Do you ever feel like you are being shut out from a group? Or like your opinion is ignored and considered insignificant? In present society the exclusion of people or groups of people often occurs, which makes these (groups of) people outcasts. Most of the time this means that they are being totally ignored and blocked from several rights and oppurtunities and/or them being sumbissive to others. In real life the extremity of such cases can differ from a new kid in elementary school having no friends to the situation in the Middle-East where multiple tribes like the Kurds are considered second rate citizens. This is not only a problem which is familiar nowadays, it has been taking place for over centuries, like the 'Apartheid', the massacre of the Jews and the exlusion of the Protestants in the 16th century. In the Beowolf story this is an apparent theme. Various people or groups are in some way marginalized or excluded. Some of these groups (of people) that will be discussed are women and Grendel and his mother, the monsters, at the end the marginalization of these two groups will be compared and contrasted. The main question is; Why and how are certain groups in Beowulf marginalized and thus made outcasts and in what ways are they similar and different?.
First of all, women are the major victims of marginalisation in the story. A reason for the unimportance and the subservient role of women in Beowulf is that heroic epics such as beowulf tend to valorize men's deeds in war; thus, in this warring society, it is difficult to recognize the presence of women who are shadows to the main male-centered action. Men were seen as the central leaders in their society. They were the heads of their household and represented the strength and wisdom of their society. Women were defined as possessions and had no rights in this masculine world but were only necessary in serving the men. An example of this is when Wealtheow enters the hall, "observing the courtesies Adorned in her gold, she graciously saluted the men in the hall, then handed the cup" (Beowulf 614-616).
In Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, the character Beowulf is clearly a great leader and hero. ... Beowulf shows his bravery on many different occasions. ... Beowulf helps people in times of trouble. ... Beowulf did all he could to protect his people. Beowulf represents the ideals of a leader. ...
In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf and the monsters prove to be foiled characters as the story progresses. The conflict is between Good and Evil characters. ... Fate chose Beowulf to overcome Grendel's strength in order for Beowulf to be successful in his battle. ... Fate was once again on Beowulf's side. ... In the poem Beowulf, Fate is usually on Beowulf's side. ...
The title character of Beowulf is on of the earliest examples of an Anglo-Saxon literary hero. ... Beowulf also has confidence in his skills as a warrior and as a leader. ... It can therefore be said that Beowulf is a classic Anglo-Saxon hero. ... Regardless of the fact that he smote Grendel bare handed, Beowulf admits a dragon is a formidable foe indeed, so a decision is made to unsheathe Hrunting Beowulf's mighty blade. ... To the 10th century European reader of Beowulf, the title character is a might hero indeed. ...
Beowulf Beowulf is the first surviving epic written in the English language. ... Many of the characters in the poem such as the Swedish and Danish royal family members even correspond to actual historical figures. ... Despite his borrowing from other sources, perhaps in large quantities, the Beowulf poet nonetheless manages to add his own specialized view of his character's world. ... In addition, the narrator has access to every character's depths and the reader often can see into the minds of most of the characters. ... The battle between Beowulf and the dragon ultimately ...
I do not think that Beowulf is a Christian allegory because Beowulf had very little in common with the Biblical figure of Jesus Christ. ... This creates an obvious problem when all of the actions and words of the characters suggest that wealth and fame are noble pursuits. ... The characters tend to swing more toward the Pagan side. ... I think that the writer was trying to do what all writers try to do, to make the story and its characters seem interesting to the reader. ... The writer was also able to make the characters more interesting by infusing them with aspects of both Christian values ...
Beowulf an Epic? In Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, is proclaimed a hero for slaying three large animals. In actuality, Beowulf is a cold-blooded murderer. ... The second animal Beowulf killed was Grendel's mama. ... One day when the dragon was just doing his job, Beowulf decided that he should die. ...
Beowulf Essay The epic story Beowulf is the most important of all English epics. ... The reoccurring imagery in Beowulf's battles and in describing his mail shirt help prove that Beowulf is an epic hero. The reoccurring imagery describing Beowulf's chain link mail shirt is an example of Beowulf's huge stature. ... This shows Beowulf being portrayed as a larger than life character. ... When Beowulf stabs Grendel's mother in the head you hear "The iron sang its fierce song, sang Beowulf's strength". ...
