hook for an essay about beowulf

Hook For Beowulf Essay

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that was composed somewhere between the 8th and 11th century. Beowulf follows a great hero who comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by a man-eating creature known as Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel and, too mortally wounded to survive, Beowulf goes on to kill Grendel’s mother as well before returning home.

Beowulf is one of the most important works in English literature. It has had a profound effect on the literary world, inspiring writers from William Shakespeare to J.R.R Tolkien with its powerful narrative of sacrifice and redemption during times of war, chaos, and loss. Beowulf was first translated into English by renowned poet Seamus Heaney in 1999 for the British Council after Burton Raffel’s translation won them over with its modern language that still kept true to Beowulf ‘s original prose. Now considered by many scholars as the definitive work on Beowulf, Beowulf is read by thousands of students every year.

Beowulf was composed in Old English sometime between the 8th and 11th century. Beowulf follows Beowulf, a great hero who comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel and goes on to kill his mother as well before returning home.

Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic in 3,182 lines of alliterative verse. Beowulf was composed in England in the early 650’s by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. It has three main characters: Beowulf, King Hrothgar, and Grendel. Beowulf comes to aid his fellow Danes when Beowulf was just a teen from Geatland, Beowulf slays Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother in order to return home to Beowulf’s

King Hrothgar’s halls in Heorot and Beowulf becomes King of the Geats. Beowulf becomes king of the Geats after his father dies at sea and Beowulf leads Geatish warriors into an epic battle with a dragon. The Beowulf poet did not provide many details of Beowulf’s life; however, he does mention that Beowulf had Swedish relatives through his mother (lines 536-539).

Hook sentence(s): Growing up in the heroic path, Beowulf was divided in such different ways of one’s point of view. Beowulf the hero fighting against Grendel and Grendel’s mother reaped Beowulf distinctively enough for Beowulf to gain the fame that would come in handy in Beowulf’s middle age. Beowulf was also known for his inclination towards greediness when he took the throne from King Hrothgar, usurping Beowulf’s own uncle in Beowulf’s homeland. However, Beowulf would come to his senses at the end of Beowulf’s life, when Beowulf offered Beowulf kingdom to Beowulf last remaining relative named Wiglaf when Beowulf was old and ridden with illness.

Beowulf is known for Beowulf heroic stature, but it did not mean that Beowulf was without flaws. Beowulf grew up in the heroic path, became king by usurping Beowulf’s own uncle even though he had kept growing power relatively low during Beowulf’s reign so far. Yet, this act was seen as Beowlver’s way of letting go of youthfulness. When confronted with Beowulf’s mortality Beowlver lets go of Beowulf’s greediness and allowed Beowulf’s own family to take Beowulf’s kingdom when Beowulf was old and ridden with illness.

Beowulf is one of those works that you will either love or hate and there’s not much in between. Some people would say it’s an epic poem. Some would call it a long story with special meaning behind it – indeed, Beowulf has been the subject of doctoral dissertations and books written about its inner meaning. The Beowulf poet remains anonymous to this day. Beowulf is one of the best-known works in Old English literature, Beowulf has an interesting opening sentence that sets up the mood for the entire story.

The script opens with Beowulf speaking directly to the audience/reader about a man who was so powerful he could speak with animals, and Beowulf promises to tell this story because it’s a part of his heritage.

The tale starts out in an ice age where everything ices over, Beowulf is born but he will grow up to become the strongest man among his people. Beowulf talks about growing up in a time where all the creatures of nightmares were real, Beowulf thanks God for protecting him from ever having to face anything like that. Beowulf is a hero and a warrior who will go on many great quests, Beowuful seems upset by something he can’t control instead of being glad that he wasn’t born into a time when it was dangerous everywhere. Beowulf says there were no heroes back then so Beowolf has to travel far away to find someone worthy of emulation.

Beowulf’s father dies. Beowulf returns home from an adventure met with the news that his father died from grief because he Beowulf so much. Beowulf is the only one strong enough to kill a monster named Grendel, Beowulf decides to hunt down Grendel because it’s his way of preventing future grief.

Beowulf travels to Denmark and arrives at Heorot. Beowulf hears that people have been unable to sleep peacefully in Heorot for twelve years due to a man-eating monster who raids Heorot every night. Beowulf fights with Grendel and kills him by ripping off his arm, Beowulf hangs up Grendel’s hand as a trophy outside of Heorot. Beowulf returns home after many adventures and everyone praises Beowolf but he insists he did little or nothing very worthwhile. Beowulf is Beowulf’s nephew’s guardian because Beowulf has no children. Beowulf invites Beowulf to stay with him in his kingdom but Beowolf declines the offer, Beowulf makes a good decision by not putting himself into an awkward position where he might have to fight Beowlph for leadership of his own tribe.

