The action of the poem takes place around 500 a. d. Which some of the characters in the poem correspond to some historical figures.Though still an old Anglo-Saxon story, Beowulf was told by a Christian poet. Therefore the Beowulf we read today is more than likely very different from the Beowulf that the first Anglo-Saxon audiences were familiar with. In the poem, the plot is extremely complex when it comes to an overview.
King Hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king Shield Sheafson, enjoys a wealthy and successful time in power. He builds a great Mead-Hall, called Herot, where his warriors can gather to drink, receive gifts from their lord, and listen to the stories of the scops.But the thrilled noise from Herot angers Grendel, an awful demon who lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes every night, killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back.
The Danes suffer fear, danger and death for many many years. Eventually however, a young Geatish warrior named Beowulf hears Hrothgar’s trouble, inspired by the challenge, Beowulf sails to Denmark determined to defeat Grendel. And while defeating Grendel, he has many other supernatural beings to defeat as well. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary piece of work.
In the poem Beowulf, there are three main themes, the importance of the foundation of the identity, the tensions between the heroic code and the other value methods, and the difference between a good warrior and a good king. The importance of the foundation of the identity: As Beowulf is essentially a record of heroic deeds, the concept of the identity is the innermost important piece of information to the poem. The opening lines introduce to the reader a world that every male figure is known as his father’s son. The importance of the family history is so well-known because of the poem’s importance on relationship bonds.Characters take pride in their ancestors who have acted bravely, and they attempt to live up to the same standards as those ancestors. While heritage may provide models for behavior and help to establish identity by having a good reputation.
Having a good reputation is the key to a mans identity. Tensions between the heroic code and the other value methods: Much of Beowulf is devoted to speaking and illustrating the Germanic code, which values strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors; hospitality, generosity and political skill; and good reputation in all people.This code is traditional and much respected and important to warrior societies as a means of understanding their relationships to the world and the threats hindering beyond their boundaries. Therefore, individual actions can be seen as either complaining about or violating the code. The difference between a good warrior and a good king: Over the course of the poem, Beowulf matures from a fearless warrior into a wise leader. His transition demonstrates that a opposing set of values accompanies each of his two roles.
The difference between these two sets of values manifests itself early on the attitude of Beowulf and King Hrothgar.Whereas the youthful Beowulf, having nothing to lose, desires personal glory, while the aged Hrothgar, having much to lose, seeks protection for his people. Though these two attitudes are somewhat oppositional, each character acts as society commands he should be given his own role in the society. While the values of the warrior become clear through Beowulf’s example throughout the poem.
Hrothgar’s speeches emphasize the value of creating stability in an unstable and messy world. He also speaks a lot about the king’s role in diplomacy, both his own warriors and with other tribes. The style of the poem is narrative.The narrator tells the story in the third person, from a generally objective point-of-view detailing the action that occurs. The narrator does have access to every characters thoughts.
We see into the minds of most of the characters at one point in the poem. And the narrative also moves forward and backward in time. In conclusion, the concept of a “Hero” has changed extremely during this age compared to the past times. A hero is now measured by a person’s character, their inner being, and their integrity no matter their age, race, or gender. Whereas before, the term “hero” was a descriptive word mainly describing the male figure.
