Journal 7: Motifs in Anglo-Saxon Literature

There are certain motifs which appear throughout various works of literature. One literary work which is saturated with the motifs of faith and destiny is “A History of the English Church & People”. In this work, Caedmon is given a gift by God. At the beginning of his life, he was unable to sing and was uneasy with performing in public. One night, however, he has a dream in which he is asked to sing about Creation. In his song, he uses beautiful lines to praise God. He goes to the abbess of the monastery and it is decided that he ahs been given a gift from God. The abbess is “delighted that God had given such grace to the man, and advised him to abandon secular life and adopt the monastic state”. He becomes a monk and spends the rest of his life writing praises to God. He was given this gift in order to devote his life to using it for the glory of God.
“The Seafarer” is another work which uses motifs to articulate a meaning. The motifs in “The Seafarer” include suffering and faith. The sailor seems to have a desire to go back to land, the things of everyday life at sea not comparing to the things of everyday life on land. Instead of laughter, he says there is a “death-noise of birds”, and instead of mead, there is only the mewing of the gulls. He is alone with his misery and the sea. The only positive point in this is that while his earthly life is tragic and lonely, he holds out hope for Heaven, knowing that it will be a much better place. He says that “Our thoughts should turn to where our home is, Consider the ways of coming there, then strive for sure permission for us to rise to that eternal joy, that life born in the love of God and the hope of Heaven.”
The motifs in “The Wife’s Lament” were longing and loneliness. The reason is not specifically stated, but the wife has been sent to exile by some dishonest scheme. She longs to be back with her husband. She is living in a forest, away from civilization. She mourns for her losses, saying “The absence of my lord comes sharply to me. Dear lovers in this world lie in their beds, while I alone at crack of dawn must walk under the oak-tree round this earthy cave...” This shows how alone she feels without her husband, as well as how remorseful she is about her new dwellings.

Journal 6: Analysis of Grendel's Mother

In the epic poem “Beowulf”, Grendel was a monster who terrorized an innocent village. The great warrior Beowulf sails to the land in order to aid the victims. When he defeats Grendel, there is an air of celebration. He who represented evil had been conquered. What the people did not understand, however, was that while Grendel was a merciless killer, he was not their biggest enemy. His mother, fiercer and mightier by far, was a much larger threat to the community. The death of her son incited her anger and provoked another reign of terror on the Danes. Grendel’s mother represents a much larger form of evil, though she seems to have very human qualities.
Grendel’s mother lived in the same slimy, dank cave as her son. Her scales were impenetrable by men’s swords. She, like her son, was a bloodthirsty killer who delighted in feeding on human flesh. As she crept through the darkness in which she dwelled, her scales would scrape the ground with a terrible noise. The scent of death followed wherever she went. Her teeth were stained with the blood of her victims, and in her breath one could almost hear their mournful whispers. Her claws were sharp and as strong as steel. She could effortlessly grip a victim or weapon and her grasp was firm. Though her strength was powerful and her ability awe-inspiring, Grendel’s mother has traits that make her seem familiar, even pitiable. Though she was hungry for flesh and driven by bloodlust, she did not attack the peaceful village which was sitting unprepared. She did not terrorize the innocent community like her son did. These actions did not begin until after the death of her son. Is a mother whose only son was brutally murdered, deserving or otherwise, to be expected not to retaliate when her foe is so easily defeated? Any human mother would be tempted to do the same. She restrained herself from the village until, in her eyes, the villagers attacked her son. She may not have known about his ravages, or may have seen the death of her son as a more treacherous act than the killings of mere warriors. She was driven mad with grief over seeing her son fatally wounded and having no way to save him. The only avengement she saw was revenge on those who caused her son

Journal 5: Analysis of Grendel

Grendel, a monster from the poem “Beowulf”, is a self-indulging menace whose bloodlust leads him to his death. Grendel terrorizes a group of Danes, killing them in their sleep. He placed a spell on their weapons which rendered them practically defenseless. Their only option was to flee. Their once-joyful mead-hall was now deserted. Grendel is an inherently evil creature. He makes his home in the moors, a dank and slimy place which is representative of his character. He is driven by his greed to kill the warriors of Herot. He is so bloodthirsty that there is no end in sight. There is no way to quench his desire. He simply continued to wage war on the Danes, causing destruction and death.
Grendel was so fierce and relentless that everyone who heard of his ravages feared him. He caused dread and panic in those in the area. The warriors who saw the destruction caused in the mead-hall fled to survive. Hrothgar, their king, was distraught and sorrowful for the twelve years that Herot stood empty. The situation seemed to be hopeless. Grendel was impossibly strong and seemingly undefeatable. Those who acted in courage were slaughtered mercilessly, until Beowulf heard of the predicament and decided to go to battle Grendel. He was still aware of the danger, and made arrangements in case he should not survive. There were doubts that he would be able to defeat such a mighty foe. Even some of the Geats fell victim to Grendel’s initial attack. It was not until Grendel attacked Beowulf that his warpath was slowed.
In the poem “Beowulf”, Grendel represents evil. He is a picture of a demon, and his mother is representative of Satan. In the beginning of the poem Grendel is described as having been “conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God.” This refers to the belief that all evil things are offspring of Cain, who killed his brother Abel. Grendel terrorizes the joyful Danes, as a demon would threaten mankind. The poem repeatedly refers to Grendel as a demon, among other things, with the first reference being “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall, Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel…”. Before Grendel’s attacks, the Danes did not seem to be troubled, but after he begins his terror, they are downcast and fearful. Grendel is not bound by any moral code, and seems to answer only to his lust, and perhaps his mother.

