Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Beowulf Discussion Question 1
In Beowulf the Anglo-Saxon idea of kingship is important. From Schild Schafing to Hrothgar to Beowulf, the qualities that the Anglo-Saxons considered important in their kings are evident. In your posts, please identify one of the ideals or qualities the Anglo-Saxons held in importance and give an example from the text to support your answer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
70 comments:
They glorified the physical strength of their heroes. For instance, when Grendel was about to take Beowulf while he was sleeping Beowulf turned over and grabbed Grendel back with his powerful arms. This shows how the Anglo-Saxons honor strength in their heroes.
One thing that was important to them was the mead hall. It offered a save haven for the townsfolk, a place to hold parties and feasts, and in general a communal place for the them to socialize. In an age before computers or telephones, the mead hall was a safe haven for people to rest and gather with one another.
The Anglo-saxons glorified the trait of leadership. Beowulf's leadership during the battle with Grendel was crucial.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified strength and family. This is evident throughout the book. Often times when a person is mentioned there is also family members mentioned. Strength is glorified too, for example, Beowulf is loved because of his strength in taking down Grendel.
They glorified the trait of bravery. After Beowulf killed Grendel's mother he found Grendel's body and beheaded him. Then he put the head on a spear as a trophy. This was important to prove himself as a great hero.
They glorified family, which can be seen in many instances throughout the book. The swords are passed down from hero to hero through a family. If a hero is given an old sword, he would win in a battle against a hero with a newer sword, because the older sword had more experience and had most likely slain more people.
The Anglo Saxons glorified the idea of a hero bringing you fame rather than riches. This is evident becasue Beowulf's courage brings him fame and honor after killing Grendel, and the riches came after that as a reward for his doings.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified courage. Beowulf lead the battle with Grendel and after defeating Grendel, Beowulf stepped up again. With his great courage, he went back to take care of Grendel's mother.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the idea of immortality by having a legacy. After Beowulf saves Hrothgar's people from Grendel and his mother, Hrothgar rewards him with riches. Even though he does appreciate the gifts, Beowulf would rather that the story of the battle get spread around the land so his story would live on forever.
As depicted in the epic Beowulf, loyalty was also a significant trait to have in the eyes of the Anglo-Saxons. For example, when Beowulf sailed to aid Hrothgar in the disposal of Grendel, he came as a warrior from Geatland, thus honoring this country when he had slew Grendel and Grendel's mother in the name of his country. Beowulf was awarded his loyalty to Geatland when King Hygelac, the previous ruler of Geatland, had died in battle and the position as king was given to Beowulf. A message this poem portays is that with loyalty, comes rewards.
They glorified courage. In the novel, Beowulf took Grendel's claw after fighting him in the hall. Though most of the warriors were too afraid to fight Grendel, Beowulf was brave and was able to defeat the monster. This is how the Anglo-Saxons thought heroes should behave.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the ideals of courage and super-human ability. After the merciless attack on the Danes by Grendel's mother, Beowulf followed the beast into the depths of her underwater kingdom. It is here where he held his breath for over 12 hours to fend off and kill the monster. These instances showed the courage and abilities granted to those of higher power in Old English literature.
A significant trait glorified by the Anglo-Saxons was their youth and how it aided them in battle. Beowulf's youth gave him a sense that he is invincible and that confidence is ultimately what propeled him to defeat Grendel, Grendel's mother, the dragon, etc.
Fame, not pride, this is a trait that is desired in Beowulf. By doing good deeds, the hero will be remembered, immortal. Being too full of pride will bring about his downfall, he would die in disgrace. After Beowulf slays Grendel and his mother, Hrothgar advises him: "Care not for pride, famous hero." and "He(a hero)knows nothing worse till within him his pride grows and springs up... In the end it comes to pass that the mortal body sinks into ruin."(Ch.XXVI, pg 32)
The Anglo-Saxons glorified selflessness, which Beowulf displays in the story through the slayings of Grendel and his mother. In order to rid the kingdom of their evils, he was willing to sacrifice his own life. The Danes instantly view Beowulf as a heroic figure and he soon becomes renown throughout the kingdom. It is clear that the Anglo-Saxons honored a person who was willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified wisdom in their heroes. Beowulf is wise for fighting Grendel without weapons, because no weapon was strong enough to have an effect on the monster. Knowing that he is the mightiest man in the world, Beowulf uses his own strength to his advantage instead.
Commitment was an important, yet glorified characteristic that any Anglo-Saxon king should have upheld. Beowulf was committed to killing Grendel, although he wasn’t able to use any weapons to kill this terrible monster. Even after killing Grendel, Beowulf continued to show his commitment to the Danes because he killed Grendel’s mother who came for revenge. His desire for fame and his commitment to obtaining it was also very strong; he had an enormous amount of willpower and was determined to show everyone he was a hero.
Repayment was very important to the Anglo-Saxons. This is seen in Beowulf when Scyld was given a lavish funeral by his people due to his successful rule over them. It is also seen when Hrothgar is adamant about paying Beowulf for slaying Grendel and his mother.
The Anglo-Saxons felt that courage was a prevelant trait to look for in kings, leaders, and heros. The King trust Beowulf because of his record of presteige and courage.
The Anglo-saxons glorified the traits of leadership and courage. During the battle against Grendle, without Beowulf's courage and leadership, it would have not had a 'positive' outcome, rather a sullen deafeat.
The Anglo Saxons glorified religion and greatly favored god. After Beowulf's endeavor with Grendel and Grendel's mother, he gives all credit to his god, completely demolishing the modern, egotistical "That was all me" response.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified bravery and courage. When no one else could defeat Grendel, Beowulf came and led his people in defeating the monster. The idea of bravery and courage is strongly depicted in this epic poem through the many instances Beowulf stepped up and led his people when no one else did. Beowulf was highly rewarded for this as well which shows how much the Anglo-Saxons appreciated this.
The Anglo-Saxons seemed to glorify loyalty. I say this based on the desire to avenge the death of a fellow warrior.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the idea of immortality and honor. Beowulf goes on all these journeys killing monsters like Grendel and Challenging Breca to a swimming race so that his story will live on when he does not.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the need to provide compensation to heroes. They did so through either celebrations or tangible objects such as fine gold. Within the epic Beowulf, after Beowulf successfully destroys both Grendel and his mother the citizens have a celebration in his honor where he receives many lavish gifts and even an offer to become King Hrothgar’s son.
They glorified acts of revenge. An example is when Beowulf killed Grendel, and Grendel's mother; because they were both murderers. He sought revenge for the people they had murdered and after he had slain them both he was seen as and treated like a hero.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the idea of having a legacy. It was very important for them to be remembered. When Beowulf saved Hrothgar's people from Grendel he recieves a reward, and even though he appreciated it his major thought is how he wanted the story to be remebered.
The Anglo-Saxons strongly believed in the idea of being a hero. They believed that being a hero would not bring you riches, but it would give you immortality, and internal life. Beowulf heard of the troubles with Grendel and traveled across the world to kill him so he could become their hero. Now, because he killed the deadly monster the people believe he too can kill Grendel's mother without dying. Because he is a famous hero they believe he will not die when fighting Grendel's mother due to the immortality that comes with being famous.
A quality that the Anglo-Saxons found important was self-confidence. The people highly admired Beowulf for his strong pride and did not doubt the confidence he had in himself. They wanted somebody who knew that he could fight the monsters and prevail, otherwise they would not have called upon Beowulf to protect the people.
One thing that the Anglo Saxons found important was family and lineage. Throught Beowulf the storyteller constantly refers to a character as the 'son of' someone. For example "Beowulf spoke, son of Ecgtheow"(10).
The Anglo-Saxons looked for guardians from their most feared of things. They felt that these heroes would keep them safe. They looked upon them as celebrities. When Beowulf slayed both Grendel and Grendel's mother, he was sent straight to the castle to be shrined upon.
The Anglo-Saxons honored courage and obstinacy. This is shown in the poem when Beowulf first decides to defeat Grendel. When Grendel attacked Beowulf and his men while they were sleeping in the hall, Beowulf didn't even flinch, he was courageous and killed Grendel. He showed his obstinacy when he kills Grendel's mother, he doesn't just leave after he killed Grendel. He stayed until all of the beasts were killed and the town was safe.
The Anglo-Saxons emphasized the need for celebration. In Beowulf, they use every opportunity to celebrate like, when Beowulf arrived to defeat Grendel, then when he did defeat him, then when Beowulf killed Grendel’s mother. Even though, lives were being lost due to these celebrations, the Anglo-Saxons never gave up the opportunity.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the importance of heritage and family. An example of this would be the swords being passed down from generation to generation. In a fight, the older sword would win over a newer one because it has been in more fights.
The Anglo-Saxons had a very different idea of fame than we do today. They looked at it as if the more good deeds you did and the more famous you got you were immortal, not rich. For example, after defeating Grendel and his Mother he was seen as immortal.
In the Anglo-Saxon culture, they glorified intelligence and resourcefulness. Beowulf's ingenuity was evident during the fight scene with Grendel's mother. Grendel's mother nearly kills Beowulf until he sees a sword. He grabs the sword, stabs it in her neck and then she eventually dies.
It seems that to the Anglo-Saxons it was important that their leader liked drinking and partying.
Hrothgar in the story buildings the greatest mead hall, which is used for drinking and partying. His citizens liked this. Their kings seem to not have the same amount of royal sophistication as later kings did.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified family and if someone is mentioned in the book it usually consists of ____ son of ____. Showing just how important who your family is to the people who surround you.
They glorified not just the results of their heroes, but the confidence the heroes had in coming out victorious. An example of this is the "boasting" that Hrothgar wanted Beowulf to do at the hall. These boasts show confidence in the upcoming battle(s) and leave a good feeling in the hearts of those present when it is given.
the Anglo-Saxons glorified loyalty. this is evident in how Beowulf comes form the land of Geat to repay his father debt to Hrothgar and does so gladly and with out disdain. this shows his loyalty in upholding an oath that he didn't even make and it was his fathers
A significant trait that was glorified by the Anglo-Saxons was immortality because Beowulf and his followers go around trying to kill all these monsters. He defeated Grendel when no one really believed it would happen, but was successful. Beowulf wants to be remembered and have all his stories carried on, even when he is no longer here.
One idea that was important to the Anglo-Saxons was immortality through fame. They knew that their money wouldn’t last forever, but if they could build up their name, it could last a lot longer. For example, when Beowulf went to go attack Grendel, he knew that he wouldn’t be getting money in return. He knew that his name would forever be remembered as the hero who defeated Grendel. He also exaggerates on his stories so that people will remember him for doing these extraordinary events. An example of this is when he was talking about the race with Breca. He lost the race but told people that that is only because he had to save Breca and then got pulled under water by a monster and had to fight him before he finished the race.
I think that the people of that time look up to the people who are willing to take risks. Beowulf takes a risk by never seeing or meeting grendel and he comes from far away to fight this monster that he has no idea what it looks like or what it can do.
Family and one's heritage was important to the Anglo-Saxons. Everyone was introduced as the son of their father, because they held such pride in their family. Royalty, a specific family which ruled the country, was also held in high regard because the Anglo-Saxons looked upon their kings and princes as wise and powerful men.
A quality that the Anglo-Saxons wanted in their kings was loyalty. Beowulf showed this when he journeyed all the way to Hrothgar's land to put an end to Grendel's killings. He also fought Grendel and killed him when the monster murdered many of Beowulf's followers. He did the same thing for Grendel's mother. Beowulf stood up for his peers, which shows much loyalty.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the trait of friendship. That is idea is relevant throughtout the poem. Throughout most of the story, all the characters meet in the mead hall. All of the men get along and exchange stories. The Anglo-Saxons seemed to care alot about staying close with and being with their friends.
The Anglo-Saxons looked to those who they could honor for their heroic deeds. Beowulf consistently proved himself just as he did when he killed Grendel unarmed. Following his victory he killed Grendel’s mother in an underwater battle. The heroism and strength that Beowulf displayed provides his people with protection and pride. In result, he is viewed as a valid hero in eyes of the Anglo-Saxons.
The Anglo-Saxons greatly valued their heroes and the courage and power they held. Beowulf displayed both of these qualities as he was the only person who dared to fight Grendel and proceeded to do it without weapons. His actions display the true meaning of an Anglo-Saxon hero.
In Beowulf, there are many characteristics that you think of when you imagine a hero. Although in this book, the Anglo-Saxons saw victory as a major part of it. When Beowulf successfully fought off Grendel, he became well appreciated and respected by his peers. As a payback, Beowulf was rewarded with many riches and such. The way the people showed their thanks towards a victorious win, shows they care strongly about winning.
The qualities that the Anglo-Saxons considered important in their kings are evident and loyalty is a major quality. Beowulf stands out from all the other men for his loyalty to his king.He rushes to help Hrothgar each time he needs him and conquers Grendel and his mother.Beowulf is there for anyone who needs him and that shows that he is a loyal person.
Throughout the novel Beowulf made bold decisions and took radical actions. The Anglo-Saxons glorified the trait of being brave. Beowulf made crucial decisions in the novel such as taking on challenge of Grendel and wondering off to find who was responsible for the death of one of his mens death.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified physical strength as a very important trait of a leader. For example they mention many times in the book that Beowulf has very strong hands and his grip makes him such a powerful warrior. Although we may not consider this important they honored this trait of Beowulf very highly.
