Beowulf Epic Essay Research Paper History can

Beowulf Epic Essay, Research Paper

History can be found through stories, books, poems and other literary works.

Examples of the lifestyles, society, aesthetics, philosophical values, politics

and economics can be found and are shown in all works and writings. Authors of

all times reveal the attitudes around them every time they write. The

Anglo-Saxon period dates back to 449 to 1066. Anglo Saxons frequently fought

with one another, but they had a great deal in common. Besides a common language

base, they shared a heroic ideal and set of traditional heroes. They admired men

of outstanding courage and loyalty. It didn’t matter what tribe they cam from,

if these traits were shown in a person, they were received with grave courtesy.

It wasn’t just the warriors and kings that were respected in this society but

scops were too. Scops were professional poets and the historians of a tribe. It

was he who remembered the important heroes, the kings, the important battles and

the folklore of the tribe. Anglo-Saxon poetry was a oral art. It was rarely

written down, but was recited as a song or riddle. One of the most renown

stories of this time was Beowulf. It wasn’t written down until a couple

centuries ago. The story of Beowulf has been passed through many generations,

but the story has still withheld a brilliant illustration of the Anglo Saxon

period and has remained a true typical epic of it’s time. Almost all heroic

epics have the same elements which makes this particular style of literature

stand out from others. There is the "supernatural element," the

"quest element," the "en medias res," "grand

speeches," and "warriors and battles." The supernatural element

is the element in the story that is above mankind. It could be a human with

super strength or anything extraterrestrial. The quest element in an epic is the

journey one of the main characters take for revenge, to conquer, or to save.

"En medias res" means the middle. True heroic epics usually begin in

the middle of a problem or conflict. Usually, there isn’t any introduction or

background information on what is going on, or the problems the characters are

having when the story begins. Most grand speeches are made at the climax or turn

of the story. When there is a goal being set or the story is coming to a

conclusion. There are often many warriors in heroic epics, both good and bad.

The battles they have can occur at any given moment in the story. There is

always a final battle at the end. Beowulf is a traditional heroic epic. The five

main elements in a heroic epic can be found in the story of Beowulf. The

supernatural elements in the story are Beowulf and Grendel. Grendel is the evil

infamous killer and Beowulf is the hero. King Horthgar’s town is being terrified

by Grendel and they are in desperate need. It never said in the story, whether

Grendel was a human being or not, but like mentioned before, heroic epics often

leave out background information. The story does mention that Grendel is the

decedent of Cain, the first murderer. Grendel kills men and eats them. After

many failing attempts by his army, King Hrothgar and his meade hall is saved by

Beowulf to save him. The Dane meade hall, Herot, was the best around but still,

it was under the surveillance Grendel. He killed whoever entered this zone at

night. Beowulf was said to be the strongest man on earth and killed giants.

Grendel was unfazed by human weapons. His skin was unpiercable by them, and

human would have to engage in hand to hand combat with this giant in order to

defeat him. There was no one who could do this except for Beowulf. The quest

element in the story of Beowulf was Beowulf’s trip from his homeland in King

Higlac’s village of the Geats to the land of the Danes to defeat Grendel. In the

days of the Anglo Saxon period, people had to really on face to face

communication as a way of informing people. They had no telephones or

televisions. It took years for Beowulf to get the message from the scop of the

Danes, Hrothgar, and took years for Beowulf to travel to Denmark, home of the

Danes. In the Anglo Saxon Period, people traveled by horses, across land or by

boat across the sea. Beowulf took 14 men with him to Denmark on a quest to save

Herot. The story of Beowulf began "en medias res," or the middle of a

conflict. Grendel had been stalking the Danes before the story began. He was

already known for killing men and eating them. Everyone feared him. In the

opening section of the story, Grendel was described in detail, but the actual

story began with man singing in the Herot. Grendel gets mad with the men singing

of God and the creation of the earth. The men were drinking and soon they were

all sleep. Grendel kills them all and eats them, "delighted with the

night’s slaughter." It n

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать