Sea Monsters and Heroism in Beowulf - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1276 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Beowulf Essay Did you like this example? Sea Monsters and Heroism in Beowulf Heroism rewards violence in the epic poem, Beowulf. It is a poem replete with death, wealth, gender roles, and interlaced narratives on both a formal and thematic level. The prevalence of violence permeates the story and drives the plot in unassuming ways. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sea Monsters and Heroism in Beowulf" essay for you Create order Military action as a means of obtaining wealth and defeating evil, grants glory. When Beowulf bravely decides to hunt, locate and kill Grendels mother after she attacks Heorot, he brings along a group of warriors. Once they find the lake where she lives, the warriors are overwhelmed, as in this epic tale, the mundane dangers of the sea are replaced with sensational ones. The water presents threats in terms of sea-dragons and monsters and their position on Grendels mother. In this scene, there is tension between the violence of Beowulfs retinue and the ambiguity of the sea monsters, and the uncertain danger they present. Beowulf and his warriors violent interactions with the sea monsters are motivated by Christian values, and highlight the thematic presence of patriarchal violence. In this way, the sea-dragons represent hell, and the uncertainty of what comes after life, and begins to express Beowulfs powerful position among the competition along with the importance of violence in return for the reward of heroism. Throughout Beowulf, the narrators voice holds a Christian perspective. The use of diction within the lines describing the sea creatures establish that they symbolize hell, as the waters ambiguity mimics that of the afterlife. Beowulf is motivated to be heroic so he doesnt go to hell, however his heroic pride is at conflict with Christian values. He seeks glory, although Christian values express that one should not be doing things selfishly, and that the glory should be given to God. There is a belief throughout the text that Gods protection must be earned. A fighter must display bravery, pride, and humility, and only then will he earn Gods grace and protection. Therefore, in this passage, Beowulf and his warriors fight the sea-dragons and monsters, and Beowulf does not back down until he kills reptiles and eventually Grendels mother. The narrative voice describes the water as infested/ with all kinds of reptiles (1425-1426), and refers to the sea-dragons as wild things (1428) and writhing (1426). The words infested, wild things, and writhing used instead of synonyms like replete or animals or twisting, respectively, create vivid images of hellish monstrosity. The phrase lashing in anger (1431) is also used. As a result, these words create a tone of uneasiness and danger, right as Beowulf is about dive into the lake in an act of bravery. Although these words represent the hellish landscape, Beowulf chooses to traverse the water, in an attempt at heroic glory, thereby highlighting Beowulfs motivation via Christian afterlife and heroism. The text, especially in this passage, is male-dominated, generating a patriarchal violence between characters. Beowulf, Hrothgar, the warriors, Grendel, and the dragon are all male. However, Grendels mother is female, and although the sea monsters live in the same location as she does, they are referred to as male. For example, the narrative voice assigns the sea-dragon the warriors kill as male in he surged to the surface (1434), and his freedom in the water / got less and less(1435-1436). The reader is not privy to the sea creatures gender until the end of the passage. The use of enjambment and line breaks depict the fractured slaying of the male sea monster, and the relentless violence of the warriors. The line that follows the enjambment depicts a strong change in sentence structure, It was his last swim. (1436). This immediate short sentence after multiple lines of enjambment highlights the complexities of the killing, and the ultimate swiftness of the death. The presence of patriarchy in the violence is so clear, that it appears Beowulf and his warriors have forgotten that the real monster worth defeating is Grendels mother, and that they violently kill whatever stands in their way of heroism and the promise of Gods protection. Furthermore, personification of the war-horn is used to symbolize the disruption of the status quo of the water and its sea creatures. Beowulf and his warriors, as humans, are violently intruding upon the sea creatures peace. This mirrors the simultaneous change in Beowulfs usual fights; while he is used to fighting men, there is a role reversal in that he is now fighting Grendels mother. The narrative voice personifies the war-horn, stating that an urgent war-horn repeated its notes (1423), speaking as though the war-horn had the autonomy to repeat its notes without human interaction. By comparing the war-horn to an urgent, repetitive warrior, the narrator emphasizes the violence of Beowulfs attacks. The narrator also employs anthropomorphism to the sea creatures. For instance, the monsters are described as slouching on slopes (1427), comparing them to humans leaning on cliffs. To this end, these lines depict the disruption of the status quo between personified creatures and inanimate objects once the humans