...Beowulf in Relation to Anglo-Saxton Beliefs and Values In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are many references of Anglo-Saxton beliefs and values and the effects they have on the characters and the outcome of the story. As the setting of the story takes place in Anglo-Saxton times, these beliefs and values were well represented and well valued by the many characters of the story, such as Beowulf, Hygelac, Hrothgar, and Wiglaf. The Anglo-Saxton values consisted of generosity, friendship, loyalty, and bravery. Anglo-Saxtons also desired their kings to be chivalrous, powerful, and daring. Most importantly, the epic reveals the values of Anglo-Saxton society in its chivalry code, as well as the code of knighthood. Beowulf demonstrates Anglo-Saxton values and beliefs by strengthening...
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...-Anonymous The epic story of Beowulf, a fierce soldier in the Anglo-Saxon society, is filled with adventures and depictions of what a true hero looks like. Beowulf exhibits countless examples of characteristics of a hero including, but not limited to, courage, loyalty, and strength. Beowulf illustrates courage in several different parts of the story. Courage is portrayed when Beowulf arrives to fight Grendel in the beginning all the way to the end of the poem when Beowulf fights his final battle with the dragon. Beowulf would have never agreed to try and save the Danes and Geats from these vicious monsters if he lacked courage. Beowulf shows a lot of courage throughout different parts of the poem, especially when he states, “...my hands / Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life / Against the monster” (Beowulf 172-174). Perhaps a king or another soldier would have tried...
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...are loyal to an individual or a cause. The epic poem Beowulf, written by Burton Raffel, depicts the life of Beowulf, the most heroic person during Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is fearful of no monster and seems to conquer every obstacle as if he were immortal. He possess many of the characteristics that make up an epic hero including: courage,physical strength, loyalty,confidence, and wisdom. During Anglo-Saxon times, tales were often told about epic heroes who put their own lives in danger for the greater good. These stories about fearless and honorable warriors provided the common people with a sense of security and provided lessons to young men that they should display honor in every act. Beowulf willingly put himself in danger when he accepted the challenge of fighting the monster, Grendel. He did this only to help the Geats and out of loyalty to the Danes. His actions defined his life and are recounted throughout the epic poem. Beowulf was never afraid of death. Before every battle he would explain his death wishes and request that his assets be delivered to his people. "And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Hilgar" (Beowulf 18). Beowulf boasts about his courage and how he never backs down from a battle and fears nothing. No monster is too evil or has more strength. Beowulf exhibits his courage by protecting the kingdom and going up against Grendel. During his battle with Grendel, Beowulf shows his super human abilities by deciding to kill Grendel...
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...Loyalty and Allegiance throughout Beowulf In Beowulf, loyalty and allegiance is a virtue found throughout the poem. It’s displayed in the battles Beowulf fought to end the monsters’ reign of terror. Also, when Beowulf helps Hrothgar and his men by killing Grendel. Plus, when Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother who killed Hrothgar's closest friend. Finally, when Wiglaf shows his loyalty to Beowulf during his last battle. Overall loyalty and allegiance is a common virtue displayed in Beowulf. At the beginning of the poem, Beowulf wants to repay his debt from when Hrothgar came to his father’s aid. So, he decides to help because Hrothgar’s “country is cursed with some strange, vicious creature that hunts only at night and that no one has seen” (The Coming of Beowulf). Thus, he asks his men to join him in battle, and they agree. That demonstrates loyalty between Beowulf and his men. Beowulf and his men then kill Grendel which ends his reign of terror he instilled on Hrothgar and his men. This proposes Beowulf keeps his words and remains loyal to those who have helped him in the past along with his men. Another example of loyalty in Beowulf was when...
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...The topic that I am going to talk about is the importance and benefits of loyalty, bravery, and leadership in Beowulf. I am going to start by saying that Beowulf seemed like he could conquer anything. Beowulf is very strong. He is almost stronger than anyone, but he is deciding to face a monster that killed every soldier and warrior in his way. Beowulf then decides not to use any weapons against the monster and only use his body. This decision was very risky for him because he almost lost the fight and had been almost killed by the monster. Now I am going to start off by talking about the importance and benefits of loyalty, in Beowulf. One example of the importance of having loyalty in this story was when Beowulf was nice to the soldiers....
