The Epic Poem - Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essay

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beowulf is an epic poem. Why? Because (1) it is a long narrative work that relates the adventures of a great hero and (2) it reflects the values of the Anglo-Saxon society in which it was written prior to 1000AD. This Old English poem in unrhymed, four-beat alliterative style narrates, through the course of about 3200 verses, the bold killing of two monsters, Grendel and his Mother, and a fire-dragon, as well as numerous other brave deeds in lesser detail, by Beowulf, â€Å"the strongest of men alive in that day, mighty and noble,† â€Å"the good Geat.†Ã‚   Roberta Frank in â€Å"The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History† sees the hero as â€Å"the synthesis of religious and heroic idealism† (Frank 59). Professor Tolkien in Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics states: â€Å"But in the centre we have an heroic figure of enlarged proportions† (Tolkien 38). â€Å"That crafty sailor† led his warriors â€Å"on the waves† to Hrothgar’s Danish kingdom where the first two adventures took place (â€Å"Herot, the bright ring-hall, is purged.†), earning the hero the greatest respect of the king (â€Å"You have by your deeds, achieved fame forever.†) and queen and people. More than â€Å"fifty winters† later the third great feat occurred in the Geat homeland where Beowulf was reigning as king. This adventure of armed combat against a fire dragon resulted not only in the dragon’s death but also in that of the Scandinavian hero. Numerous other adventures of the hero are presented in lesser detail: â€Å"With my sword I slew nine sea monsters,†Ã‚   â€Å"he had survived many battles,† â€Å"he avenged Heardred’s death,† â€Å"He deprived King Onela of life,† â€Å"I repaid Hygelac †¦ with my bright sword,† â€Å"I was the killer of Daghrefin,† etc. The poem rightfully claims that Beowulf â€Å"performed the most famous de... ...the ten who deserted their chief, said, â€Å"At the ale-bench he often gave you †¦ helmets and armor.†    From the above it’s obvious that abundant evidence amply demonstrates that Beowulf truly reflects the first millenial Anglo-Saxon culture in the poem’s lengthy narration of the adventures of a great hero.    BIBLIOGRAPHY Clark, George. Beowulf. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. Cramp, Rosemary. â€Å"Beowulf   and Archaeology.† In TheBeowulf Poet, edited byDonald K. fry. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Frank, Roberta. â€Å"The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History.† In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Tolkien, J.R.R.. â€Å"Beowulf :The Monsters and the Critics.† In TheBeowulf Poet, edited byDonald K. fry. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.