Beowulf (pronounced /ˈBeɪoʊwʊlf/, /ˈBeɪəwʊlf/, Old English IPA: [ˈbeːo̯wʊlf]) is a legendary Geatish hero and later king in the Old English epic poem named after him, the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language.
Of all the medieval epics, it reflects Christian ethics and values most strongly even though it never explicitly mentions anything Christian. (But consider the circumstances in which Beowulf dies--giving his life to save his people, accompanied by twelve followers, one of whom is responsible for his having to face this crisis, and all but another of whom flee at the crucial moment. And Beowulf charges that one with the task of carrying on his work.)
Beowulf the character is a model of honor to be emulated. When Hyglac dies and the Geatish leaders, including the widowed Queen, beg him to become King to keep foreign powers from thinking they're weak and vulnerable because they have a child King and invading, Beowulf refuss to deprive Hygelac's young son of his inheritance but promises to deal with any enemy invasion himself. Here he is showing a sense of honor that is internal and stricter than that of the people around him It's as if they said to him, "No one will think badly of you if you do this," and he replied, "I would think badly of myself."
It's also significant that the poet never shows us Beowulf fighting other people--only monsters. Both monsters are usually interpreted as symbols of the evil in human nature, and both have existed, esentially dormant, on the fringes of human society since time immemorial, until they are set on a destructive rampage by well-intentioned but insufficiently thought out human acts. Hrothgar builds Heorot for his warriors to .live in, but he also wants it to reach "higher toward Heaven" than any building yet known--an unacknowledged motive of pride. The result is that Grendel is stirred into action. The runaway slave takes a cup from the dragon;s hoard as a peace-offering for his master but doesn't consider that it may belong to someone else or that taking it may cause trouble. In both cases, the poet seems to be saying that if we act, even with good intentions, without adequately examining our motives, we may be openig the door for the evil ("orginal sin" if you like) in our own natures to grow stronger.
Another lesson that the poem teaches is that nothing in this world, especially nothing man-made, lasts--the theme of transitoriness. .That theme is there from the beginning. The poet gives more lines to Scyld Scaefing's fueral than to his accomplishments as King. When the building of Heroot is described, we're told already that it was to burn down. The treasure that the dragon has taken possession of was amassed by a long-extinct race of people. And at the very end, at Beowulf's funeral, the Geats foresee that his death will also be the death of the society. The underlying message, like that of so much of Old English poetry, is that people should not trust in things of this world but should put their trust in God.
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Beowulf (pronounced /ˈBeɪoʊwʊlf/, /ˈBeɪəwʊlf/, Old English IPA: [ˈbeːo̯wʊlf]) is a legendary Geatish hero and later king in the Old English epic poem named after him, the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_(character)
http://www.bookrags.com/Beowulf
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/beo/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/beowulf/
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-33....
http://www.novelguide.com/Beowulf/index.html
http://www.campusnut.com/book.cfm?article_id=696
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pm...
http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/beow...
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/beowul...
Beowulf – Anonymous
http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGk3L1y4Z...
Of all the medieval epics, it reflects Christian ethics and values most strongly even though it never explicitly mentions anything Christian. (But consider the circumstances in which Beowulf dies--giving his life to save his people, accompanied by twelve followers, one of whom is responsible for his having to face this crisis, and all but another of whom flee at the crucial moment. And Beowulf charges that one with the task of carrying on his work.)
Beowulf the character is a model of honor to be emulated. When Hyglac dies and the Geatish leaders, including the widowed Queen, beg him to become King to keep foreign powers from thinking they're weak and vulnerable because they have a child King and invading, Beowulf refuss to deprive Hygelac's young son of his inheritance but promises to deal with any enemy invasion himself. Here he is showing a sense of honor that is internal and stricter than that of the people around him It's as if they said to him, "No one will think badly of you if you do this," and he replied, "I would think badly of myself."
It's also significant that the poet never shows us Beowulf fighting other people--only monsters. Both monsters are usually interpreted as symbols of the evil in human nature, and both have existed, esentially dormant, on the fringes of human society since time immemorial, until they are set on a destructive rampage by well-intentioned but insufficiently thought out human acts. Hrothgar builds Heorot for his warriors to .live in, but he also wants it to reach "higher toward Heaven" than any building yet known--an unacknowledged motive of pride. The result is that Grendel is stirred into action. The runaway slave takes a cup from the dragon;s hoard as a peace-offering for his master but doesn't consider that it may belong to someone else or that taking it may cause trouble. In both cases, the poet seems to be saying that if we act, even with good intentions, without adequately examining our motives, we may be openig the door for the evil ("orginal sin" if you like) in our own natures to grow stronger.
Another lesson that the poem teaches is that nothing in this world, especially nothing man-made, lasts--the theme of transitoriness. .That theme is there from the beginning. The poet gives more lines to Scyld Scaefing's fueral than to his accomplishments as King. When the building of Heroot is described, we're told already that it was to burn down. The treasure that the dragon has taken possession of was amassed by a long-extinct race of people. And at the very end, at Beowulf's funeral, the Geats foresee that his death will also be the death of the society. The underlying message, like that of so much of Old English poetry, is that people should not trust in things of this world but should put their trust in God.