Beowulf Essays (917 words) - Literature, Fiction, Beowulf, Film

Beowulf 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 to "In battle, [leave] the common pasture untouched, and taking no lives." Through this display of compassion for the commoner who doesn't fight in battles, Hrothgar proves the full extent of his honor and therefore the extent of his wealth and status. Beowulf, the hero-prince, also proves his true 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 archetypal hero. Grendel, on the other hand, is the total opposite of Beowulf. He has no wealth, no honor, and he in infamous as an evil killer. This lack of wealth and honor defines Grendel as a symbol of evil and corruption. In addition to using Honor and wealth to define a character's character, the story-teller(s) have incorporated alternating Biblical and Paganistic motifs in the epic-poem. The original Epic was obviously Paganistic due to the time period of it's creation. But, as time wore on, the rewriting and touching up of the manuscripts by various sources including religious monks, caused the characters to have slight Christian characteristics. These Christian themes have become very important to the epic to add am element of depth that wouldn't be possible in modern times due to the lost of the Anglo-Saxon culture and beliefs. An example of the Biblical motif in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel it biblically described as evil in this excerpt: [ Grendel] was spawned in that slime, Conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever for the crime Of Abel's death. The Almighty drove Those demons out, and their exile was bitter, Shut away from men; they split Into a thousand forms of evil-spirits And feinds, goblins, monsters, giants, A brood forever opposing the Lord's Will, and again and again defeated. The Biblical reference in the epic has become a modern day archetypal motif, and serves to give the listener an idea of the extent of Grendel's pure evil and gives a logical explanation for Grendel's murderous behavior. This example, not only shows the evil in Grendel's nature, but also the torture in his heart caused by his Banishment from God. It serves to give the reader an idea of why Grendel would kill the Danes for no reason other than their happiness. Beowulf also has a religious motif 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 accomplishment. Like Babel, though, Herot only serves as a symbol of downfall more than one of glory because it causes many deaths and

Weak Woman Becomes Strong †Antigones Sister

Weak Woman Becomes Strong – Antigones Sister Free Online Research Papers The 1950’s, when the men worked and the women cooked and took care of children, the perfect time, NOT! The women of the 1950’s are a lot like Ismene at the beginning of the play Antigone, she is the ideal, domestic, Greek woman who believes that women are weak against men. She however finds her inner courage and speaks up like the women of the 1960’s. Ismene believes that women are weak against men, argues with her sister, and then she changes her mind and stands up for her beliefs. â€Å"I am not disrespecting them. But I can’t act against the state. That is not in my nature,† declares Ismene. (Prologue.96-97) Ismene acts like a traditional Greek homemaker. Traditional Greek women stay at home, bring up the children, and prepare dinner. They are not even allowed to eat dinner with their husbands. Ismene follows those beliefs by telling Antigone that she cannot act against the state, because it is not in her nature and that women are weak against men. Ismene and Antigone are a lot like my sister and I, complete opposites, and always arguing. â€Å"A vain attempt should not be made at all,† argues Ismene. (Prologue.112) â€Å"I will hate you if you are going to talk that way,† wails Antigone. (Prologue.114) Ismene is arguing that Antigone should not try to bury Polyneices’ corpse against Creon’s wishes. Antigone decides to bury his body anyway, and tells Ismene to tell anyone she wants. â€Å"You are my sister. Do not dishonor me. Let me respect the dead and die with you,† Ismene cries. (Episode 1.623) Ismene speaks up like the women of the 1960’s and says she will take the punishment and die with her sister. Antigone will not let Ismene take the blame for something she did not do, and spares her sister even though Ismene says she will have no one left to love. Ismene turns out to be strong and even though she was weak in the beginning, she finds courage. Ismene is not much of a main character, but she is important none the less. Research Papers on Weak Woman Becomes Strong - Antigone's SisterComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Fifth HorsemanAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMind TravelHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Spring and Autumn