In this excerpt from the story, Beowulf tells the people that he is not afraid of this fiend and that he will conquer Grendel at all costs.
"Grendel is no braver, no stronger than I am! I could kill him with my sword; I shall not, easy as it would be. This fiend is a bold and famous fighter, but his claws and teeth scratching at my shield, his clumsy fists beating at my sword blade, would be helpless. I will meet him with my hands empty- unless his heart fails him, seeing a soldier waiting weaponless, unafraid. Let God in his wisdom extend His hand where He wills, reward whom He chooses!" (Lines 677-687) In this excerpt from the story, Beowulf tells the people that he is not afraid of this fiend and that he will conquer Grendel at all costs. He also shows qualities of a hero when he talks as if the fight will be no match for him and that he will not even need weaponry to defeat the mighty Grendel. By speaking all of this the people begin to trust in him and believe that he could really be their hero and end their problems. Basically, Beowulf takes on the hero role and begins to show hero qualities to the people thorough this speech, which he gives. "The sounds changed, the Danes started in new terror, cowering in their beds as the terrible screams of the Almighty's enemy sang in the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain and defeat, the tears torn out of Grendel's taut throat, hell's captive caught in the arms of him who of all the men on earth was the strongest." (Lines 783-790) In this excerpt from the story,
The Knight's Tale and the Miller's Tale. There is no more reason for Arcites death than for Alisons triumph, both are just random events. Discuss.
'There is no more reason for Arcite's death than for Alison's triumph, both are just random events.' Discuss. The sense of random happenings and arbitrary choices that pervades The Canterbury Tales applies not only to the tales the Pilgrims tell but also to the situation that they are in- the pilgrimage to Canterbury. Chaucer constructs the pilgrimage so that Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye Of sundry folk, by aventure yfalle In felaweship, and pilgrims were they alle (24-6) are gathered together, irrespective of degree or rank or social class. Chaucer's narrator claims they are there 'by aventure', and of course in 14th Century terms it is random that these 'sondry folk' should all meet, but on another level there is nothing random about Chaucer's decision to create these characters for the purposes of telling the tales. In this way the sense of 'randomness' goes hand in hand with Chaucer's attempts to impose some kind of realism upon the tales. In order for the situation to be convincing, there must be an absence of obvious author manipulation, and by heightening the sense of the pilgrimage and collection of pilgrims as a random occurrence, the author is pushed further away from a reader's consciousness. Chaucer's narrator is of course a key element of this, another obstacle further shielding the reader from Chaucer's direct views. The apparent inability of this
Pity for the Damned. In the epic poem The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Dante experiences pity for the damned souls in hell, which defies the Christian Churchs concept of frowning upon those in purgatory. Canto XIII of The Inferno exemplifies Dante
Pity for the Damned: Dante's Quest for Personal Understanding In the epic poem The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Dante experiences pity for the damned souls in hell, which defies the Christian Church's concept of frowning upon those in purgatory. Canto XIII of The Inferno exemplifies Dante's ideas about people who commit suicide, which runs entirely contrary to the Church, who believes that those who commit suicide have dishonored God's gift of human life. Dante's defiance reflects his ability to analyze his surroundings and utilize his free will to think when released from the Church's grasp. Interestingly, he is only able to feel complete mental freedom in Hell, the place the Church disdains. Therefore, this poem is Dante criticizing society for blindly following the Church and diminishing their ability to think for themselves, and the Church for creating this type of controlling environment. Canto XIII (The Forest of Suicides) is solely dedicated to suicides, unlike any other Canto, which illustrates the significance of this point in Dante's journey to the underworld. He passes through six levels of hell before reaching the circle of violence and he has not felt this much pity since the story of Francesca. Upon entering the forest Dante questions his surroundings, an expected response of him. The entrance to the woods illustrates the pull between the imagined and
Beowulf - The real Story
Beowulf: The REAL Story (A short story written by Charlie Nelson and Joey Unkenholz) Chapter One The dragon sank his fangs into Beowulf neck, Beowulf collapsing into the ground. Wiglaf drew his sword, swung with all his might, missing the dragon. Left vulnerable to the engulfing flames emitted from the dragon, his arm was scorched. Struck with fear and embodied in pain, Wiglaf dropped his shield and sword and took to his feet as the dragon roared in rage. Mislead that Beowulf was dead the dragon went back into his lair. Beowulf's eyes opened suddenly, glancing at his awkward surroundings. As his hand makes contact with his neck, he can feel he has been badly wounded. His surroundings are of rock and of darkness darker than the darkest night. Dark that only evil can produce. Beowulf picked himself up from the cold floors of the cavern. Vision impaired, he could only see the blur of light coming through the entrance of the cave. Foot after foot staggered in front in front of each other as he made his way to the incandescence being emitted through the opening. Once outside, the light blinded him. Dizziness and fatigue took control of his body and in seconds he was back on the ground. "Sir, sir, are you alright?" Beowulf eyes opened slowly. "Yes I think I am alright, but I am a bit confused. Where am I? How did I get here?" "Well, sir, you are in the home of
Selfishness in the Act of Service.
