When Grendel tries to attack the place, it is seen as the attack of chaos aimed at structure and order. "Then a powerful demon, a prowler in the dark, / nursed a hard grievance" (86-87). Grendel is not an intelligent enemy but he is definitely powerful. His immense power turns him into a dangerous force since reason doesn't reside inside him. The hall was a symbol of civilization as the poet informs us: "inside Heorot / there was nothing but friendship" (1017-1018). Thus hall has immense symbolic value in the book and is aptly described as the "greatest house / in the world" (145-146).
Beowulf is perfectly aware of the importance of Heorot. He knows that by saving the place, and defeating Grendel, he could actually be presented with the greatest house on earth. In a passage, he acknowledges the worth and value of this place:
The men hurried forward, pressed on together to where they could plainly see the timbered hall, splendid and gold-bright; that hall was by far the most famous to earth-dwellers under the skies, where the mighty king was waiting. Its light shone out over many lands. (306-311)]
Beowulf's worth is raised by the fact that he could purify the hall of Grendel. He is seen as a deliverer much in the same way as Jesus. This is evident from the lines Hrothgar's wife speaks when Beowulf gains victory. She sees Beowulf as "a deliverer she could believe in...to ease their afflictions" (626-628). Grendel is seen as the "captain...
And all that would remain would be their brothers to mourn them, inconsolable. The anxiety expressed by this poem is acutely felt and accurately represents the norms of the era. During this era, if someone was killed by someone else, the family of the slain person would have to kill the murderers in order to avenge the death of their beloved. Thus, it makes perfect sense that the poem goes
In this context, Beowulf is indeed the preserver of order against the darkness and anarchy brought by the violent, evil forces: "The circle of light that is human life is constantly under attack by the powers of Chaos and darkness, and the hero fends them off as well as he can, purging Heorot and Grendel's mere, fighting monsters in the waters, harrowing Hell in order that God's light may
Off from the sill there Bent mead-benches many, as men have informed me, Adorned with gold-work, where the grim ones did struggle. The Scylding wise men weened ne'er before That by might and main-strength a man under heaven Might break it in pieces, bone-decked, resplendent, Crush it by cunning, unless clutch of the fire In smoke should consume it. (12. 62-73) The physical properties that Hrothgar's men had built into the Hall withstood this battle of good
Beowulf and I is an Other Metaphor in Beowulf and I is an Other James Geary states that "metaphor grounds even the most abstract ideas in the physiological facts of our bodies" (96). This is nowhere more true than in the medieval epic Beowulf, which uses fantastic physiological feats of strength and body to illustrate the abstract principles of virtue and nobility in the epic's hero. This paper will provide a metaphorical
Beowulf is a hero who embodies the ideal characteristics in the Anglo-Saxon culture; these characteristics all come together to make up an epic tale. He possesses the traits and beliefs that were respected in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf displays these traits in his own actions and words during different circumstances throughout the tale. Beowulf is shown to be the strongest among the strong. Physical strength was very much embraced by
Beowulf and Treasure In the epic poem Beowulf, the hero is one born to wealth and raised to wealth. This position, rather than making him weak, has allowed Beowulf to become respected in his community as a man of generosity and, because of his skills as a warrior, immense courage. To this extent, the reader sees Beowulf engaging in acts of bravery and of generosity towards his fellow men. Contrast this
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