Beowulf 12
The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel's mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elements in Beowulf are Wealth & Honor, Biblical & Paganistic, and Man vs. Wild themes. Many of the characters in Beowulf are, like in most epics, 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, where measured not only in monetary terms, 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
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Biblical Paganistic, Grendel Grendel, Beowulf Canto, Honor Paganistic, Holy Father, Earns Fame, Goodness Beowulf, Beowulf English, Banishment God, Defeating Grendel, wealth honor, wealth status, beowulf wealth honor, defeat grendel, throughout epic, vs wild, doesn't fight, anglo-saxon culture, beowulf wealth, biblical paganistic, paganistic vs,
Approximate Word count = 991
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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