Erin Harrington September 11, 2001 Selfishness in the Act of Service Arriving on the Danish shore, with an heir of pride and honor, Beowulf swiftly leads his men up the countryside to Heorot. He is eager to rid the Danes of their misery. He believes that he is the answer who will defeat Grendel. Because this challenge is so dangerous, it terrifies many warriors, but it entices Beowulf to attempt it (Core 7). As we read, we cannot help but think how honorable it is for him to use his gifts to help others, but as we quickly see this is not all about helping the Danes. Beowulf is also gaining something for himself. He is helping himself gain a legacy and he is showing off his great mental and physical power. As soon as he arrives at Heorot, he tells king Hrothgar of his experience fighting against water-monsters. He describes how he will defeat Grendel with his famous handgrip. Unferth challenges Beowulf, and ridicules his week-long swimming match against Breca, which he lost. Beowulf reminds him that they were boys when they challenged each other, and that he lost the contest because sea monsters, which he defeated, attacked him. He also adds that he saved Breca's life in the process. Before going to sleep that night, Beowulf removes his armor and puts away his sword. He says that he will not use any weapons to fight Grendel. He boasts that he does not consider
Compare the heroic status of Beowulf and Daredevil.
Kevin J. Furst Mrs. Catrillo Honors English 12 21 February 2004 The heroes of today have maintained the same general values of a hero that were established centuries ago. No matter what their background seems to be, the fearlessness and sacrifice they possess exceeds that of the average man. Heroes were often looked upon as a real, tangible being, but now they are more fictionalized in many comic books of the 20th century. The epic poem, Beowulf, and Daredevil, created by Stan Lee, are both superheroes of their times in more ways than one. Although written in two completely different time periods, the strength, devotion, and bravery they exemplify reflect the lifestyle of both the Anglo-Saxon and modern day societies. The strength of a hero is not only measured by the size of their muscles, but also by their mentality. Beowulf has the strength of 30 men and swam to the bottom of the lake without coming up for air. "Beowulf, Higlac's/Follower and the strongest of the Geats-greater/And stronger than anyone anywhere is this world..." (Lines 194-196). His battle with nine sea monsters while swimming for seven days in the sea solidified his strength. The enormity of his strength could not be measured until he swam to the bottom of the bubbling lake to fight Grendel's mother in the battle hall. Daredevil, a New York lawyer fights the criminals that he could not bring to justice
Virtues of Heroism.