Journal 4: Values and Themes Represented by Beowulf

Beowulf represents different values of Anglo-Saxon society. In his boast, he shows how important pride was to the Anglo-Saxons. What would possibly be called egotism today and looked down upon was then respected. He bragged of his own accomplishments and his audience was captivated and admiring. He was brave enough to travel a long and tumultuous journey in order to battle a monster which was no threat to him or his people directly. Because of his loyalty, Beowulf felt a responsibility to repay his father’s debt. This dedication is another quality which was important to the Anglo-Saxons. One of Beowulf’s most notable qualities is his courage. He fights with honor and does not ever retreat. He does not hide from death, but simply accepts it as a possibility and makes necessary preparations. Brute strength is another trait which earned Beowulf respect in that culture.

These characteristics can allow readers to understand the ideals of the Anglo-Saxon society. They can also convey traits which appear in the heroes of numerous other cultures as well. Confidence is universally admired in a hero, though perhaps not to the extent of Beowulf’s self-promoting speech. Loyalty is a trait respected in many cultures, and especially loyalty to one’s family or countrymen. Beowulf’s courage was another trait that is respected in different cultures. Strength is also a typical heroic trait across cultures. A hero is usually pictured as having great strength and ability. These themes are recognized in various tales from nearly every culture spanning hundreds of years. Many of these ideas were prevalent even in ancient mythology. The traits are universal enough to also be applicable to modern-day heroes, and there is little doubt that the heroes of the future will still possess many of these qualities

Journal 1: A Contemporary Hero

Hillary Rodham Clinton is a modern-day hero. Before her political career, Hillary Clinton had a successful career in law. After her career as a lawyer and then as a Congressional legal counsel, Clinton married Bill Clinton and became involved in politics. Since then, Hillary Clinton has been very involved in the American government. She has taken the initiative to challenge the political system, which is courageous in itself, but she has challenged not only political ideas but also ideas about the role of women in government. She confronts the outdated norms in government and fights to show women equal competitors in the political scene. Clinton was involved in government while serving as First Lady of Arkansas, and then her political practice became even more prevalent during her service as First Lady of the United States. She advocated reforming America’s health care system, a feat in itself, especially in such a nontraditional political role. More recently, Hillary Clinton has served as a United States senator for New York. This was the first time that New York was represented by a woman in the Senate. She ran for reelection in 2006 and was elected again. In the 2008 presidential campaign, Clinton was a major candidate for the democratic ticket; however, even when Barack Obama won the nomination for the democratic candidate she became very active in his campaign. When Obama was elected, Clinton was appointed as Secretary of State.

In addition to her inspirational political career, I consider Hillary Clinton to be a contemporary hero because she is a prominent figure who is a picture of the modern woman. In today’s society, there is a specific pressure on women which has not existed in the past. It is not uncommon for a woman to be responsible for a family, a household, as well as an outside career. All of the women who balance these responsibilities are heroes, in my opinion. Hillary Clinton is one example of these everyday heroes. She has remained dedicated to her family throughout her political career. During her husband’s presidency, her marriage came under national scrutiny with the Lewinsky scandal. She stayed by her husband’s side through the ordeal, and while her actions are sometimes questioned, her strong resolve is universally admired. She did not allow her career to be dampened. Clinton is a role model for women everywhere. Her political achievements have changed the involvement of women in government forever. She represents strength, courage, and fortitude. Her political career is commendable, and her commitment to her family is exemplary. The combination of these is what makes Hillary Clinton a hero.

Journal 2: Beowulf Compared with Modern Heroes

Beowulf has various qualities which remind me of several heroes in modern times. His brawn and strength call to mind such traits in the Incredible Hulk. His dedication to saving the community which is in peril reminds me of Batman with his quest to save Gotham City. The way he is revered by his peers and those who he has come to help reminds me of Spider-Man, who is respected by those around him though they don’t know who he is. His pride and daring nature remind also remind me of Spider-Man. The fact that he decided to fight Grendel without weaponry reminds me of Superman, who uses no weapons, only his supernatural powers. The story of Beowulf reminds me of the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer. This is because while Beowulf attacked Grendel only to find that there was a greater evil to be defeated. A similar story unfolded when the Fantastic Four attacked the Silver Surfer only to find that he was merely a pawn for a larger malicious organization. Beowulf has multiple traits that we admire in modern heroes. For this reason, it is difficult to compare him to a single character, but rather it is simpler to pinpoint individual characteristics and compare the traits with those of present-day heroes.

Journal 3: Images and Tones in Beowulf

The epic Beowulf ends on a very somber note. The daring, admired king Beowulf suffered fatal wounds in battle by a dragon. A young warrior, Wiglaf, who fought alongside Beowulf, was with him when he died. Beowulf spoke to Wiglaf about how grateful he was to have been able to leave his people with the dragon’s treasure. He instructs Wiglaf to erect a barrow on the coast, as a symbol to those who pass. His words are very grave and make it clear that this will be Beowulf’s end. Immediately after speaking this, Beowulf breathes his last. His passing is described as his soul fleeing “from his breast to its destined place among the steadfast ones”. This imagery makes the death seem not only tragic, but also reverent and noble. It is as though Beowulf is achieving some honor by joining his fellow warriors who have fallen. At the very end of the epic, a group of warriors ride around Beowulf’s grave, grieving for their lost king and praising his accomplishments.