Essay Archive - Beowulf: Themes
Beowulf: Themes
The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English
literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story
of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the
monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel's
mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses
many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the
important character elements in Beowulf are Wealth & Honor, Biblical &
Paganistic, and Man vs. Wild themes.
Many of the characters in Beowulf are, like in most epics, defined by
their....
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