The Anglo-Saxons held many qualities to be very important. The Anglo-Saxons wanted their leaders to be very dedicated and hardworking people. Bewoulf was certainly a hard worker who was commited to helping his people in killing Grendel, even though the moster was able to kill many of Beowulfs followers. Beowulf never game up. He was dedicated to win, and succeed.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified the hero's creativity and ability to entertain as well as fight. In Beowulf's battles, he does not just kill his opponent, he dismantles him/her. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf took Grendel's arm as a trophy. When fighting Grendel's mother, Beowulf took a chance and used a sword thought to be way to sophisticated for him. The chance payed off and Beowulf narrowly defeated his what seemed to be unbeatable opponent. How fun is it to talk about a boring Hero?
The Anlgo-Saxons glorified Beowulf as a leader becasue he was wise. Amoung his strengths as a fighter and his bravery, Beowulf was also very intelligent. He is a very good speaker. Beowulf demonstrates his wisdom when he is able to defeat Grendel, and Grendel's mother while not getting himself killed or getting anyone else killed. He was able to pick out their vulnerablilites and use them against Grendel and his mother.
Anglo-Saxons glorified the characteristic of courage. Not only did Beowulf defeat Grendel he had the opportunity to wear protection, but he made the choice not to. This could have been his downfall but in the end his courage helped him trick Grendel; leading to the death of Grendel.
The Anglo-Saxons strongly believed in the idea of "sacrifice." Sacrifice was something that was honestly expected from a hero. Yes, they did thank and show appreciation when Beowulf was willing to sacrifice himself for the Danes. This shows his selflessness and ability to do something that very few people are capable of doing - sacrificing themselves for the benefit of others.
The Anglo-Saxons emphasized the importance of generiosity, especially when giving rewards. The Geat warriors were welcomed at the mead hall Heorot (once they proved themselves to be friends of the Danes). And when Beowulf succeeded in defeating Grendel, Hrothgar and his queen showered rewards of treasure and weapons not only on Beowulf but on his entire group of knights.
The Anglo-Saxons glorified resourcefulness. Beowulf uses anything he can find to aid him in battle and he is able to defeat the enemy without being able to plan ahead. He can think quickly, which allows him to be successful.
Beowolf has several themes and one of them is the importance of family. In the poem, male characters are introduced as being the son of someone. If you were royal blood then you had importance in Anglo-Saxon society. In Beowulf's case he was a heroic figure in his society.
The story of Beowulf, however embelished it may have been over the years, is one of pure bravery. Beowulf was not asked to come and slay the beast. He simply herd about the problems in the land and sailed across the sea to do his part. He did it for the glory and the pride that comes with an accomplishment. He saved his men and the people of the helpless town without ever showing any doubt. He was never scared and his acts were perfect examples of selflessness. He even laid down ready to die and risked his own life waiting for the perfect time to strike. He fought not for himself but for the well being of others. That is pure selflessness and was a basic trait in Anglo-Saxon heros.
Anglo Saxons were very courageous. For example, Beowulf fought Grendel without Grendel even knowing or acting badly toward him. Also, he fought Grendel with no weapons. He chose to fight him with respect and use only what Grendel would use in combat, his hands. That is why courage is a huge part of Anglo Saxon life and how they lived back then.
In the eyes of the Anglo-Saxon's bravery and knowledge were praised among anyone who displayed these characteristics. Beowulf portrayed this image by defeating the horrifying monster Grendel, and coming from so far away to defeat this devilish beast. Hrothgar trusted Beowulf because of his knowledge of war, influential speeches, and courage against any battle presented to him.
The Anglo-Saxon glorified not being afraid of dieing. For instance, when Beowulf had to cross the sea, and had to fight Grendel bare handed. Beowuld could have died at any notice and was considered a hero for it.
Anglo-Saxons thought courage to be one of the most important traits a hero can posses. Without courage, a hero would not be able to accomplish all of the things that hold them in such a high position. For example, Beowulf would not be so admired if he didn't have the courage to defeat Grendel.
One of the qualities that the Anglo-Saxons felt important was strength. Beowulf's strength and power to defeat Grendel and his mother proved his worthiness to all the Danes. "Then Beowulf of the Scyldings, beloved king of the people,was famed among warriors long time in the strongholds"(pg. 2)
Post a Comment