Beowulf Rhetorical Analysis

Beowulf is a classic story of good versus evil. Beowulf defeats the bad and dies a hero, a story that is very satisfying to many. Although Beowulf was written thousands of years ago, it relates strongly to today’s society. Modern-day movies, soap operas, television shows, have advanced in many ways but still contain some of the same story lines as Beowulf. In addition, it portrays violence such as in the world of social media today.

Passed down through various societies for multiple generations, the poem Beowulf is a true literary masterpiece. While first spread by word of mouth, the work was later transcribed, translated, and transformed into numerous forms of literature and media. Due to this, we know that their is not one true Beowulf. As Professor Martin Foys once said, “each generation gets the version of Beowulf it deserves”. These various adaptations led to differing tales of the conquests of Beowulf, as is the case with the first of the three agons, Beowulf’s clash with Grendel.

Extra Characters in Beowulf Beowulf is a story that has been around since the year 580, or since 1000 AD. With that being said, there are bound to be several adaptations and modern re-imaginings of the same story about this dynamic warrior and all his glorious battles. The epic Beowulf (Heaney,Seamus) and one of its modern adaptation Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarson, S) has a few similarities, but they also have a great deal of differences, ranging from views on religion, Women, and even changing some of the story’s main characters. The movie’s addition of the main characters such as Grendel’s son, the witch, and Grendel’s dad, show that we, as the modern people, have a vastly different worldview with regards to the hardships of life’s complexities. A major addition to the main character 's roster was Grendel’s son.

Beowulf is a classic tale of a hero who undergoes certain trials and tribulations and proves his bravery. However when one glances under the surface, it is clear that the story is about so much more. Over the course of the poem Beowulf has to learn to balance two opposing sides of his personality-his monstrous, angry, berserker-like side with more restrained and civilized character. In Germanic culture in general, a dichotomy lies between the reverence of famous berserkers, who when enraged become the most fearsome of warriors, and the values of self-restraint placed on people, specifically in the feasting setting. Beowulf is all about the navigation of that tight line of cultural tension between the two options.

The epic poem Beowulf was written in Old English by an unknown author in England during the eighth or ninth century. It takes place in Scandinavia during the beginning of the sixth century and illustrates the idea of a traditional Anglo-Saxton hero. Beowulf is a god-like hero who courageously sets out to defeat the monster Grendel as a way to repay his father’s debt, and increases his heroic status by conquering Grendel’s mother and the dragon. Reputation and a person’s lineage are themes used throughout the poem to describe where kings, thanes, and monsters came from. Because Beowulf’s father had already tainted the family name, along with the loss of his swimming match against Breca, Beowulf felt the need to undo his father’s damage to his

The poem is been passed down all over the world and became a great literature piece to study or just enjoy. Many people once believe in this poem and currently still do. This poem is the most commonly told, even though others believe in other ways the epic is told. When the legendary epic Beowulf comes to mind, think of varies the examples

The study of Anglo-Saxon literature cannot be complete without an in-depth analysis of, ‘Beowulf’, one of the oldest and greatest poems ever written in the history of English Literature. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to introduce Beowulf as the epic of English poems and to describe features that make this poem an indispensible part of English literary history twelve hundred years down the road. Unfortunately, due to cultural and political turmoil, much of Anglo-Saxon literature was destroyed by the time it reached us. Amongst few of the rare surviving works is Beowulf, a three thousand lines poem with an origin not to be exactly known.

Themes in Beowulf Beowulf is one of the longest surviving poems; it was around before the medieval times. Beowulf is one of the most famous English epics (a poem or story based off oral tradition), lost throughout the ages and was rediscovered in 1800’s. It has been studied by scholars, students, and teachers ever since. Over these years’ people have questioned the different themes used to interpret it: Was he a Christian or pagan hero?

In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are clear distinctions between an epic hero and a monster. Beowulf is the prime example of a epic hero possessing characteristics such as superior strength, courage, and loyalty. On the other hand, Grendel and Grendel’s mother are characteristized as evil and immoral based off of their actions. These characteristics are presented throughout the poem, and monsters are given grotesque, hideous appearances to further prove that they are evil. After Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother reaction revealed how the full presentation of a character can allow readers to react differently than before and even sympathized with them.

Beowulf is the longest surviving epic poem, which got translated to different languages hundreds of times. This masterpiece was originally written in Anglo-Saxon language, by an unknown author, somewhere between 8th and 11th centuries, in heroic style. It was written in England, even though the story takes place in Scandinavia. Beowulf is a story of friendship, heroism, support, and allegiance. This book is a faultless example of the hero’s journey, where the main character, an epic hero, Beowulf, meets misfortunes and successes on his way to éclat.

They had confidence and courage to win the battle in the name of Beowulf. The author’s perception of courage displays that good will always outperform evil. In conclusion, “Beowulf” illuminates characters and their dauntless actions. In the heroic tale “Beowulf,” the author’s tones strongly demonstrates themes of loyalty, honor, and courage.

In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king.

The poem Beowulf contains numerous instances of Pagan ideas, yet it leans more heavily toward Christian influences. Grendel is a representation of both paganism and the evil that permeates the universe. Beowulf is a representation of virtue and of God. The clash between Beowulf and Grendel represents the struggle between good and evil.

Throughout human history many books and fables have came from oral tradition. Oral tradition is defined as “a community's cultural and historical traditions passed down by word of mouth or example from one generation to another without written instruction”. Such oral tradition has been important to many cultures and texts but especially to anglo-saxon England and the anglo-saxon book Beowulf. The reason for the importance is that oral tradition kept the story of Beowulf alive, inspired it's making , affected the people of the time and kept the anglo-saxon literature alive as well.

The novel, Beowulf, intertwines and twists many different motifs within its story. These include monsters, weapons, and feasting. One motif, storytelling, is woven throughout the tale, and has an essential role in Beowulf. With little or no access to the written word, storytelling was the ideal way to spread ideas for public consumption. Oral tales provide a view into Anglo Saxon beliefs, how their monarchy functioned, and their socio-political structure.