Beowulf a Poem Translated by Seamus Heaney Essay - 1072 Words

In the poem, Beowulf, by an unknown poet, as translated by Seamus Heaney, we see many monstrous behaviors. A few of the examples stand out more than the rest: wanton destruction, a woman acting as a man, and the act of killing one’s kin. Wanton destruction goes against the ideals that governed the Anglo-Saxon culture. The warrior kings had duties to uphold. We see that they revered kings who would bring protection and give freely to the young and old and not cause harm. One good illustration of this is the nature in which King Hrothgar dispensed his wealth, he dispensed it to the needy and he didn’t give away â€Å"the common land or the people’s lives† (71-73). In contrast we see Grendel, a descendent of Cain, depicted as being a demon,†¦show more content†¦The lord â€Å"vented his rage† on the men he drank with and went as far as to murder his own friends (1713-14). Another representation of wanton and destruction is seen when Beowulf speaks about Ongentheow’s sons and how they , encompassed Hreasnahill with orchestrated surprise attacks on every given opportunity, savagely crusading ,they were determined not to make peace, going from ever â€Å"wale-road†(10) entrance to the next (2475-78). Monstrous behaviors that are of the nature of wanton destruction are determined by the motives of the one being violent, although violence alone is not deemed monstrous but violence without a justified cause is, with the exception that it is a man and not woman. Anglo-Saxon culture accepted violence from a man, but when a woman was violent the behavior was deemed monstrous. Queens had courtesies that they were expected to observe such as being peace weavers, cup passers (613-15) and â€Å"a balm to their battle scarred Swede† (62-63). They mourned the lost by crying and singing this is seen in the performance by the minstrel who the n ordered her own son’s body (1118-1119).This was the formal way for a queen to mourn. If there was a cause of death by violence then the avenging was left to the king and his retainers. Grendel’s mom never paid any mind to their culture’s ideas of what a woman’s place was in their society. She turned the idea upside down and inside out. Making every man and woman fear her,Show MoreRelatedBeowulf And The Anglo Saxon Period1740 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf The original poem, Beowulf, goes back to the Anglo-Saxon period in c. 650 and c.1100. Authors translated Beowulf many times in the Anglo-Saxon period to present day. It displays how a hero should be in the real world. He helps the people in the village and slays monsters. Everyone in the village looks up to him as he acts as if he were a role model. 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