Critical Analysis of Beowulf
The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature. The epic tells the story of a hero, a prince named Beowulf, who helps rid the Danes of the monster Grendel and tells of his heroic acts fighting Grendel's mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elements in Beowulf are Wealth & Honor, Biblical, and Man vs. Wild themes. Many of the characters in Beowulf are defined by their status. But, in addition to status, the Anglo-Saxon culture also adds an element of honor. To the Anglo-Saxons, a character's importance, as well as their wealth and status, were measured not only in how rich they were, but it was also measured in terms of honor, fame, and accomplishments. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, is one example of the Anglo-Saxon measurement of importance in Beowulf. In Canto 1, the story teller describes his wealth and importance, not as mounds of gold or jewels, but instead as his ability to "lead the Danes to such glory." and as his tendency to "In battle, "leave the common pasture untouched, and taking no lives. Hrothgar
Will, and again and again defeated." wealth and status through his deeds as defender of the Danes.. As he fights and defeats Grendel, Beowulf Earns Fame and wealth from his companions, and from the Danes, but more importantly, he earns honor raising him to the level of an archetype hero. Grendel, on the other hand, is the total opposite of Beowulf. He has no wealth, no honor, and he is known as an evil killer. This lack of wealth and honor defines Grendel as a symbol of evil and corruption. moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but Of Cain, murderous creatures banished happiness. Beowulf also has a religious theme to his character. One example of this is in Canto 6 line 381 in which Hrothgar states, "Our Holy Father had sent [Beowulf] as a sign of His grace, a mark of His favor, to help us defeat Grendel and end that terror." This religious description shows Beowulf as a sort of messiah sent by god to save man from evil. But, more than that, since Beowulf is in fact not a messiah, this description shows the good in Beowulf's heart and the purpose of his mission. Another Biblical reference in Beowulf is shown in the tower of Herot which is very similar to the tower of Babel in the fact that it's built as a sign of superiority and acc
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Approximate Word count = 864
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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