Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Theme of the Epic Poem, Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essay
The Theme of Beowulf      Interpretations of Beowulf vary. In this essay I hope to state clearly some of the popularly mentioned themes running through the poem.  â€Å"Many critics feel that the speech of Hrothgar between lines 1700 and 1784 encapsulates the moral of the poem†¦.’He does not know the worse – till inside him great arrogance grows and spreads’†(Shippey 38). Hrothgar’s ominous words do come back to haunt the hero more than once. Beowulf is a braggart; he is proud, and nothing seems able to change his basic proud outlook derived from his all-powerful physical strength. Even shortly before his own defeat against the fire-dragon, our hero is recalling his killing of the great hero of the Hugas with his bare hands:  ever since the time,                              in front of the hosts, I slew Daeghrefn,                                 the champion of the Hugas, with my bare hands.                             He never brought back his breast-ornament                             to the Frisian king: the standard-bearer                             fell in combat a prince, in valor;                                 no edge killed him my hand-grip crushed                          his beating heart, his life’s bone-house (2501-09).  Yes, Beowulf was full of pride and self-confidence; this made him impetuous in his actions. Regarding the dragon, â€Å"its strength and fire seemed nothing at all to the strong old king†(2348-49); before facing the dragon, he was reminiscing about his valour in combat against the Hetware and how he alone had escaped:  Lines 2354-68:                                    Nor was it the least hand-to-hand comba... ...some of the viewpoints on this topic.  BIBLIOGRAPHY  Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.  Kaske, R.E.. â€Å"The Governing Theme of Beowulf.†In Beowulf: The Donaldson Translation, edited by Joseph F. Tuso. New York, W.W.Norton and Co.: 1975  Leyerle, John. â€Å"The Conflicting Demands of Heroic Strength and Kingly Wisdom.†In Readings on Beowulf, edited by Stephen P. Thompson. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,1998.  Shippey, T.A.. â€Å"The World of the Poem.†In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.  Tolkien, J.R.R.. â€Å"Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.†In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.    Â
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