Beowulf Response

I thought that Beowulf was a good story. Some parts that stuck out to me the most would have to be the battles. One of my most favorite battles was when the one with the dragon at the end. this way one of my favorites because it was not necessarily predictable. It was towards the end so i knew something different was about to happen. Other aspects of Beowulf that i liked was the journeys that they made back and fourth and the descriptions in them.

The Anglo-Saxon culture related to this story in that there was a king for every area. Some examples of this was Beowulf was Lord and king of the Geats as Hrothgar was king of the Danes.
Another example of the culture was that loyalty to leadership was essential in these times. The way that the Geat warriors and the danes followed there leaders in Beowulf was extraordinary. They were always right by there side ready to take orders no matter what! The last great example of the culture would have to be the dragon towards the end of the poem. Just like in the Anglo-Saxon culture the dragon protected the treasures and and the graves in Beowulf. When someone disturbed the treasures of anything that the dragon was protecting in Beowulf, he would go crazy and find someone to take it out on. "Earth dwellers fear him much. He must seek a hoard in the earth, where,old in winters, he will guard heathen gold, though he gains nothing from it."This was the start of the downfall for Beowulf.

I think that this story relates to modern day heroes by protecting the people. Just like spider man or batman, Beowulf wanted the people to be safe even if they were not his people. " a warrior of Hygelac's heard of Grendel's doings;he was the strongest of men alive in that day, mighty and noble.That man called for a ship,said he would cross the ocean and help the king who needed help."Some evidence of this in the story was when he heard of Grendel attacking the danes and killing them in there sleep. He knew that they could not stop Grendel and wanted to help. Also though in a way it was different. In today's hero stories the heroes usually have special powers or outrageous gadgets that they use to kill there enemies. Beowulf only had his sword and armor and in the battle with Grendel he did not even use any of them because he wanted it to be fair since Grendel was unarmed.

The battle with Grendel was a quick but great one. I knew that Beowulf would put Grendel in his place for killing all those warriors in there sleep. To me that was a real coward move, he wouldn't even try killing them in an actual battle. The actual battle with Grendel was cool because Beowulf heard of Grendel killing all the men in there sleep and how everyone was frightened by him so he decided to go and help them out even though he didn't have to. One of my favorite parts about the battle also was when Beowulf ripped the arm off Grendel and stuck it up in the hall. "However, he left behind his hand to save his life, and his arm and shoulder, though that won't buy the wretch much comfort.The evil-doer, afflicted by sin,won't live much longer;pain with its strong grip has seized him in deadly bonds,and there shall he await,guilty of crime, the great judgment,how the bright creator will decree. . . "

One of the other battles was the one with Grendel's mom. She came to kill the men because she had learned about her son dying. It was a very close battle but also did not last that long. The sword that Beowulf was given to go to battle with all the jewels was useless after he tried slicing her but the sword broke. I couldn't believe when Grendel's mom almost avenged her sons death and just about killed the mighty warrior Beowulf. "She paid him back quickly with angry claws and clutched him against her.At that moment the strongest of warriors felt sick at heart:he fell. She sat on her hall guest and drew a dagger,wide and brown-edged--she would avenge her son, her only offspring. On his shoulder lay the woven mail shirt.It protected his life,withstood the entrance of point and edge.Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, champion of the Geats,would have perished then under the wide ground had not his armor, his hard war net, helped him." In the end of the battle however Beowulf reign victorious and the blood from the mother of Grendel was hot and so poisonous that it melted the sword from which Beowulf ended the battle with. That was amazing! Beowulf wanted to give the Danes some relief so he went to the body of Grendel and cut off his head since Grendel's mother had taken the arm from the hall.


But the last battle with the dragon really surprised me. One reason because Beowulf was suppose to have strong and courageous soldiers that would stand beside him in battle no matter what. When it came to go into the dragons cave and fight it, the cowards or so called soldiers ran into the woods. That really surprised me. All except one Wiglaf. He was truly a great soldier and he was one of the youngest, without him beowulf would have parished without his last victory. The fire was melting the shield that Beowulf was hiding behind when the dragon started blowing it at him. He knew that he didn't have long without doing something soon. When he tried slaying the mighty beast with his trustworthy sword. (the sword that he had won all of his battles with.) When he did the sword had failed him just like in the battle with Grendels mom. This angered the dragon and he came back the last time and had bit Beowulfs neck! Wiglaf saw this and swung his sword so hard that the fire abaded just enough time for Beowulf to draw his dagger and stab the dragon through the middle for the kill. "Wiglaf showed courage, craft and bravery, as was his nature--he went not for the thought-seat, but struck a little lower, helped his kinsman though his hand was burned.The sword, shining and ornamented, drove in so that the fire abated.
Then the king controlled his senses, drew his battle knife, bitter and battle sharp, which he carried on his mail, and cut the dragon through the middle. The enemy fell--strength had driven out life." This was Beowulf's last victory. Before he died he asked Wyglaf to gather some treasure so he could see what his people would receive for his courageous events. He knew that he would not make it for very much longer. After he saw the marvelous gems Beowulf then gave up his life.

Unit One

ELABLRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.

I think that this addresses how you can read a certain story or song from a different time period in the past, and make it relate to the present. You do this by using the historical background and context to identify what time period it came from.