Comparing Beowulf And The Anglo Saxon Era - 1015 Words

Hannah Bennett Mrs.Billingsly English IV 10 September 2015 Loyalty in the Three Battles During the Anglo Saxon era the epic poem, Beowulf, displayed many themes. Beowulf and the Anglo Saxon culture are alike in multiple ways, one of them is being loyal through hardships. â€Å"In Anglo-Saxon culture and literatures, the characteristics of a hero are to be bold, strong, fearless, loyal and showing indifference to pain† (Lam). Beowulf showed all of these amazing qualities throughout the poem. There was never an instance where he wanted to give up and let his people down. He The most compelling of these themes is, Beowulf and the three battles he fought. Beowulf fought in unarmed combat with the dreaded Grendel, defeated the monster’s mother and then lived to courageously battle the dragon that finally defeated him in the end. Imagine facing your biggest enemy without any weapons and stepping into a battle when nobody else would while facing a blood thirsty monster. This is exactly what Beowulf the Geatish warrior did whenever he was summoned by King Hrothgar to defeat the mighty, Grendel. Beowulf firmly states, â€Å"I will not shift a foot† (Beowulf 2524). Beowulf is determined to stand his ground and never give up. He believes in himself. Loyalty is what drove Beowulf to do the unthinkable. It was the emotion inside of him that provided the ability to defeat Grendel when they are called together to battle: â€Å"They have seen my strength for themselves,/ Have watched me rise from theShow MoreRelatedThe Anglo Saxon Era Of Rich History And Reflected Literature1486 Words   |  6 PagesThe Anglo Saxon Era of Rich History and Reflected Literature The Anglo Saxon Period began in 449 and ended in 1066 AD. This was a time of Viking conquering other nations, patriotism, and Pagan to Christian religious conversion. There are only few recorded authors of this era as a result of literary works such as Beowulf, Wife’s Lament, and The Seafarer being passed down orally through generations of time. The literature serves as a reflection of this ancient time rather than having an impact on thisRead MoreEssay about Gift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey1707 Words   |  7 PagesGift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey Literature has always been an immensely helpful resource when discerning cultural values in societies past and present. Through the study of noteworthy historic fictional and factual, texts we are able to distinguish parallel characteristics present through many different cultures and time periods. These distinguishing characteristics are one of the main things that help us to determine when and how a society, or world culture as a whole changes as timeRead MoreRevenge In Beowulf And Iliad1605 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough Beowulf and Iliad. In Beowulf, it seen through numerous characters. Revenge is a unique emotion in which is can be very motivating to accomplish a certain task, to serve for justice. In Iliad, Achilles using the feeling of Revenge to complete his journey. Comparing the two stories, vengeances is shown in both, and both stories have a unique way of related the events of the story to the events and the culture and society at the time the stories were written. Revenge in Beowulf: In Beowulf revengeRead MorePeriods of English Literature1515 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish literature, seeing the depictions of a certain era through writings that unintentionally convey great varieties in the mentality and lifestyles of the people who lived during that time. From war and violence to the more genteel inclinations of love and peace, English literature has evolved throughout the centuries, most especially if one considers the differences between the Old English, Renaissance and Romantic periods. The Anglo-Saxon history is undoubtedly very interesting to study, asRead MoreThe Role Of Government In Beowulf And King Arthurs Society1629 Words   |  7 Pages Although the role of the government found in Beowulf and in King Arthurs societies had basically the same functions (to protect the people from invasion and provide safety and order within the community), each government was set up with some drastically different ideologies. The ideologies that perhaps governed the formation of each government were defined easily by the time periods in which each work was written. Both governments describe leaders (Kings) who are honorable and kind to their people