Beowulf returns home and saves Hygelac from a dragon that had come to take Beowulf’s land, Beowulf dies from being burned alive by the dragon. The story ends with BeoWulph being mourned as a great hero even though it seemed as though he was too busy playing hero elsewhere to be bothered by grief at home.

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116 Beowulf Essay Topics & Paper Examples

See tips on writing the Beowulf thesis statements and critical analysis of the poem. Also, our experts have prepared a list of ideas and prompts that allow you to explore the archetypal epic hero and more!

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• Beowulf: Role of Women
• British Literature: Beowulf vs. Macbeth
• Is Beowulf an Ideal Hero and King? The Ideal in “Beowulf”
• The Mead-Hall in “Beowulf” and Anglo-Saxon Society
• Grendel’s Mother in Film “Beowulf”
• The Epic Poem “Beowulf”: Arms and Armor
• The Poem “Beowulf”: The “Wyrd” Concept
• Traditional Sociocultural Elements of the Germanic Society in the “Beowulf” Poem
• The Poem “Beowulf”: Prologue Analysis

Beowulf and Grendel Comparison

Make an essay comparing the physical depiction and characters of Beowulf and Grendel in this ancient epic. Point out the monstrous look of the latter and the heroic traits of the titular character. Search for traits these characters share and look for symbolism in their depiction.

Beowulf Christianity vs Paganism

Describe the mix of pagan and early Christian elements in the Beowulf poem. Explain why they mix well or don’t and how the epic’s time of writing influenced the text. Which of the characters represent the old religion and which serve as representatives of the new one?

Main Beowulf Themes: Courage & Heroic Code

Write a compelling essay covering the themes of courage and heroism in Beowulf. Talk about the most courageous characters in this literary work and the things that ultimately make them great warriors, capable of dealing with overwhelming adversity. Explain the physical and mental elements that go behind this mindset.

Beowulf Poem vs Movie

Compare and contrast the original work and the movie of the same name released in 2007. Explain if the adaptation did a good job of telling its story and underlying message. Describe what the movie did properly or not, and if it had any major changes from the source material.

Good vs Evil in Beowulf Epic Poem

Analyze how good and evil are represented in this old English poem. Explain how the epic’s main character represents all of the good in the world and Christianity while the monsters call back to the darker times of paganism, representing evil incarnate. Describe if this clear dichotomy works to the poem’s advantage.

