Shea 1 Joshua Shea Professor StengardWestern Humanities I 24 April 2001 Beowulf 1. ) Beowulf dates back to the eighth century when it was recited by word of mouth only, like most of the poems of the time, it was only to be recited this way. The first known manuscript dates back to 1000, and was the first great work ever written in Anglo-Saxon (Old English).
It uses alliterative verse which is a technique of repitetion of const anent sounds at the beginning of words. This technique can be seen throughout the translation in the text. The poem itself is an epic about a hero who stands back from no challenge and fights evil head on.
2. ) The main character of the epic is Beowulf. He is a Prince of the Geats and later in his lifetime becomes their King. His prime motivation for living is the desire for eternal glory, as seen by him fighting and winning many battles against all odds. He is not unique for his time because not all Anglo-Saxons at his time had grasped all the concepts of Christianity. As they became aware that the purpose of life was to serve God, they went away from their old line of thinking and lived life more with the after-life in mind.
3. ) Grendel came to Hrothgar’s hall to feed. The monster feed on Hrothgar’s men and came nightly to the hall to devour the helpless warriors. None of the warriors are a match for Grendel, so he continues to come and feed.
This is why Hrothgar calls on the Prince of Geats, Beowulf for help. 4. ) Beowulf does succeed in his task because he keeps King Hrothgar’s mead hall safe from the beast Grendel. Beowulf acts bravely as others cower and succeeds in stabbing Shea 2 the beast. When the other warriors awake, they see the footprints of blood that Grendel leaves in his path to the lake where he ultimately dies. 5.
The Essay on Proud Fool Beowulf Hrothgar Grendel
The topic of my essay will explain how Beowulf becomes both a tragic hero and a proud fool. Beowulf becomes a world-renowned hero, but like many, his self-pride leads him to a horrible downfall, ultimately ending his life in tragedy. In the same way he becomes a proud fool by letting his ego overpower his rationale and as a result he makes a foolish decision that abandons the Geats forever. One ...
) Grendel can be interpreted as being a type of anti-Christ figure. He is demon sent to pester Hrothgar’s men. Hrothgar then calls on a boastful Beowulf who says that he can save the mead hall and does so. Beowulf is protrayed as a larger-than-life hero, maybe even a divine figure sent to help.
