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The Development of English Language

Beowulf

Beowulf is a title of an oldest surviving poem which was written in Old English, the language of the Saxons. It is a heroic epic poem which sets in Scandinavia before the migration. Beowulf which is in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex consists 3.128 alliterative lines. It was composed by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet around 700 A.D. The action of the poem takes place around 500 A.D. The spirit of the poem is somber and grim. There is no unqualified happiness of mood, and only brief hints of delight in the beauty and joy of the world (Lombardi 2011). The Beowulf manuscript had been badly damaged in a fire in 1731. In 1993, the British Library initiated the Electronic Beowulf Project. Through the use of special infrared and ultraviolet lighting techniques, the covered letters were revealed as electronic images of the manuscript were made. “Beowulf contains many pagan and folkloric elements, but there are undeniable Christian themes as well. This dichotomy has led some to interpret the epic as the work of more than one author. Others have seen it as symbolic of the transition from paganism to Christianity in early medieval Britain (Snell 2011).”

Beowulf is the hero of the poem and his adventures are its primary focus on the poem. The poem tells us about adventures of Beowulf who battles his three enemies. Beowulf is a prince of the Geats of southern Sweden who comes to Denmark to help King Hrothgar. Hrothgar is the king of the Danes. Beowulf helps King Hrothgar to rid wealthy mead-hall named Heorot, of a terrible monster known as Grendel. Hrothgar needs someone who can defeat Grendel. Grendel is a monster that has a very big body. In the poem, Grendel and his mother are descendants of the Biblical Cain. Grendel is King Hrothgar’s son. Grendel is monster like his mother. Grendel is angry when King Hrothgar, his wife, and his warriors spend their time singing and celebrating in their maed-hall, Heorot. Every night, Grendel attacks Heorot, kills Danish warriors, and sometimes even eats them. “But Grendel dares not touch the throne of Hrothgar, because it is described as protected by a powerful god (Wikipedia 2011)”. Because of that Grendel does not attack King Hrothgar. In fact, Hrothgar was a great warrior in his time, but now he is an old king and cannot protect his people. Beowulf offers to fight Grendel himself because he owes Hrothgar because Hrothgar helped out his father.

Beowulf decides to defeat Grendel without any kind of weapons. He wants to against Grendel in a balance fighting. At night, Grendel comes when Beowulf is sleeping in the nude condition. Grendel attacks the Danish warriors. Beowulf attacks Grendel with bare hands as his promise. Through a fierce battle, Beowufl successfully defeats Grendel. Grendel leaves Heorot without his arm. He runs to his place where his mother is before he finally dies. Before he dies, his mother decides to avenge her son. Hrothgar’s People celebrate it with cheers. Hrothgar gives Beowulf many presents and treasures to reward him for his battle with Grendel. Seeing that success, the Hrothgar orders Beowulf to kill Grendel's mother.

Beowulf comes to the place where Grendel’s mother is. He wants to kill her as what Hrothgar says. He comes with the sword but when he meets her, he is surprised. A sexy woman with a tail behind appears. She is Grendel’s mother. Beowulf swings his sword but could not get her. Grendel’s mother seduces Beowulf and offers Beowulf to be a king so he will get the glory and wealth. She successfully seduces Beowulf. The agreement between them ends when the gold horn that is brought back by Beowulf to Grendel's mother. Beowulf comes back to Heorot and says that he has successfully killed Grendel’s mother. Hrothgar declares that Beowulf is the heir to the throne because he has no descendants. A moment later, Beowulf kills himself and he dies. Then, Beowulf becomes a king and has full power.


After many years later, a shepherd finds the golden horn and returns it to the kingdom. Beowulf is shocked. He immediately goes to see the Grendel’s mother in the cave.  Grendel’s mother does not come out but another one who claims himself as Beowulf’s son comes in. The figure then turns into a dragon. Courageously, Beowulf resolves to fight the dragon. He uses weapons this time, unlike when he fought Grendel because Beowulf knows that the dragon has fire. He asks his warriors to stay behind and let him fight alone.There are some picture in his crown which was given by Hrothgar that show the way to defeat the dragon. Then they fight but Beowulf knows his sword cannot cut because of the dragon's scales. To defeat the dragon, Beowulf has to break the dragon’s heart because it is the place where the fire is. His sword cannot reach the dragon’s heart and the sword falls. Beowulf decides to cut his arm in order to reach the dragon’s heart. He successfully reaches the dragon’s heart and breaks it. The dragon is defeated by him. Then, Beowulf and the dragon fall. Both of them die in the shore. Beowulf's body is to be burned in a pyre along with much gold.  The people are in sorrow when they hear of the death of Beowulf.

References

Lombardi, E. (2011). "Beowulf."   Retrieved September 19^th, 2011, from http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/rfletcher/bl-rfletcher-history-1-anglo-saxon-beowulf.htm.

Snell, M. (2011). "Beowulf - What You Need to Know about the Epic Poem."   Retrieved September 17th, 2011, from http://historymedren.about.com/od/beowulf/p/beowulf.htm.

Wikipedia. (2011). "Beowulf."   Retrieved September 19^th, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf.