Dreams And Reality In Beowulf

Beowulf has been anonymously written. It is a poem of heroic proportions that includes many characters with opposing views, which Beowulf the protagonist felt inspired by. Many texts were published anonymously during the Anglo-Saxon era. In this period, it was considered normal to use impersonal poetry or art to impart wisdom. The anonymous poets each had a goal in mind, but did not want to reveal their identity to the public. “…an Old English language version, written by an unknown glossarist and revealing a glimpse of the AngloSaxon monastic school. This poem was specifically written to display values like loyalty, courage and strength. Beowulf had to fight different monsters, each with a different level of difficulty. This poem is considered “Oathbreaking, kin killing and other tribal sins are clearly cardinal in tribal societies… Themes within the epic appear to be quite removed from Beowulf’s sterling character”. During Anglo Saxon time, Beowulf is highly regarded and admired for his actions. Beowulf’s poem incorporates the dreams, real life and expectations of some characters in order to provide confidence and bravery for the exciting fights that took place.

Beowulf answered the call of adventure, hoping to defeat Grendel – a demon that had terrorized Heorot Hall, King Hrothgar. Beowulf, upon arriving at the Danes home, offered to defeat Grendel. After King Hrothgar’s approval, the two celebrated with a feast. to mow him down, easily as I might” (Beowulf lines 679-680). Beowulf then goes to the Hall, where he sees Grendel murder a man. Grendel then goes to beowulf and realizes that he’s far too weak. Grendel’s arm is torn and his pain becomes overwhelming. He escapes to his home and dies. Beowulf has been a great hero for many years and the king had ordered a celebration to reward him with gifts. One night, Grendel’s grieving mother decided to raid Heorot Hall. Beowulf kills Grendel’s mum after finding her. He feels responsible for the safety of his people. But, “Actually only fighting Grendel can save lives and protect a nation”. Beowulf must enter the lair because it is considered to be a frightening place. But Beowulf kept in mind his mighty strength…he relied upon the Lord of all” (Beowulf line 1269-1272). He defeats his opponent using the blade he finds after a long and difficult battle. Even though the story could’ve ended when Grendel died, it was important to include the part where the hero fights Grendel’s mom as a demonstration of his water power. This is to balance the earth power that he used against Grendel against his fire and air power against his dragon …’.. Beowulf gets a lot of praise and treasures from his family before he returns home. “Grendel feels, reacts, and suffers in an unmistakably emotional way… although a true hero must meet them with faith and trust in God”. Geatland was under the watchful eye of a dragon, who was eager to recover his stolen treasure. Beowulf’s house was set on fire by the dragon to reveal his presence. Beowulf becomes afraid of angering God, so he tells the men what happened to the people who died before him. Then he confronts the dragon and puts his life into the fates’ hands. Beowulf prepares for the battle with the dragon by becoming aware of its danger. his hearth and his gold. unsettled yet ready, sensing his death” (Beowulf lines 2418-2420). Beowulf begins to challenge himself after realizing that it won’t be an easy fight. He stabbed it and was thinking of his victory. However, the venomous bite from the savage dragon made him slowly die. Wiglaf received his collar from him just before he passed away, announcing that he is the new leader. “Another view is taken here. Grace and courage are shown not only in the setting of today, but also in the glory Heorot enjoyed in its past and might again experience” (Calder). Beowulf’s bravery caused the deaths of all three characters. Unfortunately, he also died in his final fight. Beowulf travelled to Denmark to fight Grendel. That was his only motivation. He was driven by the desire to protect his people and thus, he set out to eradicate Grendel. Beowulf was a brave warrior who had the strength to take on a demon. Grendel was similar to a Satan level 1 who was demonic and strong but easily defeated. Grendel is a great example of Satan with his small triggers. His constant slaughtering Danes along with his angry attitude are all very devilish. Brodeur made this point by stating, “These examples of Grendel’s immense strength… both stimulate and diminish the fear of the audience while adding to the glory Beowulf achieved” (Brodeur 507. It was strange that Grendel raided Heorot Hall repeatedly and did not change the location. He knew that he was going to be caught eventually, so he went back there knowing he’d die. But he did it out of sheer enjoyment. It is similar to a suicide that has a hostile intent, like 9/11 plane drivers who killed themselves to make a statement and cause damage. Grendel was always a demon. He started as a demonic and he ended up being one. He would go to Heorot Hall repeatedly to punish and devour humans. He had a pathological personality and appeared to love violence.

The fight involving Grendel’s mum and Beowulf is more intense and lasts longer because it takes place in a more degrading environment. Grendel’s mum had revenge plans but she was weak and did not meet her expectations. She was considered to be a level 2 Satan, because she was not more burdensome than Grendel but she was in a hostile environment with weapons that made it aggressive. Beowulf and Grendel fought without weapons to make it more equal. Grendel’s Mother was cruel and hateful, but also protective. She acted on instinct because she wanted revenge. Her hideaway was certainly a focal point, and it is likely that she raised Grendel there. It is likely that the horrid surroundings influenced his thoughts, actions and ways of thinking. She must have had an impact on her son with her cruelty and insanity. If she’d been stricter and taught him to behave better, as well as raised him in a healthy environment, most of these fights might have been prevented. The poem is not entirely unrealistic. However, certain parts are based on historical events.

Beowulf’s fight with the dragon was more violent because the dragon was bigger and stronger than the demons before. The dragon’s desire was to get back his goblet. This is what prompted his destruction and his appearance. The dragon wanted the goblet to be returned, regardless of how much death and destruction he caused. The dragon in this poem is an odd character due to his unrealistic actions and characteristics. The dragon’s power, and its greater ability to create destruction could make it a Satan of level 3. The dragon wanted the goblet that was taken from him back. But instead of attempting to do so carefully, he resorted to eradication and killed anyone who stood in his way. The dragon’s journey was from his homeland to Beowulf, Geatland. The dragon became a weaker monster after being defeated by humanity. He underwent many changes both in terms of his character and the expectations he had for receiving the goblet. He had a major impact on Beowulf and his courage.

Beowulf endured many challenges and was a great warrior, putting the safety of his fellow men above himself. It was a noble warrior who acted thoughtfully and with care, even if he had killed others. He was an honorable and brave man who would risk his life to protect his people as well others. He was a man who was determined to succeed in his goals. Beowulf was able to overcome his obstacles despite the fact that it would seem impossible to battle a dragon and demons. “…noted in the text is Beowulf’s physical strength. In fact, it is the strongest among men …”. Beowulf had a lot of strength, but he also was an average man. All the characters have plans, dreams and expectations but must also face reality. Beowulf’s characters faced consequences that they had never imagined. Grendel, a demon with horrifying plans of cannibalism and murder, was an evil character. Grendel’s Mother was a vicious, harmful demon who wanted revenge for the death her son. The dragon tried to get his stolen property back, even if this meant killing and destroying people. All of them had goals and plans in order to reach those goals. Most of them achieved some part of those goals. All of them had to endure some kind of journey to reach their goals. All four of them faced death at the end of this poem, as they had achieved a portion of their goals.