Theme Of Chaos And Order In Beowulf - 834 Words

Chaos and Order in Beowulf The Epic of Beowulf is about many things, one could say. It involves changes of power, darkness and light, overcoming challenges, temptation and destruction, war, et cetera, et cetera. These themes, and many more, make up what are known as major and minor themes. Both are of equal importance to a story in its entirety; the difference being that major themes address the writer’s most significant ideas, while minor themes refer to an idea that appears only momentarily. For example: a major theme in Beowulf could be overcoming challenges, because it is one of the main ideas throughout the story. Beowulf defeats Brecca, and Grendel, and Grendel’s mother, and the dragon at the end, and had already faced many threats†¦show more content†¦With Grendel dead and gone, order is restored at the hands of Beowulf, and the peoples’ normal merry making begins afresh. This pattern can be seen throughout all of Beowulf’s tale. It transpires again when Grendel’s mother comes seeking revenge for her dead son, and kills Hrothgar’s closest friend. Chaos returns, the people are in dismay once again, along with Hrothgar; uncertain of what to do. Hrothgar pleads with Beowulf to kill Grendel’s mother, which he does willingly; reestablishing order in Hrothgar’s kingdom. Soon thereafter, Hrothgar dies, leaving his kingdom not to either of his sons, but to Beowulf. He rules well for fifty years, keeping the balance of chaos and order in check. It is here that the pattern of chaos to order is altered. With Beowulf as king, the Danes’ land had no fear of monsters attacking again, and any wars that may have taken place were small enough that true turmoil did not exist again until Beowulf himself was old and grey. That was when the dragon awoke. A runaway slave seeking respite from an angry master found his way into the dragon’s barrow and inadvertently stole a precious golden goblet from the hoard of treasure he found there. Outraged, the dragon roused itself and took flight. Pandemonium ensued as towns and cities were burned out of the dragon’s anger. Beowulf’s heart broke as he discovered his hometown had been reduced to charred ruins, and vowed to killShow MoreRelatedEssay on Grendel1169 Words   |  5 Pages In 1971, American author John Gardner wrote Grendel. With a mastermind of creativity, John Gardner successfully retells the classic epic poem, Beowulf. He captures the reader by giving an interesting view of order and chaos, good and evil, hero and monster, allowing the monsters point of view to be seen. On July 21, 1933 John Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. He was the son of a preacher and diary, and his mother taught English. They were very fond of Shakespeare and lovedRead MoreGood vs. Evil in Beowulf1456 Words   |  6 PagesGood vs. Evil in Beowulf Beowulf is longest and greatest early Anglo-Saxon poem which was composed in England sometime in the eighth century AD by a literate scop. This poem was created in the oral poetic tradition. This poem is considered as an epic because it is a long narrative poem which composed in an elevated style, dealing with the glories of hero (Tolkien 24). The setting of this epic is the six century in Denmark and southern Sweden. The protagonist, Beowulf is a noble warrior representsRead MoreFree Will And Religion : An Epic Hero1478 Words   |  6 Pagespoem, Beowulf. The story’s protagonist must endure many trials throughout his journey as an epic hero, defeating his opponent each time. However, Beowulf believes it is not his own strength, but the will of God that he is able to become victorious. 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On the other hand, there are kings, like Oedipus, who can be heroes and highly regarded just because of theirRead MoreAnalysis Of Grendel s The Of The World s Weird Wall 1673 Words   |  7 Pages FINAL GRENDEL IOP SCRIPT       John Champlin Gardner, a well-known novelist that explores philosophy within his works of fiction. He is most notably known for his 1971 book Grendel which is based on the Old English epic poem: Beowulf retold from the monster’s perspective. Within the book, Grendel is repeatedly referenced to be a â€Å"walker of the world’s weird wall† and is forced into a life of isolation, with no ulterior purpose. (FLIP SLIDE—THESIS) In Grendel, John Gardner emphasises the titleRead MoreHero s Journey And Characteristics1650 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout this semester, we mainly discussed the hero’s journey and characteristics as an ancient tale, such as in Beowulf and Grendel. But as we also saw, the hero’s potential is present in everyone with no regard of times. As such, when studying modern stories, we can see that aspects of hero’s journey are still a major theme. In The Matrix, Neo, an average hacker, who might not be seen as a hero in the first place will soon show all characteristics to become one. As a result we would study inRead MoreThe, The Goddess Of Luck And Fortune1199 Words   |  5 Pagesof both of her brothers. Refusing to follow the declarations of man over the gods, she buries her brother alone against the king’s decrees showing her unshakable agency. Grendel’s mother harbors vast physical power, allowing her to battle Beowulf, renowned for his unwavering strength. Grendel’s mother is tactical and acute when dealing with her son’s slayer, signifying mental prowess as well. The Old Woman is very dominant in relationships, securing control over her spouse who greatly