Beowulf

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poem was transcribed in 1786, then some verses were translated into modern English in 1805, and nine complete translations were made in the 19th century Scholars have always wondered what the original form of the poem was, because it has long been handed down orally. It is one of the most famous poems in history on a Norse setting, which then inspired hundreds of other Fantasy authors, such as J. R. R. Tolkien. Anthony Burgess, a literary critic, said that Beowulf is essentially a warrior's story and that it represents an example of epic poem based on the archetype of the battle between the hero and the monster. In Beowulf we find an interesting mix of religious and cultural references that tell us something about the culture which produced it. The poem contains both pagan and Christian elements. It mainly refers to old Germanic sagas, but there are signs of Christian influence in the way some of the themes are developed. It is not known if it was written by Pagans and reinterpreted by Christians or if it was written by Christians who added Pagan elements to make the setting more realistic. Events take place during the sixth century, but they seem to be set in England. Some scholars suggest that the facts are set in East Anglia, others in Scandinavia. Another important aspect of the poem is the way it mixes myth and legend with reported historical facts. Many of the other figures named in Beowulf appear in Scandinavian sources. This concerns not only individuals, but also clans and certain events. Beowulf has been used as a source of information about Scandinavian figures. The language of Beowulf is typical of Anglo Saxon verse, making extensive use of kennings and alliteration, while the rhythm is dominated using caesura. In his 1999 translation of the poem into modern English, the Nobel prize winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney remained faithful to the style of the original. The story The poem, probably set in Scandinavia, tells the story of a hero called Beowulf, a native of Geatland, who becomes famous by helping Hrothgar, the King of the Danes, the inhabitants of Denmark. Hrothgar's people are being terrorized by a half - human monster named Grendel. After many raids by the monster, the king asks Beowulf for help. Beowulf has the strength of a giant and can do things a man could not do. Grendel cannot be killed by man-made weapons, so Beowulf kills him by fighting against him with his bare hands. Then the hero kills Grendel's mother, who had sworn to take revenge for her son's murder. After that Beowulf returns to his own country to becomes king. Later in life, he decides to fight a dragon which is endangering his own people, the Geats, and is killed during the fight. The poem ends on a sombre note with Beowulf's own funeral, lamenting both the hero's death and the uncertain future of the people of Geatland. The poem suggests, that now they've been deprived of their great leader they might once again be vulnerable to attacks and to internal power struggles. The 3 most important characters: Analysis Beowulf: "The hero of all heroes," Beowulf, strong and courageous, is the prince of Geats. Once he makes a vow, he stands by his word, no matter what the cost, even if it takes his life. He is reluctant to back down from battle, just so he can be there for the people who are in great need to be saved from evil. He signifies the true heroic character because he is willing to risk his life for his ideals. Beowulf defeats three gruesome monsters, two of whom are descendants of Cain. Grendel's mother: She is another monster that Beowulf kills. She is virtually undefeatable by any human. She is a descendant of Cain. She kills Aeschere as revenge for her son's death. She finally dies in an underwater battle with the hero, Beowulf. Grendel: He is a monster that is half-man and half-fiend. He is the first monster that Beowulf kills. Also, he is enormous and possesses superhuman strength, which makes him undefeatable by the warriors of Denmark. He lives in the bottom of the lake not far from Heorot. Grendel is the descendant of Cain who represents evil and corruption. He has been attacking Heorot, where Denmark's warriors live, for twelve years, causing suffering and misery. Grendel is an extremely dark figure. Although it is difficult to picture him physically, we are told that his disembodied head is so large that it takes four men to transport it. Psychologically, Grendel is characterized by his insatiable greed and terrible violence, character traits that were manifest in the behavior of several Anglo-Saxon kings. Grendel's typical strategy is to kill men while they sleep. Beowulf seems to suggest certain parallels between the monster Grendel and negative aspects within Anglo Saxon society. Looking forward several centuries, we can see similarities between the monster's actions and those of Shakespeare's character Macbeth, who kills his own king, Duncan, as he sleeps. Even now Grendel's behavior is studied by several psychologist to understand better his action. Scholars called his behavior as "Grendel's Mental Disorder's". Grendel's personality can be paralleled with human behavioral disorders which can shown through Gardner's use of visual imagery, diction, and parallelism. He has different behavior disorders as: wealtheow, sadistic, bipolarity, pleasure from extreme cruelty. Usually, in humans, there are a sign of someone felt a lack of control at a younger age and this has resulted a mental disorder marked by alternating periods of elation and depression.