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...RESPONSE ASSIGNMENT # _3_ Beowulf In the beginning of Beowulf, King Hrothgar of Denmark built a great mead hall where he and all his warriors could party, eat, and enjoy stories. Even though it was a place of joyful spirits there was a demon named Grendel who would always terrorize the people of Denmark and their mead hall. They would fight back in effort to make the demon leave them alone, but he was too powerful and would kill the warriors. This lasted for years and the Danes couldn’t find a solution to defeat Grendel. Eventually, in time, a Geatish warrior named Beowulf heard the troubles that King Hrothgar and the people of Denmark were going through because of the demon. Beowulf took on the task to defeat the demon. Prior to the battle Beowulf came unarmed and expects to fight Grendel with his bare hands. Grendel is terrified and eventually Beowulf rips the demons arm off and he flees back to the swamp where he soon dies. King Hrothgar and the Danes praise Beowulf for his victory over Grendel. Because of the death of Grendel, his mother, another swamp demon, went to seek revenge for her son’s death. This is where Beowulf and a few of the servants travel the swamp to defeat her. Just as he did before, Beowulf defeated Grendel’s mother, but during the battle he used a sword large enough for a giant instead of his bare hands. Beowulf began to make a buzz around the kingdom naming him the bravest warrior in all the land. Eventually Beowulf ascends to the throne of the...
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...In the anonymously written epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf’s meaningful status as a hero and his ability to display honor in what he does is due to the fact that he is heroically able to exhibit the virtues of loyalty, courage, and friendship. The exceptional loyalty and faithfulness of Beowulf is shown through his allegiance to Hrothgar, king Hygelac, Wiglaf, and to the Geats. In fact, Beowulf is heroically willing to sacrifice himself if it means that he “[proves himself] / [...] and [fulfills] his purpose” of killing Grendel and assisting Hrothgar. (636-37). Along with his loyalty, Beowulf’s bravery is a quality that underlies the entire story, as it is a guiding virtue that ends up saving Hrothgar and his people. Beowulf’s fatalistic view of life and death is what makes up his courage in the face of danger, and it is a code of honor that Beowulf evidently takes very seriously....
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...Anglo- Saxon hero, Beowulf, most perfectly fits into this category and truly defines what it means. At all times, Beowulf is never afraid to put his life on the line for the sake and protection of his people, which helped him gain approval from the people of his area. Throughout the course of the adventure and journey, Beowulf exemplifies what it means to be an epic hero showing loyalty, courage, intelligence, and selflessness in his efforts to save his people and achieve immortality. Beowulf proves that he is a great Anglo-Saxon epic hero through his loyalty. Loyalty was held paramount by...
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...are loyal to an individual or a cause. The epic poem Beowulf, written by Burton Raffel, depicts the life of Beowulf, the most heroic person during Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is fearful of no monster and seems to conquer every obstacle as if he were immortal. He possess many of the characteristics that make up an epic hero including: courage,physical strength, loyalty,confidence, and wisdom. During Anglo-Saxon times, tales were often told about epic heroes who put their own lives in danger for the greater good. These stories about fearless and honorable warriors provided the common people with a sense of security and provided lessons to young men that they should display honor in every act. Beowulf willingly put himself in danger when he accepted the challenge of fighting the monster, Grendel. He did this only to help the Geats and out of loyalty to the Danes. His actions defined his life and are recounted throughout the epic poem. Beowulf was never afraid of death. Before every battle he would explain his death wishes and request that his assets be delivered to his people. "And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Hilgar" (Beowulf 18). Beowulf boasts about his courage and how he never backs down from a battle and fears nothing. No monster is too evil or has more strength. Beowulf exhibits his courage by protecting the kingdom and going up against Grendel. During his battle with Grendel, Beowulf shows his super human abilities by deciding to kill...
