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Epic poems, long and narrative, include adventures and brave heroes. Epic poems can trace their roots back to almost 2500 BCE. Beowulf defines a strong and well-developed epic. Beowulf includes plot characteristics, values, and archetypes throughout the poem. In epics, they show what really mattered at the time and what people cared about in a fictional way.
The plot in Beowulf demonstrates a strong epic because a brave hero goes on a journey to save people. Most importantly, he willingly ventured on the journey to save the people from a supernatural monster. “And quickly commanded a boat fitted out, proclaiming he’d go to the famous king, would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now when help was needed… Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find, the bravest and best of the Geats fourteen in all, and led them down to their boat; He knew the sea, would point the prow straight to that distant Danish shore.”(113-124) This quote shows the epic characteristics of a brave hero who goes on a long journey. The author included this hero to show how one’s actions can affect other people’s lives. The author also uses this brave hero to make one think about sacrifices and decisions in life. Beowulf came from a far and distant nation but he decided to save other people voluntarily. With the previous historical context, people admired bravery and heroic deeds that support the idea that Beowulf represents a strong hero and epic poem. If the author had not included Beowulf, nobody would have been saved by this extraordinary hero. Beowulf also would not be considered a true epic poem without Beowulf venturing on his unknown journeys.
Values greatly contribute to the development of Beowulf and make it a very strong epic. They show what people valued at the time. For example, the Anglo-Saxons valued bravery and heroic deeds, therefore, Beowulf needed to leave behind a legacy for people to remember him. “Here, at the water’s edge, high on the spit of land, so sailors can see this tower and remember my name, and call it Beowulf tower, and the boats in the darkness and mist, crossing the sea will know it.” (815-819) Even in his final moments, Beowulf thought of ways that people would remember and preserve his legacy. Although many values appear in Beowulf, appreciating bravery and leaving behind a legacy of what you did in your life makes Beowulf a strong epic. The author includes these values so people know what they value and how it compares to values today. With these values, we get a deeper and historical understanding of the epic poem. Without these values, Beowulf would just be another fictional story with no deeper meaning.
The archetypes in Beowulf show a strong epic. The battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother represents good and evil which indicates a strong archetype in Beowulf “Her body fell to the floor, lifeless, the sword was wet with her blood, and Beowulf rejoiced at the sight. The brilliant light shone, suddenly. As though burning in that hall, and as bright as Heaven’s own candle, lit in the sky”. (523-528) The light shining in the sky represents good as a sign that once again good prevailed. The battle scene with Grendel’s mother represents the struggle and the light seems significant because it shows Beowulf proved he was the chosen one by slaying the monster. In an underlying way, the battle shows that it’s a content battle in the real world. The usage of archetypes also helps one compare how archetypes engage in modern entertainment and in society. Archetypes help develop the plot and help us notice a recurring pattern which makes Beowulf a strong epic. Without archetypes, there are no recurring patterns to look for or to make connections to.
These three ideas make Beowulf a truly strong epic. Although many more examples show up in Beowulf, plot characteristics, values, and archetypes make it a strong epic. Epic characteristics show up in a lot of superhero movies, modern values are reflected in music and television, and archetypes show up almost anywhere. Epics suggest importance because they show important values of the time period in a fictional and interesting way. Epics also represent importance because they distinguish and preserve their culture.
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