"[Beowulf,] the Anglo-Saxon epic is the most important work of Old English literature" (Brittany). ... Beowulf is the oldest English epic that was neither written in England nor written about England. The epic was originally passed from person to person through the oral tradition, and sang by bards and scops. ... There is only a general idea of when the poem was written, however, there are several historical factors have help to establish the general period of time during which the poem was probably written. ... "Grendel is known as a monster and portrays one of the many villains in the poe...

• Word Count: 2051
• Approx Pages: 8

He is glorified in the poem for his courage and strength that led the Danes to many victories as the King. ... His strength is another reason he is marked as a hero as the poem reveals it to be the equivalent to thirty men. ... This quality is so important the poem begins by mentioning a father, Shield. ... Another example is the fact the poem says Grendel comes from Cain. ... Wiglaf is important to the poem because he marks the era of a new hero. ...

• Word Count: 2142
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

While the classic battle between good and evil forces is a major theme of the medieval epic "Beowulf," one may question whether these good and evil forces are as black and white as they appear. ... This ultimately evokes traces of sympathy in the reader for the plight of these "monster" figures, and blurs the fine line between good and evil within the poem The first opponent Beowulf must face in the land of the Danes is Grendel, textually described as "a fiend out of hell a grim demon haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and the desolate fens" (Beowulf, line 1...

• Word Count: 1275
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate