Beowulf Essay, Research Paper
The oldest English heroic poem, Beowulf, although composed 12 centuries ago, utilizations
many of the same ideals and values that exist in modern life and modern literature. These
properties are still of import, but they do non busy every facet of life as in Anglo-
Saxon England. Some of the ideals have small usage today, such as destiny, while other virtuousnesss,
such as trueness, are encouraged and extremely well-thought-of traits. Other values, like celebrity, have
taken on bad intensions in modern twenty-four hours and are non esteemed as they one time were.
Fate, the thought that fate is predetermined and nil can be done to alter that,
was extremely esteemed in Beowulf? s clip, but is of small usage today. Anglo-saxon warriors
knew that they merely had two options when they entered conflict ; either they live to contend
once more, or they die uprightly sums their ain. Either manner was determined by a higher
power. The sense of an unmanageable decease left the Anglo-saxon people without regard
for other lives, evident in the sum of contending in Beowulf, and besides an inner somberness,
? evident in the somber tone of Beowulf, ? ( from the text ) . Recently, doctrine has broken
off from the more spiritual thought of fate and moved toward a more logical aproach to
life. Obviously, decease is still inevitable, but logically, the hereafter should be altered with
each determination. Man has become excessively egoistic to believe person, besides himself, can
command his life.
Loyalty, unlike destiny, is still respected as it was in Beowulf? s clip, but can acquire
overlooked in modern society. The thought to honour those stopping point was the most Christian
component of all the Anglo-Saxon T
raits. It original from the Biblical thoughts of honouring God,
honouring parents, honouring neighbours, et Al. Fidelity between hubby and married woman is one
mark of trueness. Another is commitment between states. The Anglos felt a deep
duty for carry throughing these responsibilities. Fortunately, trueness has held on through the many
centuries since Beowulf. Today, adult male feels a duty, but it frequently gets ignored.
Competitition in all signifiers is the chief ground. Personal promotion is excessively alluring.
Still, trueness is admirable in those who are strong plenty to defy enticement.
Fame is a less admired quality today than in Beowulf. Fame meant ageless regard to
the Anglo-Saxons. This is partially because celebrity came largely after decease spread the
accomplishments across the land. Without mass communicating, narratives of heroic workss took
much more clip base on balls from individual to individual. Fame was non assured. It was largely luck
that anyone found about of the feats of person so far off. Most Anglo-saxons
were illiterate, hence the narratives had to be told from individual to individual. Today, celebrity is non
as respected and frequently held in contempt by common people. Fame seems limited to a few
fortunate 1s who were in the right topographic point at the right clip. Infamy is much more
accessible to the bulk. The easiest manner to acquire in the intelligence is to kill a big sum of
people. Good workss go mostly unnoticed today.
Beowulf? s ideals have been along a long clip. Though values are determined
separately, some remain cosmopolitan in modern society. Beowulf provides a clear image
of the things that shaped Anglo-Saxon life and how life has changed in the last 1200
old ages.