Epic of Beowulf Essay - Beowulf as Heroic Archetype

Beowulf as Heroic Archetype Monsters, their mothers, and dragons! The epic poem Beowulf, author unknown, includes all these mystical creatures and an impervious protagonist after which the poem is named. As the main character in the poem, Beowulf exemplifies the heroic archetype physically, spiritually, and ethically. Beowulf is superior to the average person in many areas, among them physical strength. Throughout the poem, Beowulf accomplishes feats that no other man would be able to survive and proves his boundless might. Beowulf is described to Hrothgar, king of the Danes, by a messenger as ...a mighty warrior, powerful and wise (line 370). Beowulf himself challenges the insults of Unferth by saying, ...no strength†¦show more content†¦Upon entering the Danes hall, Herot, Grendel is confronted by Beowulf, who immediately seizes Grendels arms and drives fear into the monsters heart, ... [Grendel] knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had he met a man whose hands were harder... (lines 751-752). Through his slaughter of Grendel, Grendels mom, the dragon, and other monsters, Beowulf proves his amazing strength to the other characters and to the readers. Beowulf also appears to be very religious and, unlike other proud warriors, he always puts his faith in God and gives Him the credit of his victories. Before facing Grendel, Beowulf exclaims to the others in the hall, ... Let God in his wisdom/ Extend his hand where he wills, reward/ Whom he chooses (lines 685-687). In addition, after his fight with Grendels mother, Beowulf returns and tells Hrothgar that he would have died if God had not helped him, ...Id have been dead at once/ And the fight finished, the she-devil victorious,/ If our Father in Heaven had not helped me (lines 1656-1658). Even at the very end of his life, Beowulf proclaims to Wiglaf that everything he had acquired had been through the will of God, For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank/ Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth--/ For all of this, that His grace has given me... (lines 2794-2796). Up until the end, Beowulf demonstratesShow MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesattit udes emergence of ethnic writers and women writers Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · narratives: both fiction and nonfiction anti-heroes concern with connections between people emotion-provoking humorous irony storytelling emphasized autobiographical essays Effect: ï‚ · too soon to tell Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · people beginning a new century and a new millennium media culture interprets values Analyzing Poetry: Poetry Tips Analyzing Poetry What is poetry? How is it analyzed? What areRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesin a line of verse. There are four basic kinds of meter: Accentual (strong-stress) meter: The number of stressed syllables in a line is fixed, but the number of total syllables is not. This kind of meter is common in Anglo-Saxon poetry, such as Beowulf. Gerard Manley Hopkins developed a form of accentual meter called sprung rhythm, which had considerable influence on 20th-century poetry. Syllabic meter: The number of total syllables in a line is fixed, but the number of stressed syllables is notRead MoreSituational Analysis: 7th Grade Language Arts6569 Words   |  26 Pagesexplain rituals, customs, and beliefs. To explain historical events. To teach moral lessons. Tales of the hero and the heroic quest occur in nearly every world culture. If we look closely at the hero tales from all over the world and compare them, we find what the American mythologist Joseph Campbell called the mono-myth - literally, the one story. This mono-myth, or archetypal heroic quest story, has remarkably the same structure from culture to culture, but is really the same hero underneath, facing