• Feudalism in Europe in the “Beowulf” Poem The Old English epic poem Beowulf presents a good illustration of the relations and obligations of lords and vassals. God defines the rights and obligations in feudal society.
• A Life Lesson from Shakespeare’s Macbeth Play vs. Beowulf Poem In Macbeth, the consequences of ambition are seen through the pain and suffering of Macbeth, his wife, and the people of Scotland.
• Depiction of Heroism in “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” and “Le Morte D’Arthur” In Le Morte D’Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Beowulf, the central characters in the tales appear to represent their own unique description of heroism.
• Female Superhero: Beowulf and “Wonder Woman” Film The central argument of the essay is that Beowulf inspired Wonder Woman and led to the creation of a story that asserts the ability of females to be superheroes.
• Heroism in Beowulf He was welcoming and showed this feature by accepting Beowulf’s assistance and aiding in the development of Beowulf into maturity, as indicated in the first section of the narrative.
• Beowulf, the Hero of the Epic Poem Wisdom in Beowulf’s life is evident in his journey to Denmark and his reign over the Geats. At this time, all he had in his mind were the battles he was going to engage in […]
• “Beowulf” by Seamus Heaney Review Through the story telling of the poem it becomes evident that its main character is somehow corrupted by the glory, power and money he acquires for his acts of bravery; still, his main qualities are […]
• Beowulf Character in Historical and Cultural Contexts After reading the poem, a lot can be learned about Beowulf as a warrior and his challenges, as well as the historical and cultural context of the literature of that period.
• The “Beowulf” Anglo-Saxony Epic Poem The willingness to save the opponent’s head describes the main hero’s braveness, which is one of the central features that is explained during the poem.
• The Poem “Beowulf”: Linguistic Analysis In old English, as is the case with the poem, there is an addition of the suffixes such as as in elingas in weak verbs.
• Gender Roles in “Beowulf” Poem Women are portrayed as belongings for the advantage of the men throughout Beowulf and are made to support the male characters.
• The Poem “Beowulf”: Character Analysis The poem depicts the heroic deeds of the warrior Beowulf and captures the Anglo-Saxon culture of the medieval period. Next, in the part of the poem which depicts Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother, the character […]
• Main Idea and Literary Devices of Beowulf Poem Furthermore, in the third part of the text, which focuses on Beowulf’s last battle, the author introduces a different point of view to the story.
• Beowulf Among Ancient European Poems The poem describes the glorious life and deeds of a hero, Beowulf, who was regarded as a person sent by heaven for people.
• “Beowulf” in Contemporary Culture The title of this literary work is the name of the main character. In addition, a key factor contributing to the plot of the heroes’ destinies is the presence of an enemy, on whose destruction […]
• Beowulf Defeats Grendel: Relationships With Family, Women, and His Own Gender A battle with the monster’s mother was going to be even harder for our hero. Nevertheless, a few days after, I was extremely happy to see Grendel’s arm and claw exhibited in Herot as a […]
• “The Poem of Beowulf” in the Anglo-Saxon Culture The first part is the legend of Beowulf and Grendel; the second is about Beowulf and the dragon. He is ready to sacrifice himself and his courage for the sake of justice.
• Heroes’ Noble Intentions in Epic Poems: Sundiata, Beowulf and Gilgamesh The monster was killed, and later Beowulf had to protect his people from the vengeful mother of the beast, although even the hero’s original sword refused to harm a woman.
• Classical Epos of Beowulf and Gardner’s Work Connection This paper is dedicated to the study of the connection between classical epos of Beowulf and Gardner’s work through the analysis of Gardner’s toying with the conventions of the warrior code, the place of heroes […]
• Thematic Concepts in Beowulf and Divine Comedy (Inferno) The tension is not resolved because this exploration does not factor in the causes of the evil meaning that the reinforcement of the doctrinal message overrides critical thinking. In paradise, the issue of God’s Justice […]
• Treasured Objects in Beowulf, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Pope’s “Rape of the Lock” This piece of literature is not a work of so to say, an eternal value that can be explained by the transient nature of the life experience addressed in it.
• Dragon-Fight in “Beowulf” Epic Poem My armor is blazing in the hot rays of the old sun. He defeated the beast, I must admit it, and and saved the kingdom.
• Heroism and Characters in the “Beowulf” Epic Poem The central figure of any heroic epics is the character who represents the interests of his people and serves as the embodiment of the human qualities which are considered to be the best in their […]
• Tales of Beowulf: Theme’ Analysis Considering the peculiarities of Beowulf, the paper aims at exploring particular themes such as family, fame and shame, changes and cycles, and the theme of religion present in the poem to show how the interpolated […]
• Reading Between the Lines: The Monster That Haunted Heorot To start with, it is so ancient that one cannot help gasping in awe; second, “Beowulf” is the first written and, therefore, the most treasured British poem; third, the poem is truly epic from beginning […]
• Role of Women in the Poem Beowulf However, from a careful analysis of the context of the poem and the society in which it is set in, it is evident that women also played a key role in the poem.
• Why the Story of Beowulf Focuses on the History of the Main Character as a Hero Rather Than a King The story of Beowulf, to a great extent, focuses on the history of the main character as a hero as opposed to a king.
• Comparison of Heroes in Early English Literature As a recap, to the thesis of this essay, the representation of a hero in early literature was closely linked to the culture that produced it. The above portrayal of a hero is slightly distinct […]
• Heroes in English Literature From the above mentioned epic heroes, we find that the aspect of heroism is differentiated mostly to suit the time in which they were written and also to meet the expectation of the audience and […]
• Beowulf: Grendel’s Mother Viewpoint This essay demonstrates the linguistic, thematic, and cultural importance of Beowulf from the eyes of Grendel’s mother, an antagonist in the novel.
• Ancient Works of Literature According to the author, the king is “given such glory of war, such honor of combat, that all his kin obey him gladly till great grow his band of youthful comrades”.the character of the king […]

Is Beowulf a Villain or a Hero?

Beowulf is without a doubt the hero of the epic, exhibiting many virtuous qualities: bravery, loyalty, and strength. But, some of the character’s traits seem negative. As the character grows older, he becomes more focused on personal wealth and glory. It contrasts Beowulf’s selfless and helpful nature at the story’s beginning.

What Makes Hrothgar a Good King?

Several characteristics make Hrothgar a good king. He displays great leadership skills, generosity, and diplomacy. Hrothgar also cares about his thanes, distributing treasure and land between them according to the heroic code. The king warns Beowulf about becoming too prideful and blind to the dangers of fame.

How Are Kennings Used in Beowulf?

In this poem, kennings have the same role as in other pieces of old English literature. They are a special kind of metaphor used during that period and are considered a powerful literary device. Kennings are a metaphoric compound that replaces simple nouns. In Beowulf, their examples include a storm of swords (war) and a peace-bringer among nations (queen).