An Analysis Of British Literature Essay Research

An Analysis Of British Literature Essay, Research Paper

An Analysis of British Literature

Death is inevitable and what happens after death will always be a

mystery to the living. For this reason, the afterlife has always been a topic

which artists have chosen to explore in their works. Throughout the chronology

of British literature, artists have used society’s views as a basis to examine

the afterlife, and look at it in new ways. The afterlife has been a theme in

British Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period of Beowulf to the twentieth

century writings of Dylan Thomas. The mysteriousness of the afterlife makes it

a topic which artists will always be eager to analyze.

During the Anglo-Saxon Period which lasted from 449 AD to 1066 AD, the

popular belief of the times was that a person’s life was predetermined by Wyrd,

the Old English word for fate, and there was nothing which the individual could

do to change his destiny. The most famous writing from this epoch is the epic

poem Beowulf. Beowulf, the main character, had no fear of the evil monster

Grendel because he believed “Grendel and I are called/ Together,” by fate. He

also displayed his faith in the beliefs of society when he told Hrogthgar “Fate

will unwind as it must.” When Grendel died, the soldiers “had no semse of

sorrow, felt no regret for his sufferings,” because they believed Grendel was

destined to die, and there was no way to defy destiny. They also did not pity

Grendel because they considered him to be entirely evil because it was his fate.

The Anglo-Saxon’s strong belief in fate led to them not fearing death as much as

during other times periods in British Literature. Beowulf’s strong belief in

fate was a reflection in the society’s pagan belief in fate. Due to the fact

that the society at the time of Beowulf was pagan, they did not believe in the

afterlife.

The Christian revision to Beowulf illustrated a different outlook on

death and the afterlife. When monks were copying the story, they realized it

dealt with pagan ideals, and they incorporated Christian ideals into the text.

The monks included the concept God was the ultimate one who controls fate. This

was shown when Beowulf told Hrogthgar “God must decide/ Who will be given to

death’s cold grip.” The monks also inserted the idea that there is an afterlife.

When Grendel died, “hell opened up to receive him.” They thought the pagan

beliefs about death and the afterlife in Beowulf were unacceptable, so they

included their Christian views of death and the afterlife into the poem. The

society’s values greatly influenced the monks revision of the poems.

“The Seafarer” is another Anglo-Saxon poem which deals with the

afterlife. The poem was written by Bede, who was a monk, so it contains the

Christian views of the afterlife which are very similar to the one’s included in

the Christian revision to Beowulf. The speaker believed “Death leaps at the

fools who forgot their God./ He who lives humbly has angles from Heaven/ To

carry him courage and strength and belief.” This showed the belief that God

must be worshipped to get to Heaven, and if you do not follow God, like Grendel

in Beowulf, you will not go to Heaven. In the poem, the persona expressed that

riches can not buy entrance into heaven in the afterlife because, “nothing/

Golden shakes the wrath of God/ For a soul overflowing with sin, and nothing/

Hidden on earth rises to Heaven.” This poem reflected an Anglo-Saxon monk’s

views of the afterlife, which were centered around his strong faith in

Christianity.

During the Medieval Period, the Catholic church played a dominant role

in society. In England, the church’s abbeys and monasteries were the main

centers of learning and the arts before the founding of Oxford and Cambridge

universities during the thirteenth century. The church preached that following

their faith would led a person to the afterlife. A piece of literature which

displayed the belief in the afterlife was Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The

story starts at a Christmas party at Camelot when the Green Knight enters and

offers to let a knight hit him with an ax if he can return the blow a year and a

day later. Sir Gawain, the most brave knight of the round table, accepted the

challenge, and he chopped off the knight’s head. The Green Kngiht then picked

up his head, and rode away. A year and a day later, Gawain went to the Green

Knight. He kneeled before the Green Knight, ready to take the blow. However as

the Green Knight is about to lower his ax, Gawain “pulled his shoulders back,

just a bit.” The Green Knight noticed this and was shocked. He said, “Gawaina.

You can’t be Gawain, his name/ Is too noble, he’s never afraid, nowhere/ On

earth – and you, you flinch in advance!” The Green Knight then swung again, but

he only nicked Gawain. Later, the Green Knight and Gawain talked ab

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