intervene, highlighting Beowulfs powerful position among his competition, and how violence is the only way for him to be heroic. The narrative voice uses vivid imagery and alliteration to poetically depict violence, and symbolize the water as a dangerous hell. Imagery is used by way of sensory details as the water of the lake is described as hot gore, and how everybody gazed (1422) at it. In this way, the reader can imagine different senses, the heat of the lake with monsters thrashing around, and the warriors watching intently, ultimately building tension between the violence of Beowulf and his warriors and the ambiguity of the sea monsters and the uncertain danger they present. In the same way, the sea-dragons are described as lashing in anger at the loud call (1431), providing more sensory details in the form of sound. The image of the sea-dragons floundering in the water at the sound of the war-horn, along with the feeling of hot gore, and watching the sea-dragons surface, paints a violent, monstrous picture in the mind of the reader. Furthermore, the use of alliteration allows the reader to imagine the imagery clearly. The narrative voice uses alliteration to make the violence and action resonate, and the repetitive letters mimic the repetitive actions in the passage and greater text, regarding violence, patriarchy, heroism, death and the afterlife. For instance, the s is used repetitively, as the monsters are slouching on slopes (1427), along with the hurt monster who surged to the surface: the seasoned shaft (1434) cut him deeply, leading to his death. As a result, these lines repeatedly remind the reader of the sea monsters anthropomorphic actions, the s allowing the reader to imagine the sea creatures slipping and slithering, as well as emphasizing the violence that they both represent, and that ultimately envelopes them. The dark imagery and alliterations highlight Beowulfs reasoning for attacking, and thus his need for glory. This passage features many important themes within Beowulf, and the narrative voice uses literary and poetic elements to emphasize meaning on a thematic and poetic level. The poems diction proves patriarchal violence, while elements such as enjambment, personification, alliteration and imagery allow the poem to come alive with purpose. This passage establishes tension between the military actions of Beowulf, Hrothgar, and their retinue, and the imprecise threat posed by the water in which Grendels mother and other sea creatures live. In the description and attack of the sea-dragons, they are depicted in a hellish manner, proving that Beowulf is motivated by Christian beliefs, and must commit violence against the dangerous male sea monsters in order to obtain glory and heroism, and therefore the grace of God. Citations Greenblatt, Stephen.  The Norton Anthology of English Literature: the Middle Ages.

Analysis Of One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest - 1306 Words

Benjamin Wiki - Conformity Intro â€Å"Conformity is behaviour in accordance with socially accepted conventions.† - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest The novel is set in the 1960’s inside a mental institution told by a patient, Big Chief Bromden and can be seen as a miniature mirror of society. The wards society is presented as a machine, called the Combine, that makes everyone conform to its strict rules and timetables. All individuality is taken away from the patients, and the happy feelings are frowned upon. In the ward, the leader of ‘society’ is the Big Nurse. She enforces order, efficiency and repression. She intends to cure them so that they can fit into the outside world and conform with all the rules that exist. If the patients refuse or resist to comply with her rules, they are abused by legitimate treatments that are supposed to be used only for curing mentally ill patients such as electro-shock therapy, lobotomy and spinal taps. Against the Big Nurse, who represents the rebellion and individuality of the 60’s, is Randle McMurphy, he symbolises distinct, individuality, and freedom. This is the main conflict of the novel. McMurphy, who has done a lot during his life, fought in the vietnam war, gambling and drinking, and has also been in trouble by the law. McMurphy lives his life by his wits. He has escaped the weakening influence of the ‘Combine’. He has all the characteristics to get the patients in the ward to see how they have lost their freedom andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1179 Words   |  5 PagesOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay: Power Dynamics In The Cuckoo’s Nest â€Å"She aint honest †¦ She likes a rigged game† (Forman One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Film). Power can be used as a source of evil or heroism. It has the capacity to control and manipulate people. However, it also has the capability to champion freedom and rights for others. 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The Friendly Correspondence Free Essays

