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

Epic and Epic Heroes Epic is probably one of the most fascinating forms of ancient narratives and its contribution to the growth and evolution of literature cannot be overestimated. To seek a clear definition of an epic would be a futile attempt since there appears to be lesser consensus on its definition than we have on tax cuts today. Philosopher, writers and oral masters since the times of Aristotle to Seamus

Beowulf The epic poem Beowulf consists of two distinct parts held together by the person of the hero. These two parts balance each other, demonstrating a heroic life in youth and old age. Briefly the poem begins with Hrothgar, King of the Danes, who is terrorized by Grendel, a monster who comes night after night for twelve years to carry off and devour the vassals of Herot. Beowulf of Geats hears

Beowulf: Examining Grendel One of the reasons that Beowolf is such a timeless text is because of the entrancing ambiguity of many of the characters described. Perhaps the most quixotic is Grendel, an entity which is described as monstrous, but which might not actually be a monster. This paper will discuss how Grendel in many respects embodies so many forms of all that is monstrous. However, when determining if Grendel is

embedded values within the Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon communities through their fundamental belief systems. In particular, it seeks to uncover the underlying similarities as also the divergence apparent in the cultures by addressing the implication of embracing the Christian religion to the Anglo-Saxon successors who followed the traditional belief in Norse gods by the Germanic ethnic group and the culture of a heroic fighter that are still living under extremely

King Arthur's formation of the Knights of the Round Table, his association with the wise Merlin, and the Guinevere-Lancelot are all fairly well-known elements of King Arthur's story that help to exemplify his heroism in the Anglo-Saxon conception of the term, but more than this Arthur was initially remembered and revered for helping to end in fighting between various war lords and factions that existed in the British Isles