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...patterns within the “Monomyth,” as revealed in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. In Beowulf, for instance, Beowulf is the hero; meanwhile Grendel is his nemesis until his death. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is also the hero, but he is not the trickster in the story. Therefore, similarities both of these works do have, but contradictions also exist. . Certain similarities and differences, however, stem not from age-old Monomythic patterns, but rather from differences in worldviews, varied paradigms held by cultures separated by roughly 350 years of development. Thus, some values...
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...Loyalty defines a person’s great devotion to another. These two works of literature integrated this theme of loyalty in both The Kite Runner and Beowulf. Beowulf from the epic poem Beowulf emphasizes the importance of loyalty. Beowulf is extremely loyal, as perceived in his commitment to his king Hygelac, to his entertainer Hrothgar, to his own loyal men, such as Wiglaf, and to his people. In contrast, Hassan from the “Kite Runner” shows loyalty for his friend Amir. It is in Hassan’s letter, years after their separation, that puts Amir on the way to redemption. And so, Hassan saves Amir twice, previously as a boy and later in the future, even after his own death. In both The Kite Runner and Beowulf, the authors express loyalty from friendship and from commitment....
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...Beowulf is an epic poem passed down and told orally for many centuries. This epic poem took place during the Anglo Saxon time period. This story tells of a heroic man by the name Beowulf who took on extraordinary quests to protect the kingdom of Hrothgar. This epic poem was partially based on Christianity, which is believed, due to its time period it took to have taken place. Therefore, the poem had several comparisons of the incredible leader of the geats, Beowulf, to the savor of the Jews, Christ. Beowulf displayed traits of leadership to the Geats, like an epic hero would to show them and safety. For example, “Then he said farewell to his followers” ( ln 611 pg). Therefore, interpreting Beowulf , he was seen as a king to the people who seeked...
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...Mirror for Princes is a literary genre that offers a particular set of traits that an ideal prince would follow. These traits would include things such as strength, courage, generosity and loyalty; all of which are interweaved throughout Beowulf. One particular trait that is embodied through the entire epic is loyalty. At the start of the epic, it shows Beowulf coming to the aid of the Danes to make up for the debt that is owed to Hrothgar. This can be shown in lines 456 - 461. Hrothgar spoke, protector of the Scyldings: “For past favors, my friend Beowulf, And for old deeds, you have sought us out. Your father struck up the greatest of feuds. When he killed Heatholaf by his own hand Among the Wylfings. After Beowulf defeats Grendel,...
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...Do you have a hero or role model that you look up to and strive to be like? In Beowulf’s time, he was the hero to many of his warriors and the type of person each of them wanted to be similar to before the end of their lifetime. Heroes like Beowulf had to be willing to face any challenges thrown their way and risk their lives for their people. Beowulf displayed all of these traits while still being respectable, kind, and intelligent. Beowulf was a true epic hero because of his bravery, loyalty to his men, and his strength. Beowulf was viewed as a hero by many because of his super strength and appearance. For example, in lines 109-113, the quote says “In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats – greater and...
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...always demonstrates the embodiment of the ideals of the creating culture. Historical events and social conditions of different cultures cause different attributes to become valued in leaders. These cultural values are reflected in both the actions of a hero and in the heroic motivations. This paper focuses on the heroes of the Iliad, the Aeneid, Beowulf, and The Song of Roland and examines how historical events and cultural circumstances shaped the portrayal of the heroes in these works. Sabiduria, vol.1,1 Hero as a Reflection of Culture 1 Every culture has heroes. In works of literature, is an individual to be admired and emulated, and because of this he is the embodiment of the greatest virtues of the culture that created him. The ideals of every culture were shaped by the social conditions of the time and therefore different attributes became valued. To different degrees, the hero in a work is a result of not only the culture from which the hero comes, but also the culture of the author. Cultural values are reflected in both the actions of a hero and his motivations. As heroes, Achilles, Aeneas, Beowulf, and Roland reflect the values of the societies that created them. One of the oldest works of ancient literature is Homer‟s Iliad. Homer‟s works are dated to between 900 and 750 B.C. (Krieger, Jantzen and Neill 106). Although the events of the Iliad take place during the Greek Bronze Age, the culture portrayed in Homer‟s works is that of Greek Dark...
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