Beowulf Essay, Research Paper

The Continuum of Beowulf

English literature begins with the Anglos and the Saxons. For the first clip they expressed their ideas through the heroic poem verse form of Beowulf. In Beowulf, characters play the critical function in every of import facet of the verse form. Through literature, they displayed opposing characters and how they affected each other to the upper limits of a continuum. When a force in Beowulf acquired joy, the opposing force acquired sorrow.

Whenever there was music in Herot, Grendel was affected. Grendel lived in the fens, which was a snake pit on Earth, and every clip Herot American ginseng and danced with pleasance and joy ; Grendel lurked in the fens with choler. Lines 2-4 explain his choler, “ ? In the darkness, growled in hurting, impatient/ As twenty-four hours after twenty-four hours the music rang/ Loud in that hall? ” The heroic poem verse form suggests that the population of Herot lived in felicity, and Grendel waited until his clip came. Furthermore, as Grendel lived in his snake pit on Earth, Herot was developing their society. One would believe that the music Herot was playing is non what he wanted to listen to during to his life in the fens. This illustration shows how Grendel, the opposing force of Herot, could non even stand anything that came from the hall. These two forces were on the opposite sides of their personalities.

In add-on to the music, their overall beliefs contributed to Grendel? s complete hatred to the population of Herot. Grendel apparently believed that pure slaughter and devastation was his lone manner for pass oning. Herot and its people expressed their ideas, feelings, and personalities through music, laughter, and dance. However, Grendel, whom & # 8217 ; s hatred had known no other, had to show his ideas in his ain manner. Lines 29-35 showed how the poet concurred this belief, “ ? darkness had dropped, Grendel/ Went up to Herot? The monster? s/ Thoughts were every bit speedy as his greed as his claws. ” This transition from Beowulf expresses and explains how Grendel shows his ideas otherwise so the people of Herot. Sure, it was at complete antonyms of the continuum, but brainsick plenty as it seemed to be, that is the manner Grendel expressed himself. When he slaughtered those 30 work forces in Herot, it gave Grendel great joy. However, following forenoon when the staying occupants of Herot found their lost friends, they were filled with sorrow.

Furthermore, Grendel? s joy from that one dark was non plenty. He returned the undermentioned dark and every dark after that. He continued to return until the population of Herot was nonextant. The sorrow that filled the Godhead of Herot mourned for the following 12 old ages as his metropolis was empty. By Herot being soundless and no music would be playing, Grendel would eventually hold his manner. He would eventually hold his lecherousness quenched. However, when Grendel acquired his joy, the Danes were filled with sorrow. So the life sorrow of the Godhead of Herot continued to make full the air, and Grendel continued to govern over Herot will a joyous sprit.

Beowulf ended Grendel? s joy when he arrived from a foreign land. When Beowulf did arrive, Grendel had been go oning his regulation, and the sorrow of Herot still remained within the people of the metropolis that had to fly because of Grendel. The dark that Grendel came to make full his hungriness, and continued to slake his lecherousness for slaughter. When he was approximately to carry through it, Beowulf put his fright asi

Delaware for a 2nd and seized the monster. At this same clip it is believed that Grendel joy of slaughtering was denied. At no point during the whole battle, or even the whole heroic poem verse form for that affair, were both opposing forces both joyful. In add-on to both ne’er being joyful at the same clip, they were neither both filled with sorrow at the same clip. In lines 272-275 the heroic poem verse form is mentioning to Grendel, it reads, “ His head was flooded with fright? but nothing/ could take his talons and himself from that tight/ Hard clasp. ” These lines from the narrative repeat how the two opposing forces were ne’er at the same terminal of the continuum.

After Beowulf defeated Grendel, his joy was non yet over. Furthermore, when Beowulf defeated Grendel, the verse form goes on and explains in lines 338-340, “ ? Grendel escaped, / But wounded as he could fly to his lair, / His suffering hole at the underside of the fen? ” This transition from the verse form is a elaborate description of how the heroic poem hero defeated the opposing force, and how he fled with sorrow make fulling his bosom one time once more, like the beginning. Beowulf now has been granted a “ new glorification. ” Furthermore, when Beowulf hung Grendel? s arm from the balks, that showed the reader that there was great joy that filled the whole civilisation of Herot. It was so overpowering of joy, that people from all over the lands came to see the monster? s reeling paths. This displayed the joy from which the licking created. It was like let go ofing a heavy load that was overcrowding the metropolis of Herot. However, everything has proven that with one? s joy, another one? s sorrow emerges from the shadows. In this instance, the sorrow belonged to Grendel, who had carried his corpse-like organic structure back to the fens.

In all of these instances and cases, one force acquired joy, and the opposing force acquired sorrow. Throughout the full heroic poem verse form, Grendel was angered when Herot played music. The beliefs of the two forces were wholly different. Besides, when Grendel slaughtered the work forces, Herot was filled with sorrow. When Beowulf came over and defeated Grendel, they were filled with joy. However, Grendel was filled with sorrow. Finally, when Beowulf hung Grendel? s arm, they were joyous. Fortunately in the terminal, it was Beowulf and Herot that were joyous and non Grendel.

THE CONTINUUM OF BEOWULF

By:

Eric Najdowski

10-16-99

1st

I. Introduction? Thesis: When a force in Beowulf acquired joy, the opposing force acquired sorrow.

II. First Point

A. Music in Herot

1. Lines 2-4

2. Grendel? s choler

3. Wanted no music

B. Beliefs

1. Communication

2. Herot laughter and dance

3. Lines 29-35

III. Second Point

A. Grendel returns

1. Came back until killed all

2. Danes sorrow/Grendel joy

3. Sorrow of Herot? s Godhead

B. Beowulf comes

1. The dark they fought

2. Lines 272-275

3. Far ends of continuum

IV. Third Point

A. Beowulf? s go oning joy

1. Lines 338-340

2. Granted “ new glorification ”

3. Peoples came from all over

4. Defeated Grendel and hung arm

V. Conclusion