A horrible series of events took place about a day after Belinda wrote her last letter to Krysta. On the afternoon of the 22nd of December she sat in her living room reading one of Krysta’s recent letters in which she said that she had received her present and had told the authorities to not to give it to her until Christmas. Belinda’s parents had gone out shopping when suddenly the door opened and her brother Ron ran into the room. We will write a custom essay sample on The Friendly Correspondence or any similar topic only for you Order Now His face was all red with anger, he was holding some papers in his hand which had been ripped into many pieces. Belinda was so used to her brother’s tantrums that she did not stir from where she was sitting. But as her brother walked by she looked discreetly at the torn papers and saw the words â€Å"failed† and â€Å"Year 12†. She then understood the cause of her brother’s anger and what made him so wild and furious. Ron stopped at once and saw Belinda reading her letter. He asked her where mum and dad were. She didn’t reply. He stomped like a bull who had seen red, suddenly snatching Belinda’s letter out of her hands. He read it quickly and saw a paragraph addressed to Isobel in which it was asked that Ron be taken care of. He stuffed the letter into his pocket in spite of Belinda’s constant groaning to return it. That was the beginning of a quarrel to which Belinda contributed by adding her provoking spiteful remarks and insulting Ron for having failed to graduate. The brother and sister began throwing things at each other, at first paper weights and then dangerous objects such as sharp knives. In her fury Belinda threw a knife at Ron and unfortunately did not miss his hand from which blood started gashing out. Ron went off to his room not paying any attention to his sister who by that time had realised the seriousness of the situation, had stopped fighting. She then started to apologise while looking for a bandage to put and his hand. After having written one page or two of sentences that somehow made sense, Krysta decided to stop wielding her pen for a moment and take a short break. She sat back in her armchair and relaxed, or some minutes she lost in her thoughts, thoughts about life, thoughts of love, happy thoughts, sad ones and thoughts about Gary. Ooh Gary! Her heart stopped beating for a moment at the very thought of it. She remembered herself as a teenager shut in her heart wailing every moment in the depths of her heart for freedom†¦ She recalled how she had come there and how she spent each day of her life thinking it was her last one and that she would not get out of there alive. She shuddered as she thought of the cruel faces of her authorities or the ‘hacks’ as they were often called, of the stale food they gave with malicious faces, the way they eagerly roamed around like hungry dogs putting somebody’s name in their Punishment Sheets. She thought of her friends at Gary. Were they real â€Å"friends†? She thought of Linda McAllam and some other girls who let her down. But then she remembered Macy and girls who were nice to her at some of the times, her sweet voice, which often made her and others, weep or feel lonely, were still in her ears. Everything was clear and vivid in her memory as if it had taken place yesterday and not twenty years ago. On her table shone the paperback cover of a book titled ‘My life at Gary† with the words Krysta Bonbons in bold letters below it and the words BEST SELLER on its side, despite of all her horror of Gary she felt she owed it something. She felt pretty sure she wouldn’t have become a writer if she hadn’t been at Gary and had never met her so-called â€Å"friends†. Where could they all be now? What could they be doing? Directing great companies, catching burglars, smiling at children with books in their hands and blackboards behind them†¦who knows? Were they still alive? She felt her eyes pricking as she remembered Belinda, her pen-pal whom she’d never met in person, who wrote her consoling letters -and also rang her sometimes- during almost the whole of her second year at Gary. She had died that same year a few days before Christmas killed by her violent brother. She looked at her watch, it was 2. 30pm. She hurried so as not to break a routine, which had become a part of her life. At about 3’clock she got off the Vaudeville tram and ran to the cemetery behind St. Michael’s church. She stood still before Belinda’s grave who was no relative of hers but with whom she had a relation stronger than with anyone else. From her purse she took out a letter Belinda had written to her and read it all over again with tears rolling down her cheeks. Thank you, Belinda! â€Å"she said in a feeble voice, â€Å"Thank You for loving me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . She entered the church, said a small prayer and left, a habit she never had before visiting Belinda’s grave for the first time. It was as if Belinda had become an angel and was strengthening her belief in God praying for her everyday. Her next destination was the nearest newspaper office where she ga ve a note with all her brother Simon’s to be published in the classifieds She had put the same ad in the same paper for the past five years. Not that she thought it would do much good but one never knew†¦Krysta was pretty sure that if one day a man younger than her walked towards her calling her â€Å"sister†, she would be very happy and once again would have somebody to love unconditionally just as Belinda loved her. On arriving back home, Krysta threw the pages she had written some hours before into the dustbin and started writing on a new page. Somehow she felt confident the book she was writing would be really good. It would be called â€Å"My Friend whom I’ve Never Seen†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ How to cite The Friendly Correspondence, Papers