lead the heated lioness against the lily-livered hyenas Scar stood on the...
Words: 331 - Pages: 2
...Beowulf lies dead, and Wiglaf is right by his side. He is greatly upset at the loss of his lord. The dragon also lies dead on the ground. Slowly, the Geatish warriors who had ran from the battle slowly make there way back to the barrow to find Wiglaf still trying to revive their fallen leader. The men are ashamed, and Wiglaf rebukes them bitterly, stating that all of Beowulf’s generosity has been wasted on them. The cost of their cowardice will be greater than just the life of a great ruler. He suggests that foreign warlords will be sure to attack the Geats now that Beowulf can no longer protect them. Wiglaf sends a messenger with tidings to the Geats, who wait nervously for news of the outcome of the battle. The messenger tells them of Beowulf’s death and warns them that the hostile Franks and the Frisians will most certainly attack them. He expresses concern about the Swedes as well, who have a long-held grudge against the Geats. He relates the history of their feud and tells how the Geats secured the last victory. Without Beowulf to protect them (the messenger predicts) the Geats risk invasion by Swedes. The poet confirms that many of the messenger’s predictions will prove true. The Geats then rise and go to Beowulf’s body. They discover the fifty-foot-long corpse of the dragon and even though it is dead it is still a fearful sight. It is revealed that the hoard had been under a spell, so that no person could open it except by the will of God. Wiglaf recounts Beowulf’s...
Words: 406 - Pages: 2
...The english language is one of the hardest languages to learn because of its multiple roots of different languages.Before the english that we speak today was spoken,older versions of it had been spoken by the people before us.Since 450,the english language had begun its transition,including the culture of the time periods starting with the Anglo-Saxon. Years before the era of the Anglo Saxon had begun,the royal families of the Danish (the Danes)and the Scandinavians(the Geats),had inhabited the Southern part of Sweden when they had decided to invade the island of Great Britain and settled.This migration had brought several Germanic languages together that formed Old English. Hundreds of years ago,the novel Beowulf was written by an unknown...
Words: 1341 - Pages: 6
...The book of Beowulf and the movie have a lot differences and also has its similarities. Most of the time the movie is very different from the book movies always want to give things drama and more excitement. also movies make us understand more of the book if you are not a reader. but books have those tasteful words and always a lot more detail and Beowulf was one of those. it was so much different from the book. In Beowulf the epic poem Hrothgar was not the father of Grendel. In the poem there is never any mention of either Hrothgar and Beowulf ever being involved or enticed to become the fathers of Grendel or the dragon which the major points in the movie. Hrothgar was also a good person in the poem rather than being an old drunken like...
Words: 522 - Pages: 3
...Beowolf is a heroic poem about a man who saves a town from many different types of monsters. The hero, Beowulf, came from a distant land where he was very famous for slaying sea monsters. He had heard of a beast that was troubling a town far away. This beast was called Grendel. Grendel was a terrible monster who loved to terrorize the town and had a thirst for blood. Beowulf is then able to slay him along with his mother and a dragon. The first main problem that occurs in the poem is the fight with Grendel. In the poem, Grendel had terrorized the town and killed many people in the mead hall. Grendel returned to the mead hall to kill many times. He also had a weakness toward loud noises. When Beowulf finally fought him , he was able to kill Grendel by breaking his arm which caused him to bleed to death. In the movie, Grendel came to the mead hall only two total times. He also had an over exaggerated sensitivity to loud noises. His main weakness in the movie was his ears, and that is how Beowulf killed him. Beowulf made loud noises to distract Grendel. He then stabbed and punched Grendel’s ears until they popped. In the movie, Grendel’s mom was a beautiful girl made of gold. She had past relations with the town’s king . The gold horn that was the symbol of the king’s monarchy was actually given to him by Grendel’s mother. She then stole the horn and Beowulf went to retrieve it and attempted to kill Grendel’s mother. This is where the movie really takes a twist and...
Words: 581 - Pages: 3
...Comparison and Contrast: Hero’s Eng 106 Professor Nikki Moorman History has proven that literature will always find a hero. In any culture and any time period there will be Epic Hero’s that will exemplify strength, courage, chivalry and family. These heroes portray a number of comparable attributes as well as a number of notable differences. Beowulf is a pillar in old English literature. He can be compared to the hero Achilles from the Iliad based on warrior strength and compared to Aeneas he went on a journey. Although many years separated these heroes and their journeys, there proved to be a comparison between them all that shows how the earlier hero inspired the later. The glories of a hero is something that is shown when comparing Beowolf an Achilles. Beowulf’s society held fame and glory at a high standard. He knew he would receive praise from the kingdom he went to help, but this shows how he also cares about others. Achilles does not like the Greeks. He went to war for the fame and glory, more than the cause. Achilles was a little more vain than Beowulf, but both of them enjoyed the glories of fighting. Beowulf and Achilles both have enemies that they face off against. Beowulf has numerous epic battles with creatures. The story revolves around his epic battle with Grendel. He then goes on to fight with Grendel’s mother. The ending is rounded off with at battle of him and a dragon. Achilles has to fight with Hector and the Trojan army. It seems as if this is how Achilles...
Words: 727 - Pages: 3
...The Masters of Fantasy Fiction Long ago, in a little house on Northmoor Road, there lived a jolly Englishman. With a pipe in his mouth and ungraded papers at his desk, he nonchalantly scribed the sentence "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" (Collins 76). A little longer after that during a time tensioned by the exposition of World War II there lived another Englishman. Housing a family of young refugees during the blitz, he crafted a story about four young children and a magic wardrobe (Tolson 4). Though only rudimentary concepts at their formation, the ideas that these two men had at the time would eventually morph into some of the most popular stories of our age and shape the way people think about life. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, two of the most brilliant authors to ever impact the world of fantasy literature, share several defining qualities in their early lives, careers, ideas, and lasting impacts. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis lived fairly similar yet individual childhoods. The two young authors started out in comparatively alike situations. On January 3rd, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa (Collins 10), and six years later on November 29th Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (Davenport 21). Both boys’ families included British parents and brothers; John's brother Arthur was two years younger (Collins 12) while Clive's brother Warren was three years older (Davenport 21). However, Tolkien seemed...
Words: 2857 - Pages: 12
