Essay on the Transformation of Beowulf - 570 Words

The Transformation of Beowulfnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In the length of the poem, Beowulf goes from abandoned child to gallant warrior to King. This transformation, expressed in the tone and content of the poem, shows the importance of the relationship between lord and thane and expresses the ultimate value of that connection. From the difference in battle scenes to Beowulf’s speeches, it is clear that he has gone from a somewhat self-loving hero to a selfless king. Within this change he also goes from serving a lord to becoming a lord, and in that way the poem shows us the importance of both sides of the relationship. Initially it is said that Beowulf goes to flight Grendel because, he†¦show more content†¦He goes in knowing that he will probably die, and the scene is bloody and drawn out. Furthermore, Wiglaf enters the final battle to help him, showing the respect that he has earned from his thanes and that they are now willing to give their lives for him. After the final battle there is another expression of the importance of loyalty in their culture. That is when the thanes that left Beowulf came back behind shields (2850). It is the ultimate disgrace that they left their lord, because the lord is their source of livelihood and a thane is expected to willingly give his life for his provider. Wiglaf sums up this tie when he says, A warrior will sooner / die than live a life of shame (2890), meaning that the bond between lord and thane is so strong that it is better to die than to disgrace that relationship. The tone of the poem is also an indicator of the changes in Beowulf. In the first two battles there is an epic tone. Beowulf is gallant and described in a very physical sense. He is adorned in jewels by king Hrothgar and has the utmost confidence. He also has no one relying on him as a thane would a lord. By the final scene the tone is less bounding and more melancholy. Beowulf is less confident, and worries more about his people than his own reputation. The sadness in the tone also reflects the despair of Beowulf’s kinsmen when he has died. This further relates the importance of the king to hisShow MoreRelatedEssay A Jungian Reading of Beowulf1622 Words   |  7 PagesA Jungian Reading of Beowulf       This essay will propose an alternative means by which to examine the distinctive fusion of historical, mythological, and poetic elements that make up the whole of Beowulf.   Jeffrey Helterman, in a 1968 essay, â€Å"Beowulf: The Archetype Enters History,† first recognized Grendel as a representation of the Shadow archetype and identified Grendel’s mother as an archetypal Anima image; I wish to extend the scope of the reading by suggesting that the dragon, too, representsRead MoreGood Vs. 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While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did. In the story, Beowulf travels to Heorot to help King Hrothgar with a problem involving a monster namedRead MoreComparison of the Different Types of Typography1032 Words   |  5 PagesJudith A. Powell Composition and Language ENG1010 XD Instructor: Jacob Kaltenbach Assignment 2: Comparison/Contrast Essay COMPARISON OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TYPOGRAPHY â€Å"When designers think of typography, we invariably consider semiotics which consists of semantics (the relation between signs and the concepts they represent), syntax (the formal relation between signs in a system), and pragmatics (the study of signs in use). Depending upon our concept and our sensibility to typographicRead More Christian and Pagan Influence in Paradise Lost and Beowulf Essay4093 Words   |  17 PagesChristian and Pagan Influence in Paradise Lost and Beowulf  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In Paradise Lost, Milton is adept at drawing from both Christian and pagan sources and integrating them in such a way that they reinforce one another (Abrams 1075). Of course it is a commonplace for critics to believe that Milton valued his Christian sources more highly than the pagan ones (Martindale 20); this is most likely due to the fact that he regarded the Christian sources as vessels of the truth. His classical allusionsRead More The Manipulation of Gender Roles in Shakespeare’s Othello Essay4756 Words   |  20 Pagesrealm of gender. I will argue that the tragedy occurs as a result of the protagonists’ overwhelming adherence to their society’s stereotyped gender roles and that Iago further encourages and manipulates these gender roles to his own ends. In this essay, I use the word â€Å"gender† to describe those physical, biological, behavioral, verbal, textual, mythic, and power dynamic cues that signal to others in the society, spec ifically the society of this play, that one is perceived as belonging or not belongingRead MoreLiterary Devices in Pride and Prejudice8198 Words   |  33 Pageswhen they read them and then described how they understood them and were affected by them. Nearly a hundred years later, this approach is still very influential in schools and universities in the western world, and give rise to the kind of critical essays where writes make a claim about what a text means, or how it affects them, and then quote (and perhaps discuss) a textual sample to illustrate the view argued for. This could perhaps be called â€Å"Claim and Quote† approach to literary criticism. But

Willy from Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Abandoned...

