BEOWULF ANALYSIS
BEOWULF ANALYSISBy: Erick
Beowulf was written in England sometime in the 8th century. Beowulf was written in a time when Christianity was becoming a major religion and Paganism was still widely practiced. Beowulf was originally probably a folklore legend told in early Celtic and Scandinavian cultures that was passed through the ages by word-of-mouth and was written down and revised by a Christian monk in later centuries. Beowulf has a combination of Pagan and Christian influences written into it. This combination makes this story great. The pagan elements in the epic poem Beowulf are evident in the characters superhuman qualities. Beowulf is depicted as a superhero. �...Beowulf,...the strongest of the Geats-greater and stronger that anyone any where in this world-...�(Beowulf, lines 110-111). �Dripping with my enemies� blood...drove five great giants into chains...hunting monsters out of the ocean, killing them one by one...�(Beowulf, lines 153-1580). Beowulf takes it upon himself to save the Danes from Grendel. In his battle with Grendel, Beowulf chooses not to use weapons; he relies on his super strength. �...the monster�s scorn...so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I...�(Beowulf, lines 167-169). During the fight, Beowulf's strength takes over and Beowulf wrestles with Grendel until he is able to rip one of the monster's arms out of its socket. Superhuman feats also appear in the fight with Grendel's mother. When Beowulf enters the water, he swims downward for most of the day before he sees the bottom. �For hours he sank through the waves;...�(Beowulf, line 572). He does this without the use of oxygen. During the battle with Grendel's mother, Beowulf realizes that Unferth's sword is useless against the monsters thick skin. He grabs an enormous sword made by giants, almost too heavy to hold and slashes through the monster's body. �Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword,...the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man could lift...lifted it high over his head and struck with all the strength he had left,...�(Beowulf, lines 633-641). This superhero strength continues into the battle with the dragon. By this time, Beowulf is an old man. He stands up to the dragon and wounds him. Although Beowulf is fatally wounded himself, he still manages to deliver the final blow that kills the dragon. Grendel is also seen as a superhuman monster. Grendel has no knowledge of weapons so he too depends on his extraordinary strength to destroy his enemies. �Snatched up thirty men, smashed them...�(Beowulf, line 37). Also do to the fear of Grendel people prayed to their stone gods, a pagan ritual. �And sometimes they sacrificed to the old stone gods...hoping for Hell�s support...�(Beowulf, lines 90-92). The dragon is also seen as a super powerful adversary. The dragon in Beowulf spits fire with such intense heat that it melts Beowulf's shield to his body. These battles are examples of epic folklore during pagan times. Also Beowulf's single destiny is to help his people by dying while fighting a supernatural...
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