Jeremy Reed British Fiction 9/14/03 Beowulf assignment #2 Virtues of Heroism A hero is an idealized individual, who exemplifies the finer qualities of man. He is distinguished by his exceptional courage, fortitude, and bold enterprise. In the epic poem Beowulf, by Anonymous, Beowulf (the central character) embodies the distinctive qualities of a noble hero. His character illustrates a perfect parity between the natural forces instinctive within the nature of man. Throughout the novel, his righteousness combats the malevolence thriving in his harsh world. This environment is a melting pot of multiple dualities. The poem illustrates a clear-cut struggle between one of the most prominent dualisms, good and evil. Evil emerges from the absence of goodness. Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon are all perverted forces of evil. They are bent on mass destruction and chaos. Grendel invokes a sense of terror while he ravages Hrothgar's Danish hall (Heorot), "So Hrothgar's men lived happy in his hall till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain" (pg26). Heorot symbolizes civilization. It is the center of community life, where happiness and freedom are celebrated. It is also the site of
Drinking temptations
Drinking temptations Today in our society peer pressure has a huge effect on how we make our life decisions. Many of teens are tempted everyday. Whether drinking, drugs or sex, temptation is alive and well. Everyone seems to experience it. It's a natural part of life. I too have been pressured to do things I didn't want to do. Recently I have been tempted to drink. I was at work. My old job was a landscaping business that had all of their contracts through the water company. My bosses name was Michel. He was fairly young, maybe in his late twenties. He loved to party. He seemed to go out every night. He said he was enjoying life. We were in the truck going back to the water company because we were done for the day. Michel said, "Hey are you thirsty?" This is when the ninety-degree weather was in town and being behind a weed eater all day didn't really help keep me cool. I said, "You bet." So we stop at Speedway and he tells me to wait in the truck, so I sat there listening to the radio. We always had to listen to country. I hate country music. Anyways, He comes strolling back out with a twelve pack of Coronas. I looked at him. His face seemed like it might explode if he tried to stretch his smile any further. He jumps in the truck stirring up the dust and puts the beer between us. Michel pulls two out and hands me one. "This is the best thing to
Women's Role in Grendel.
Michael Waller 8/26/03 Grendel #1 Women's Role in Grendel In Grendel, John Gardner emphasizes the importance of women despite their position of servitude through his usage of the character Wealtheow. In typical Anglo-Saxon times, it was typical for women to be offered as tokens of peace within the noble courts. Wealhtheow's brother, King of the Helmings, bestowed her to King Hrothgar to promote peace amongst the Helmings and Scyldings: "She had given, her life for those she loved. So would any simpering, eyelash batting female in her court, given the proper setup, the minimal conditions." The men in the novel, even her brother, did not make any considerations for Wealtheow's feelings or ties to her current situation. Her plans were abandoned to fulfill their own desires; she was not a Scylding, nor did she desire to be one, but she understood the importance of the arrangement and endured. Queen Wealhtheow put up an excellent disguise when hiding the pain she experienced from being forced to be Hrothgar's wife. Wealhtheow was wistful; she missed her land and her brother, yet she persevered. She exhibited courage and soundness of spirit as she handled her precarious position with tact and reverence. Queen Wealhtheow showed excellent dignity and was admired by the entire community. Her presence "brought light and warmth, men began talking, joking and laughing, both Danes
I can not help but wonder why they would do this to me. I have been at peace with these humans for many years. The wrong that they brought upon me has driven me to the edge. I can not let them, these barbarians, take me for a fool.
I can not help but wonder why they would do this to me. I have been at peace with these humans for many years. The wrong that they brought upon me has driven me to the edge. I can not let them, these barbarians, take me for a fool. For 300 years I have guarded my treasure. My family and I had taken it from a human's town that we once fumed upon. I took my share and placed it on the upland heath concealed in a barrow. No man should have seen it or even caught a reflection of these jewels sparkling in the light of the sun. I was isolated from this world because of what I am, the fire-drake, they call me. When Hygelac was king I did not bother his people often, even when the new ruler came to power for 50 years I did not bother his kingdom. A dirty human then snatched one of my treasure pieces right out of the barrow. The day I came back to my lair I knew something was missing. The precious cup made of gold and jewels had disappeared. Angry and full of rage I set forth to seek out the wretched thief, while returning to my barrow numerous of time to see if my eyes had deceived me. The gold treasure-cup was still no where to be found. I will burn them all to ashes. The fury that I possessed was uncontrollable. I could feel the anger slowly making its why through my body, and until I found the thief I was going to contain it. There were so many of these creatures