The dramatic play Death of a Salesman, composed by Arthur Miller in 1949 portrays the hours leading up to Willy Loman’s death. Willy is a sixty-year-old salesman living in Brooklyn New York with his wife Linda and after thirty-five years working as a traveling salesman he feels defeated by his lack of success and difficult family life. As a salesman, Willy Loman focuses more on personality and being well liked by everyone than actual skills. When he returns early from a business trip it is apparent that he is extremely distressed and confides that he almost got into an accident. All thought the play we get to witness Willy’s brain unravel and his tragic character flaws that all seem to stem from being abandoned by his father and brother.†¦show more content†¦Moment like these, which were abundant during their childhood, caused negative effects especially on Biff. Biff became a kleptomaniac a quality that can be traced to Willy always pumping him with the idea t hat he doesn’t have to respect authority. â€Å"Everyone led Biff to believe that he was the best and that he did not have to work to be great which became his major downfall†(Stewart). This is Biffs’ dilemma. He was always told he was the best and how since he’s was so well liked by everyone he would never have to worry but, since he didn’t turn out successful in the eyes of his father he feels like he’s failed life. Even though working on the ranch is what he loved to do. As the play began to come to an end we see Willy and Bernard having a conversation and Willy being baffled at how Bernard had succeeded where Biff had failed. In Willys mind, Bernards great success is impossible to understand since he was always so unpopular spent so much time studying. He thought that all you need to be successful was to be well liked. Because of being abandoned by his own father and brother Willy so young its possible that Willy felt partially to blame and in him mind being well liked would keep people from leaving. Because of his philosophy Biff has difficulty maintainingShow MoreRelatedWillys Obsession with the American Dream in Death of a Salesman821 Words   |  4 PagesIn Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman we see the negative effect of having an absent parent. The main character Willy Loman is a salesman who constantly struggles with trying to be what he considers â€Å"successful,† and â€Å"well liked.† He has two sons Biff and Happy and is married to Linda. Willy also struggles between illusion and reality; he has trouble defining and distinguishing the past from the present. Between his financial struggles and not feeling like he accomplished anything, he commits suicide

A Summary of “Television the Plug-in Drug” by Marie Winn free essay sample

A Summary of â€Å"Television: The Plug-In Drug† by Marie Winn The family time that experts once believed the television would facilitate has backfired. It has been replaced with an everyday military regiment. Wake up, go to school, watch television, and go to bed. Parents have allowed the television to become the primary source for their children’s home life experience. Although this medium allows for peace within the home, the family dynamic suffers. Winn references the conflicts that family’s had to deal with, prior to the multi-television home, is an essential part in family life (233). The home has become another form of a care taking institution rather than an accumulation of memory making experiences that can and will follow the children into their adulthood. In her article, Winn defines ritual by sociologists as â€Å"that part of family life that the family likes about itself, is proud of and wants formally to continue† (234). We will write a custom essay sample on A Summary of â€Å"Television: the Plug-in Drug† by Marie Winn or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rituals give us a sense of security; they are dependable. They are the memories and experiences that will last a lifetime or for generations to come. Family rituals are a part of our culture; they set us apart from the family next door. Watching television has become the norm of our every day existence. We’ve lost touch of the quality of eating a meal together, tucking our children in, or celebrating a holiday in that special family way. Television has eliminated the individuality of families and has created a boring uniformity that all television watching families share. Television not only affects the family dynamics; it also distorts how we communicate with real people. A child who watches hours of television a day will likely have a difficult time making eye contact, maintaining conversations, and even trusting people. It will be harder for that child to resolve disputes with others because of their lack of experience with people. Similarly, parents will use television as a diversion from disputes, whether it’s with their children or even their spouses. Surveys show that even when families watch television together they are still not conversing with each other except during the occasional commercial (237). Still, sadly enough, many families that watch television together express it’s the only family activity they’ve done during that week. To be fair, television can not be blamed for the demise of the family. There are many other factors that have contributed. Although, that does not mean American families should accept this way of life. Television can be compared to a mind altering drug because those who are addicted do not even see the negative affects it’s having on children, families, and the society itself. Love is the only virtue the television can not replace. Unfortunately, as time goes on, showing love becomes harder and harder to express because of the lack of one on one relationship the television has stolen from the modern day family. Works Cited Winn, Marie. Television: The Plug-in Drug. The Blair Reader. Eds. Kirszner and Mandell. 6th