Kwan-young Kim

9/28/2010
Period 3
Sutterfield
Beowulf Essay Final Draft

Beowulf is an English epic filled with the characteristics that an epic should have.

These include, but are not limited to, the hero is generally a male and of high birth; he is also

reflective of the ideals of his society, and performs courageous (sometimes superhuman) deeds

for the fate of a nation or group of people. Of course, epic characteristics are not restricted to just

the protagonist. Some characteristics deal with the syntax of the epic such as the use of a serious

tone in epics while others describe what the epic should contain such as the use of timeless

values and universal themes.

In order to analyze this epic, we must first start with the protagonist, Beowulf.

Beowulf is an arrogant prince who reflects what his society considers important. Beowulf is very

strong and portrays an inhuman agility. In addition to these characteristics, Beowulf performs

courageous and superhuman deeds, which are also characteristics that people during these times

felt were important. An example is given in line 452; the statement, “For hours he sank through

the waves…” is not realistically possible for a human being. Another example is given in lines

515 – 519, when he lifted a sword that “no ordinary could lift”. Beowulf saves Hrothgar and

Heorot reflecting the important values of his era: courage and strength. Of course, the fact that

Beowulf’s actions determined the fate of Heorot is also a characteristic of an epic.

The epic’s syntax also reflects the characteristics of an epic. For example, the setting

in this poem is huge; it covers both Denmark and Geatland. In addition, the poet uses a serious
tone and formal word choice. From the first sentence of the epic, “A powerful monster, living

down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient” to the last sentence, “And so Beowulf’s

followers Rode, mourning their beloved leader, Crying that no better king had ever Lived, no

prince so mild, no man So open to his people, so deserving of praise.”, the epic portrays a serious

tone. The epic describes the adventures of Beowulf as a deed that only Beowulf could have done;

it is described in intricate detail on how Beowulf slew all of the monsters. Since the details that

are given usually have a negative connotation, meaning in terms of feelings, the fact that

Beowulf’s battles are described in intricate detail contributes to the overall serious tone and

formal word choice.

The actual text of the poem has epic characteristics hidden inside it. For one, the major

characters in the epic have long speeches. In lines 142 – 189, the protagonist, Beowulf, delivers a

long speech about how he will defeat Grendel. In lines 851 – 862, Wiglat, a major character,

delivers a speech also to the shameful Geats. The poem also has a plot surrounded by

supernatural beings. Grendel and his mother, of course, are two examples of these supernatural

beings. The epic, finally, reflects values such as courage and honor as well as universal themes

such as good and evil or life or death. In this instance, an example could be Beowulf as “good”

and Grendel’s mother as the “evil”. Another example is Beowulf’s epic battle with Grendel’s

mother. The battle is an example of the universal theme, “life or death”. If Beowulf lost, he

would have died while the same thing could be said for Grendel’s mother.

From the first sentence to the last sentence, Beowulf is full of characteristics that

define it as an epic. The way that Beowulf himself behaved, to the syntax of the epic, to the

actual text of the poem, Beowulf reveals not only the fact that it is an epic, but contains

Pagan/Christian influences. References to magic and magical monsters such as in lines 514 –
515, “…hammered by giants…blessed with their magic” are undeniably Pagan while lines

similar to, “…and Holy God, who sent him victory, gave judgment…” in lines 509 – 510 are

equally undoubtedly Christian. In conclusion, Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic with Pagan and

Christian influences.