Self & Society: British Lit @Hood College

" But his mother -- greedy, grim-minded-- still wanted to go on her sad journey to avenge her son's death." 1276--1278

What really makes a good trooper? Is it okay to have fear and not want to fight? Or is it frowned upon to be afraid due to society's "standards". Starting from line 1246 “It was their custom/ to be always be ready, armed for battle/ at home or in the field, every one of them, /on whatever occasion their overlord/ had need of them; that was a good troop” (Liuzza 131 lines1246-1250). What happens if one day, someone decides that they are not ready to fight? What will happen? I believe they put a lot of emphasis in trying to protect everyone but what about protecting themselves? Are they fighting because they want or have to? During precious moments when they are out feasting, drinking and having a good time, what does it feel like to stop your fun and be ready to fight? Does it ever cross their mind that they have to be prepared for battle at any given moment?

"He paid him back for that,/ the fierce champion, for on a couch he saw/ Grendel lying lifeless,/ battle-weary from the wound he received/ in combat at Heorot. His corpse burst open/ when he was dealt a blow after death,/ a hard sword-stroke, and his head chopped off." (Beowulf 1584-1590) https://www.google.com/search?q=beheaded+grendel&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=P_2PeBf8cF3WJM:

http://www.fictorians.com/2017/03/06/its-dangerous-to-go-alone/ "far-off lands/are better sought by one who is himself good" (1838-1839).

"When the great beast began to seize him, he remembered his mighty strength, the ample gifts which God had given him, and trusted the Almighty for mercy, favor and support; thus he overcame the fiend, subdued the hellish spirit." (page 131 line 1269-1274)

What makes a hero like Beowulf so invincible and noble? Well in lines 1442-1443, it states, "Beowulf geared up in his warrior's clothing, cared not for his life." This implies that living isn't the goal when fighting a villain but it's defeating the villain. And that you don't matter but others matter. This line is very interesting and empowering.  What makes this so interesting is in lines 1380-1382 which was prior to this, Hrothgar told Beowulf, "I will reward you with ancient riches for that feud, as I did before, with twisted gold, if you return alive." This not only testifies to the character of Beowulf and heroes like him but the determination of a man that wants justice at all costs. It also demonstrates that riches mean nothing in this life if there are villains running a muck. I mean one can say, "Batman." to further prove this. So what makes a hero like Beowulf so invincible and noble? Simply sacrifice and determination for others

A simple golden ring image source: https://doubtfulsea.com/tag/ring/      On line 35, during the description of Scyld, king of the Scyldings and grandfather to Hrothgar, is refered to as "dispenser of rings". On line 350, Wulfgar referes to Hrothgar by a similar epithet, "giver of rings". what is the significance? The purpose of rings and similar jewelry is to provide a means of displaying wealth in a very conspicuous manner. After a battle or some other significant event, a king might give such items as a reward for loyal or conspicuous service. A man with many rings of silver and gold would be wealthy indeed. Giving a ruler like Scyld or Hrothgar an epithet like "ring giver"  implies benevolence to their people and generosity to their allies and to those who serve them well, in addition to their wealth and ability to rule.

(Source: Erin Schwagerl) After listening to the Seamus Heaney audio narration of the Beowulf clips, I felt I had a completely different understanding of the reading. The flow provided by listening to an audio narration made the story make a lot more sense in my head. The experience reminded me of being a child and my dad reading me a bedtime story. I could visualize the scenes and I understood what action was happening to each character. The first time I read line 817, I thought it was one of the human soldiers whose shoulder had been ripped apart. Then when listening to the audio version I realized Beowulf had caused this injury to the great monster. The words were the same; however, hearing the words delivered audibly brought me contextual clarity I had not found in reading the passage.

             It is really interesting to see the amount of influence religion has on this text. It`s not necessarily surprising but it is still fascinating to see how heavily Christianity and religion in general is called on and the many different ways it is used. Mention of God seems to be one of the most common occurrences in the text, second only to prideful boasts. Its used to glorify ancestry, defend actions, and instill confidence. The text also includes many biblical references beginning very early on. The first direct reference I notices was in lines 106-108 when the story calls on Genesis 4:1-16 the story of Cain and Able. This biblical reference is well suited for the text because so far it incorporates many of the same themes "Beowulf" does. It based around battle and strength, emphases heritage, has a victor and conquered, and it calls on God to condemn. I believe this particular bible verse gives the reader a bit of insight on what to expect from the text.

W hile reading  Beowulf  the idea of a  superhero versus a monster is prominent.  Superhero's  are used to show strength and leadership. Writers  utilize  the  monsters  to counteract the  superheroes  and show the contrast in  each  character ' s traits and actions . Showing this difference allows for the reader to relate to both the superhero and monster within the story. In Beowulf,  Grende l  is the monster and Beowulf  kills  him. Readers enjoy superheroes because they are relatable and resemble the "perfect" person. The superhero shows extreme leadership, for  example  S uperman and B atman are prime examples of leaders that readers can aspire to. Depending on the individual Batman may be  preferred  over Superman or  vice  versa, this shows how the superhero is determined by the reader. These characters; Superman, Batman, and Beowulf, all portray the traits of a leader. They represent strength, bravery, and courage throughout their stories, giving the reade

While reading the right hand side of my book, I often tried to compare to the left and find anything I could recognize, but this depressed me after a few pages, and I just read the translation. I have been trying to follow what religion Beowulf and the Danes practice, but I am still confused. There are several references to Christianity, or Monotheism at the least, but there are also references to pagan worship. In lines 180-181 it is stated that "they did not know the Maker,/ the Judge of deeds, they did not know the Lord God," which implies the existence of only one god, the creator (Beowulf.) However, in lines 175-178 we learn that "At times they offered honor to idols/ at pagan temples, prayed aloud/ that the soul-slayer might offer assistance/ in the country's distress" which indicates praying to the devil (Beowulf.) It also describes Grendel as being a descendant of Cain, which is clearly a Christian reference, given that Cain was the first son of Adam and