The Secret Within Beowulf By William Shakespeare - 953 Words

The Secret Within Beowulf, the longest epic poem from the Anglo-Saxon period, has a protagonist named Beowulf. A hero of the Geats and forthcoming king, the title character comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, whose kingdom was under attack by a monster known as Grendel. Both are great kings, wise and noble but what truly makes a king great? Is it the accolades or honors that one receives or does it go beyond that? Two different cultures, two different men but two great kings; Beowulf was described as a hope for the people (l. 13, 36). He was a hope for the Geats in his ability to lead, to fight and to inflict change. Even Hrothgar voiced to Beowulf that he have heard no man of the age that you are utter such wisdom. You are rich in strength and ripe of mind, you are wise in your utterance (ll. 1840-43, 77). After defeating Grendel and his mother, Hrothgar tells Beowulf this. This foreshadows that Beowulf will be a mighty king in the future. Both are men whom people counted on and looked to for guidance. Both exemplifying what a ferocious warrior resembled and what a true hero was. Hrothgar was granted glory in battle, mastery of the field (ll. 63-4, 38). Knowing from experience, the glory of being looked up to as a hero, Hrothgar warns Beowulf of pride and arrogance. He tells Beowulf a story about Heremod, a fighter once known for being brave and destroyed all obstacles that came his way but t urned into a monster himself when heShow MoreRelatedHistory of British Theatre1571 Words   |  7 Pages After the Roman pull out the chief performances in Britain came from travelling bards, or Scops, who provided entertainment to crowds at feasts, at events, or in nobles’ courts, usually in the form of epic poetry. Caedmon’s Hymn and the saga of Beowulf are two of the very few surviving stories that were performed during that time.   Organized theatrical performance would soon supplant the Scops, thanks in large part to the spread of Christianity and the rise of the trade guilds in British towns.Read MoreClassification of Literature3483 Words   |  14 PagesThe quatrains are so related that they lead to a significant statement of thought or conclusion in the last two lines. The sonnet as a form of poetry made its first appearance in the 16th century with the sonnet of Spencer and Sir Philipp Sidney. Shakespeare wrote sonnets on the accepted themes on love and fr iendship. Of the sonneteers, Wordsworth has been considered the most prolific. Most prominent of the 19th century sonnet writers was Elizabeth Barret Browningwhose â€Å"Sonnets From the Portuguese†Read MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagespress, books were rare and precious (Bingham and Scholt 1980). Amusing books written specifically for children would have been economically and psychologically impossible (Townsend 1996). Children would probably have listened to adult works such as Beowulf, Song of Roland, El Cid, King Arthur, and Robin Hood. Children and adults also enjoyed folk tales and literature rich with fantasy and imagination, as myth was the way they made sense of their world. While there were no manuscripts devoted specifically