Beowulf's Legacy

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English class introduces me to a variety of intricate texts that I find ecstasy in unpacking. While my peers read a text out of force, I read to understand points of view that change my world. One of these texts is Beowulf, the first piece of literature written in English by an unknown author. The epic poem chronicles Beowulf's heroic battles against the evil monster Grendel, his mother, and a mighty dragon. When he faces the dragon, he introspects on his life, showing his heroism, mortality, and legacy that define the epic poem.

"Since I knew how to swing a sword, I've suffered much for the cause of the people. I risked my life often in my youth. Now I am old, but as the ruler of this people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only come to me, and let me take my sword, my old king's blade, to face him" (lines 2511-2517).

This passage exemplifies the poem's heroism, mortality, and legacy. Beowulf is now an elderly ruler, introspecting his …show more content…
A selfless love for his kingdom drives Beowulf; however, he also desires to leave an impressive legacy as a warrior. He says he fights "for the glory of winning," showing his want to win for the sake of winning. He wants to be remembered for his strength and courage. The epic poem consistently demonstrates the idea of legacy and glory. The author included this because it is human nature. One can read the poem and say that Beowulf is selfish for desiring glory; however, everyone has selfish wants and desires. Educating and inspiring readers requires relatable characters; otherwise, the morals will not stick. Considering legacy, the author wants the reader to accomplish something greater than themselves. A desire to be remembered drives many to help others or change the world; the author sought to push grand behavior on people. The author was intelligent and knew how to craft an entertaining but inspirational epic

Beowulf's Legacy

securing a legacy for the battles he would take part in. As his life progresses and battles are fought Beowulf is crowned king of the Geats. Now in the second half of his glorious life he is threatened with his final beast. As a king he is determined to keep the legacy he declared as a younger man and this shows during his final battle. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest,…

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Beowulf's Legacy

Over the course of the poem he has fought. Beowulf has fought 3 battles and each battle helps him in some way to become a significant hero. Beowulf started his legacy with his first fight against Grendel he becomes a hero to the people for taking down Grendel, he has killed a lot of people for believing and praising God. Grendel was looking to kill any believer of God he thinks that he could over power anyone. “Grendel came hoping to kill anyone he could trap on this trip to high herot”pg56 Grendel…

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How Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

wonder, what were his reasons behind the things he did? In the poem, Beowulf has three battles with three different beasts. During the third battle with a mighty, but evil dragon, Beowulf’s life comes to an end. Why does he do it? Beowulf's motivations as a hero derive from his sense of obligation, desire to create a legacy, and for the good of his people. Duty is a word that is extremely important to the Anglo-Saxon code. In the epic, “Beowulf,” Beowulf comes to Denmark with a priority to defeat the…

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Loyalty In Beowulf

loyalty of men and women between each other is obvious in Beowulf. In this time period, loyalty was among the highest traits a person could have. The theme of Loyalty throughout this heroic epic develops and grows as readers dive into the tale of Beowulf’s legacy. Loyalty reveals the true values of certain characters. For Beowulf, loyalty leads him throughout his journey of life, and because…

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Who Is Beowulf A Hero

In the epic poem "Beowulf," the arrival of the young hero Beowulf at the mead hall of King Hrothgar marks the beginning of an iconic tale of courage, heroism, and leadership. Beowulf's character embodies an elaborate amalgamation of altruism and egotism, as he vowed to rid the Danes of the monstrous beast Grendel. Grendel was a monster that was said to contain the strength of thirty men as well as slaughtered and devoured the warriors of King Hrothgar frequently. Comparing Beowulf to other young…

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Literary Analysis Beowulf

monument to my people and tower high on ‘Whale’s Head,’ so that seafarers afterwards shall call it ‘Beowulf’s Barrow,’ when their broad ships they drive from afar over the darkening flood” 2808 (Liuzza 2802-2808). In my scholarly opinion, it makes perfect sense that Beowulf is so adamant about seeing the “fruits of his labor” treasure before he passes away and leaves the mortal world. It is important to note that these spoils symbolize the generational bonds of kinship and loyalty. His relief upon…

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Beowulf: Fighting The Dragon

greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (195-196). Yet, man has limits, and even Beowulf’s limits were tried and tested. Clearly, his most difficult battle was his last. Fighting the dragon was the most challenging battle Beowulf encountered because Beowulf was far older than his previous battles, the dragon was the most capable fighter of all of Beowulf’s opponents, and Beowulf’s mindset was very different this battle in comparison to his other battles. In the past Beowulf fought…

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Chaucer's Use Of Satire In Beowulf

Throughout history, writers have always written to try to lure reader into their text. Whether it’s the modern day and the book cover is created well or the first of literatures with relations to god. Either way, authors need to get their information out there make making it appealing. In the modern day, journalist use different styles of writing to targets different groups of people. They can easily sway a person’s opinion by their choice of wording. This is exactly was Chaucer is able to do in…

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Grendel's Mother and Poem Beowulf Essay

Mrs. Jones Senior English 17 April 2013 A Hero's Legacy The poem Beowulf written by an unknown anglo-saxon in the 8th century, is a story about a hero. A hero who kills monsters with his bare hands and slays dragons with a steel sword. He has incredible strength, and he receives great amounts of gold and treasure for his deeds. He is a king who rules his kingdom fairly, and is loved by all. It's these extraordinary deeds that bring this ancient story, set in 6th century Denmark, to modern…

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The Mythological/Archetypal Theory In Beowulf

The approach to literature known as the mythological/archetypal theory relies on the integration of symbols within a text. This applies to innumerable stories throughout history, if not all of them. The overall idea of this theory is to connect different works in contrasting time periods. Evidence of the theory comes from similar myths and legends of completely different cultures and regions. Scholars have attempted to connect stories to one archetype, in particular--the hero and his quest. For example…

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