Beowulf Is An Epic That Was Told Orally Around The Eighth Century And Finally Wr

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Term Paper Title	Beowulf Is An Epic That Was Told Orally Around The Eighth Century And Finally Wr
# of Words	799
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.2

     Beowulf is an epic that was told orally around the eighth century and finally written down by a monk in the tenth century.  Its epic hero is Beowulf, a famous Geat warrior sent by King Hygelac to defend the Danes’ King Hrothgar and his kingdom against the threatening Grendel.  The particular place that Beowulf is to protect against the attacks of Grendel is the mead hall, which was built by Hrothgar for the elite of his kingdom to enjoy.  The first challenge Beowulf takes on is fighting Grendel.  Beowulf does this and defeats him by ripping off the monster’s arm.  There is then a party in Herot, which is repaired and restored from the beating it received in the battle between Beowulf and Grendel.  Beowulf then goes on to defeat Grendel’s mother in her den and Hrothgar, in his great hall, hosts another feast.  Beowulf returns to Geatland, his home, and tells about his battles with the monsters.  After some years, Hygelac and his son, Heardred, fall in battle and Beowulf is announced the king of the Geats, for whom he rules for the next fifty years.  Beowulf then decides to single-handedly fight a dragon that is causing trouble in his kingdom.  Beowulf does defeat the dragon, but only after suffering a fatal wound.  This summary of the poem would have one believing that Beowulf symbolizes the good and the monsters symbolize the evil of the world, but that belief is only partially correct.  In the poem Beowulf, Herot is the epitome of all that is good in the world, and everything outside of the great hall is considered to be the evils of the world.
     Herot symbolizes everything good in the world, in which everyone gets along and everyone knows, and accepts, their roles in the community.  The occurrences in the hall are pleasing; in that Hrothgar allots his treasure to all the people of the hall, and that every meeting there is one filled with joy and fun.  It is more than just a building in which parties are held:  “It shines out over many lands, a beacon of civilization; it is the people’s place.”  (Halverson 99-100)  The people enjoyed this hall, but it was also built
          By the hosts that Hrothgar ruled.  It was quickly
          Ready, that most beautiful of dwellings, built
          As he’d wanted, and then he whose word was obeyed
All over the earth named it Herot. (Raffel 25, lines 76-79)
The appearan...

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