Language Analysis of Beowulf
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Language Analysis of Beowulf:
Beowulf is one of the oldest and important existing poems in the English language. Originally written in Anglo-Saxon, it has been translated to give readers the opportunity to enjoy this colorful, heroic poem. It is a story about a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain. It has been declared an ageless epic poem, because it continuously and clearly possesses various characteristics of an epic throughout this narrative. Some of which are heroism, status and honor, good versus evil, and the superhuman versus the supernatural.
One very crucial characteristic of an epic is its hero. Generally, the hero is not only a male but of noble birth or of a high position. Beowulf fits these qualities of a common, classic hero, in addition; he stands high above the rest of the crowd, and is larger than the average character. The hero's hierarchal rank became apparent when Wulfgar addressed Beowulf with his knowledge that his cousin, the king, sent Beowulf, the second heir to the thrown, to slay Grendel the beast (127-130) in order to shed light and life back onto Danes' beautiful mead-halls (142-144).
The hero must be of grand proportions and possess super-human courage in order to be able to perform outstanding deeds...