Old English Literature And Poetry Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

1223 total results

The Symbolic Opposition That Represent Good and Evil in Beowulf (913 words, 2 pages)

Although Grendel and Beowulf are used in Beowulf as symbolic opposition who represent good and evil, in reality, they contain similar ties leading the reader to question the story s black and white portrayal of good and evil. It s not a matter of being good or evil, in reality, ... Read More

An Analysis of the Antagonistic Traits of Beowulf in the Play “Beowulf” (280 words, 1 pages)

Art always manifests itself into life. The philosophy of art states that life is always portrayed in art but very vaguely, you have to see beyond its word and visions. Other than teaching a moral or serving an underlying theme, art always represents life and its surrounding. There are hidden ... Read More

The Battles Between Good and Evil in Beowulf (821 words, 1 pages)

Since the dawn of time, the forces of evil have always tried to gain an upper hand over the forces of good. The battles between these two forces have transcended time in both different forms and in different places. A hero is believed to be a figure renowned for exceptional ... Read More

The Themes of Courage, Courage, and Generosity in the Epic Poem Beowulf (597 words, 1 pages)

Beowulf is considered one of the first or earliest pieces of English literature. The epic poem tells the adventures of the larger than life hero, Beowulf. All human cultures both past and present honor and uphold certain values. Individuals who respect and demonstrate these values are often honored by others ... Read More

Beowulf’s Battle with Grendel, Grendel’s Mother and the Dragon (422 words, 1 pages)

Grendel was a powerful demon. According to the text, he was a descendant of Cain. He terrorized Denmark for over twelve years, killing hundreds of men. Grendel was evil by nature and never felt any remorse. He attacked Heorot until it finally stood empty. More than likely, Grendel attacked the ... Read More

An Analysis of the Character of Beowulf from the Epic Poem (518 words, 1 pages)

Beowulf EssayStories have been recounted and recorded for as long as man has walked the earth. Yet only the strong survive the changes of time. The unknown author of Beowulf created a legend. He mastered this extant poem with three terrifying antagonists. Beowulf s character is defined and given room ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of the Epic Beowulf (388 words, 1 pages)

The topic of my essay will explain how Beowulf becomes both a tragic hero and a proud fool. Beowulf becomes a world-renowned hero, but like many, his self-pride leads him to a horrible downfall, ultimately ending his life in tragedy. In the same way he becomes a proud fool by ... Read More

An Analysis of the Literary Heroes Beowulf and Odysseus (638 words, 2 pages)

Literary HeroesBeowulf and OdysseusReading through Beowulf I began to compare it to the last great epic I read, Homer s The Odyssey. While The Odyssey and Beowulf are each examples of both historic and modern ideas of heroism, the acts of Beowulf s hero seem to fit better within its ... Read More

A Comparison of Beowulf Versus Everyman (1121 words, 2 pages)

Beowulf vs. EverymanThe plays Beowulf and Everyman are two plays that were written to tell great stories and dictate morality to the readers. Each of the two poems tells a story with many examples of religion very evident in them. Stories from early times like these tell historians about the ... Read More

An Analysis of the Adventure Stories and the Anglo-Saxon Epic Beowulf (535 words, 1 pages)

People have enjoyed adventure stories for 1000 s of years. Some of the most popular adventure tales fit the criteria of epics. This is true of the Anglo Saxons story, Beowulf. Beowulf qualifies as an epic for the following reasons the hero performs courageous dead, the plot has supernatural beings ... Read More

An Overview of the Beowulf and Grendel in an Anglo-Saxon Epic Beowulf (675 words, 1 pages)

A hero has been defined differently as time has progressed. Depending on the situation and the culture, a hero can range from someone who does deeds of the heart to a savior with enormous strength. In the times of Beowulf in the ancient Anglo-Saxon times the hero was a strong, ... Read More

An Analysis of the Metaphors, Exaggeration and Alliteration in the Epic Poem Beowulf (798 words, 4 pages)

The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English by Christianmonks around 750 AD, is a wonderful adventure story about a warrior whokills ferocious monsters. The use of description and imagery enlivensthe story, making it possible for a reader to really see in his or hermind the characters and events. Metaphors, ... Read More

An Analysis of the Fusion of Christian and Pagan Ideas in the Epic Poem Beowulf (1564 words, 2 pages)

Beowulf-Christianity or PaganismBeowulf was written in England sometime in the 18th century. "This provides us with an idea of a poem that was written during a time when the society had converted from paganism to Christianity"(Cohen 138). "We know that paganism did exist alongside Christianity during the approximate era that ... Read More

An Analysis of Beowulf as a Christ-Like Figure (617 words, 1 pages)

BEOWULF AS A CHRIST-LIKE FIGURE The epic poem, Beowulf, recounts the tale of a man named Beowulf who sacrifices his own safety to save the Danes from two evil dragons. Then, years later, Beowulf risks his life yet again to save his own people from a dragon. Throughout the story, ... Read More

The Comparison of the Character Beowulf to Superman in the Play “Beowulf” (800 words, 1 pages)

A superman is superior being who possesses gifts beyond normal human ability or power. Although Beowulf does not sport the name and Superman does, it does not make him any less of a superhero. Beowulf, the hero of the epic poem Beowulf, and Superman, the man of steel from Marvel ... Read More

A Look at the Portrayal of Beowulf’s Strength, Compassion and Valor in the Play “Beowulf” (459 words, 1 pages)

