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Shahrukh Shaikh
Mrs. Pamela Bradley
AP Literature
4 November 2016
An Analysis of Beowulf based on How to Read Literature like a Professor
The poem of Beowulf recounts the epic tale of a hero named Beowulf set in Scandinavia.
This work is conventionally received as a very powerful and widely recognized piece of Old
English Literature. Truly, the story of Beowulf is depicted in a magnificent manner, following a
breathtaking plot structure, that works today continue to follow. Regarding content, the epic

poem of Beowulf tells the tale of the hero of the Geats, Beowulf. He comes to the aid of the King
Hrothgar after the land is plagued by attacks from a beast called Grendel. After this encounter,
the story is set and Beowulfs honor and prestige as a hero and warrior follow. The framework of
this story, albeit astounding, is nothing distinct, and according to How to Read Literature like a

Professor, quite

derivative. Beowulf presents a story of the hero Beowulf in a tale that proves the
longevity of this type of plot structure and the motifs present in the work.

Beowulf puts the reader into the world of the hero Beowulf. This hero is a Geatish warrior
who goes on his epic journey to rid his world of the evil beings that plague it. Ultimately,
Beowulf is a herald of good for his people and embodies all the characteristics of a hero.
Whether it be saving his society, or being prompted to act upon bad news, Beowulf is always
ready to show his heroic prowess off. To many people, no two works of literature are alike, even

if they are in the same genre. However, this line of reasoning is wrong. In How to Read
Literature like a Professor, the essence of this is captured perfectly by comparing it to a

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connect-the-dots diagram a child would do. If one were to look at a plethora of these diagrams,
they would all look the same, as they are just a group of dots. However, if one were to actually
go through and solve each and every single one of these diagrams, one would begin to notice
differences. This is parallel to literature. Although each work of literature has its own
personality, whether it be a character trait or tone, the broad plot structure and ultimate scheme

of the story is the same. This is apparent in Beowulf, as it follows the normal hero plot structure
every epic hero story follows. For instance, Beowulf gets his call to action by hearing about the
havoc Grendel is wreaking throughout the Hall of Mead. Additionally, Beowulf experiences an
ordeal of almost facing death in the battle between him and Grendels mother. These are just two
elements of the broad epic heros plot, and can be seen in other works that feature a hero.
Beowulf is categorized as an epic hero due to this larger than life strength, his unknown parental
background (his father), and that he battles for good. These are just a few of the characteristics of
Beowulf that embody a true epic hero.
All throughout Beowulf, the presence of medieval warriors and the inner workings of tha
that culture is heavy. Whether it be how a warrior holds honor, or even the transfer of power,

political aspects such as this are quite complex in Beowulf. How to Read Literature like a
Professor suggests that all literature is political. A story could be very childish and meant for

adolescents, but masquerades a deep political meaning. Although a work might not be outright
political, it is certainly political with its message. In Beowulf, much of the politics center around
honor and upholding the warrior code. For instance, when Beowulf confronts Grendel, Grendel
happens to be weaponless. To uphold his own honor and the warrior code, Beowulf drops his
weapons and proceeds to battle. Diplomacy revolves around politics, and the diplomacy between

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the Danes, Geats and even individuals themselves are prevalent throughout the battles and feasts
in Beowulf. A prominent example of this is the way warriors present themselves through boasts.
These boasts were a way that a warrior would present himself to prove his worth. During
Beowulfs final battle with the dragon, the outcome of the fight was not shining in Beowulfs
favor, so he was about to give up. Due to this, Beowulf delivers his final boast, consisting of how
he ruled [the] nation for fifty years, among other things as well (Line 2732). This final boast
would ultimately seal Beowulfs honor and gives his comrades final directions on what to do
with treasure after his passing.
Not only are politics shared in literature, but also religion. Although works of literature
come all around the world and have a diverse background, they generally all share some
semblance of the Christian faith. Typically, every literary work contains some sort of Jesus
figure. The way this character shows this trait is through the way he or she act around people or
the way they physically are. For example, if a character is mortally wounded in the wrist area, or
with their arms up, a direct correlation can be made with crucifying. In Beowulf, Beowulf
himself is the Jesus figure. The way this parallel is drawn is through the actions and diplomacy
of Beowulf. To the Danes, Beowulf is seen as a blessing and a rescuer by freeing them of the
terror of Grendel. Before the actual fight, Grendel is depicted as a God-cursed being and as the
captain of evil (Lines 711 & 749). In Christianity, an entity that is described in the same way is
Satan. Looking at Beowulf as the embodiment of good and relating Grendel to Satan, another
relation can be made. When Beowulf and Grendel duel, the ultimate battle between good and
evil takes place, leading to an allusion to the Christian faith.

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At the Beowulf was originally written, usually, only men were literate. When reading
literature, perspective is key. Although literary works are made for society, they always have a
targeted audience, which dictates its style and tone. Because of this, a book geared towards
women will have a more feminine tone when compared to a book targeted towards men. Due to
this, the writer of Beowulf fashioned his work in a way that would appeal to men. In specific, the
writer manages to engage his targeted masculine audience through many symbols and innuendo.
Men are known to have much more carnal desires when compared to women. With this in mind,
the writer heavily relies on sexual contact to portray his images. A prime example of this is the
battle between Beowulf and Grendels mother. When Beowulf was conducting hand-to-hand
combat with Grendels mother she pounced upon him and pulled out a broad, whetted knife
(Line 1545). This may seem like a mundane explanation, but one can definitely draw a sexual
connotation from the verbiage. One would expect a normal duel scene with gore and bloodshed,
but instead, the writer depicts this battle with more of a lewd tone, portraying this battle as more
of a sex scene than a battle.
Concisely, the epic poem of Beowulf, albeit an amazing tale, contains many elements that
are quite conventional in every piece of literature. Beowulf manages to portray a heroic tale, that
pulls the reader into its very own politics, religious, and perspective motifs. The literary elements
broken down in How to Read Literature like a Professor accurately show elements present in
Beowulf.