Review Of Beowulf By Seamus Heaney - 2154 Words

Sydney Pritchard Mr. McMullan 10th Grade Honors English 13 July 2015 Book Report Title: Beowulf Author: Seamus Heaney Date of Publication: 2000 Historical Context: Genre: epic heroic poem Plot: During the Dark Ages of Europe, in the late 5th century, powerful Scandinavian empires emerged. One of those, the Danish empire, prospered under its ruler, Hrothgar, a decendent of the great Shield Sheafson. To commemorate his warriors for helping him build his empire, Hrothgar built a great mead hall, a place where his warriors could drink and enjoy themselves. He named this mead hall Herot and built it in the swamplands, unaware of the danger lurking nearby. Grendel, a hellish monster and descendent of Cain, was angered by the loud and cheerful noises of Herot, and thus every night he terrorized the warriors and went on a killing spree striking fear and anger in the hearts of the Danes. Word of this fear and anger spread and eventually inspired a young Geatish prince, Beowulf, to help. Beowulf was determined to kill Grendel, and Hrothgar greatly supported his cause. When Beowulf arrived in Denmark, he was warmly greeted by Hrothgar but strongly warned of Grendel’s fero city. When night fell Grendel began to massacre the warriors until he was suddenly stopped by Beowulf who was stronger than he imagined. The two wrestled and fought until Beowulf ripped Grendel’s arm off, who then retreated into the swamp to die. Beowulf was proven victorious and showered with gifts from Hrothgar. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Poem Beowulf 3137 Words   |  13 Pages11 Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be?convincingly argued?that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, whichRead MoreBeowulf As A Hero With Extraordinary Strength And Will1361 Words   |  6 PagesCarter Witt Mrs. Smith EN 210 7 November 2014 â€Å"Heroism in Beowulf† Beowulf is depicted as a great hero with extraordinary strength and will. This is not what makes him such a great hero though. Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as a person who is admired for brave acts or fine qualities (Merriam-Webster). While Beowulf has these qualities the definition does not do him justice. It seemed that his purpose in life was to help others and this is proven when he eventually sacrifices his life when