Through out his many great battles, Beowulf has triumphed over every vile evil imaginable. His strength, compassion and valor make him the perfect hero. With fate along by his side he was the trump card of the Geats.The battle at Herot, a mead hall, and home to Hrothgar was a ... Read More

Exploring the Christian Elements of the Character Beowulf in the Play “Beowulf” (2157 words, 3 pages)

AChristian Elements in Beowulf Christian Elements in Beowulf The praised epic poem, Beowulf, is the first great heroic poem in English literature. The epic follows a courageous warrior named Beowulf throughout his young, adult life and into his old age. As a young man, Beowulf becomes a legendary hero when ... Read More

An Overview of the Aspects of Christianity and the Anglo-Saxon Epic Beowulf (373 words, 1 pages)

During the early middle age the civilizations in Briton did not have a religion. They were between pagan and Christianity. In the epic Beowulf the culture is predominately Christian.One aspect of Christianity is shown when they state words pertaining to the Christian religion. He spawned in that slime, conceived by ... Read More

An Analysis of the Two Different Heroes in Anglo-Saxon Epic Beowulf and Oedipus the King, a Play by Sophocles (582 words, 1 pages)

Beowulf and Oedipus the King Two Different HeroesIn both of these epics, Beowulf and Oedipus are seen as heroes and as saviors of the cities. Oedipus saves the city by solving the riddle of the sphinx, and Beowulf save the city by slaying Grendel and his mother. They both do ... Read More

Living in the Dark and Suffering from Pain In the Play “Beowulf” (458 words, 1 pages)

Grendel a spawn on Cain living in the dark and suffering from pain. In disguise Grendel goes to Herot, which was the golden guest hall. While there he slaughters thirty men. After the loss of the thirty men everyone becomes frighten leaving Herot empty for twelve years. Hearing about the ... Read More

The Description of the Character Beowulf as an Epic Hero in the Play “Beowulf” (828 words, 2 pages)

1. An epic hero represents a societys main problems and fears, how they seek to attain solutions, and what they value in a person. Usually an epic hero conquers the type of person disliked by the society, as in Beowulf.2. Many writers and poets use religious imagery in their works ... Read More

The Description of the Heroic Man of the Anglo-Saxon Times in the Epic “Beowulf” (722 words, 1 pages)

Beowulf, an epic poem, describes a most herioc man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is seemingly an invincible person with all of his extraordinary traits required to be a hero. He is able to use his super-human phyiscal strength and courage to put his people before himself. He ... Read More

A Plot Review of the Book “Beowulf” (605 words, 1 pages)

In the beginning of the book, Beowulf goes to help the Danes out by killing Grendel. Grendel is a ferocious monster that has been killing the Danes in the mead hall. During this time period, warriors will celebrate their victories and tell of their accomplishments by singing. This social gathering ... Read More

An Analysis of Racism in William Shakespeare’s Play “Beowulf” (888 words, 2 pages)

Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there is always somebody different. The American society focuses on that person, or group of people. They make them feel worthless and treated them like animals. Imagine walking down the street and having people stare at you or call you Names, or talk behind ... Read More

A Character Analysis of Wiglaf in Beowulf (580 words, 1 pages)

In the poem Beowulf there are many characters that play important roles. There are many characters that help Beowulf through his troubles and battles. One of the most loyal and crucial of these characters is Wiglaf.Beowulf returned to his kingdom to become king after he helped Hrothgar defeat Grendel. He ... Read More

An Overview of the Anglo-Saxon Civilization in the Epic Poem Beowulf (415 words, 1 pages)

The Anglo-Saxon, during this period England was divided into separate kingdoms. The Danes were forced to the northeastern part of England. They often fought among each other, but they had much in common. The Anglo-Saxon poetry was an oral art which was pasted down by their scops. The poem Beowulf ... Read More

An Analysis and the Definition of a Hero Beowulf in Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem (770 words, 3 pages)

HeroesWhat is a hero? Websters Dictionary defines a hero as someone who isadmired for his achievements and qualities. The question is, does this definitionapply to an Anglo-Saxon hero as well as a modern day hero? Heroes in moderntimes are found all over the world in all different social classes, races, ... Read More

The Description of Beowulf as the Bad Guy in the Epic Poem “Beowulf” (1023 words, 2 pages)

Beowulf as The Bad GuyBeowulf is portrayed as the hero of the epic poem Beowulf (c1200), although he is in reality the villain. Throughout the poem the poet, who is unknown, believes Beowulf to be a hero because of his strength and loyalty to his people. However, his pursuit for ... Read More

The Portrayal of Grendel as a Monster in the Epic Beowulf (870 words, 1 pages)

GrendelBeowulf has been a very good and controversial piece of literature since it was first written back in the 14th century. John Gardner, an American author was born in Batavia, New York. Gardner was novelist, epic poet, and a scholar. He was born on July 21, 1933. There he attended ... Read More

The Portrayal of the Beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon People in the Epic “Beowulf” (787 words, 3 pages)

Beowulf is a terrific example of a story that portrays the beliefs the Anglo-Saxon people. Their entire culture was based on heroism and loyalty. They encouraged heroic action in the face of doom and generously rewarded bravery. These charcteristics instilled a sense of courage and loyalty in many individuals. They ... Read More

Old English Literature and Poetry Essay Examples