Beowulf Man or Myth
Beowulf Man or MythBeowulf Man or Myth
Many of Old English poems glorified a real or imaginery hero and tried to teach the values of bravery. Beowulf was written during the Anglo-Saxon period of English Literature. The Anglo-Saxon period was a time of fierce battles in which human
strength was measured by the ability to control the reaction to fate through evil and courage. Beowulf was written in Old English as an epic poem. Old English described a real or imaginery hero and tried to teach the values of bravery. Folk would be used as an example in epic of Beowulf. Beowulf was passed on from person to person. Epic can be a general hero, in this case Beowulf, who usually involved in a series of actions. Author exaggerates on the character of Beowulf, the story is a fantasy, because it is hard to believe that the character of Beowulf would be able to kill a monster like Grendel with his bare hands. Beowulf possesses the superhuman abilities, the amazing power to hold his breath under water for an umlimited period of time. Some readers as myself feel that this characteristic seperates from the realistic nature of the story
and gives the impression that Beowulf is more like a myth than a man. So with all this in mind, in the epic Beowulf he's portrayed as almost inhumane, so was he indeed a man or merely a myth?
Beowulf is described as�"greater than life"�than anyone in the world and in order to prove himself as a hero, he has to fight against something superhuman (Donaldson 10). "Beowulf is the prime example of an epic hero. His bravery and strength surpass all mortal men, his loyalty and ability to think of himself last make him reveared by all" (Bolton 2). "Beowulf's deeds must be marked by a nobility of purpose to accumulate rewards and personal fame are good examples of the human side of his personality" (Wyatt 5). The use of description and imagery
makes the reader see the characters and events (Greenfield 25). Beowulf has the strength of thirty men in his left arm alone (Irving 4). Beowulf isnt like no other warrior even seen before. He is the strongest man alive (Irving 3). "Beowulf appearances size and armor command immediate respect and attention"
(Wyatt 44). We learn about the man character more through the eyes of the Danish soldier Patrolling the cliffs. The Danish coastguards avoid reactions to his first sight of Beowulf,�"for example are largely conveyed in a rapid series of expressions
that expected, the normal, the usual, by saying what he is not" (Irving 12). Beowulf presents with unusual power and clarity a vision of human life that�"transcends the limit of human mortality" (Irving 10). Beowulf revealed his own virtues�"love,
generosity, and loyalty" (Irving 10). Beowulf is a hero in the
eyes of his fellow men through his amazing strength (Kierman 9)....
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