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Journal #1

Throughout history, the archetype of a dragon slayer is very common. This character is generally a hero who faces death in order to save an endangered community from an evil being, doing so in a selfless way. In general, dragons in literature represent guards of something important. However, the object which the dragons are guarding is usually something that can be used against the protagonist. In

Beowulf, the character of Beowulf is the epic hero, as he saves his Anglo-Saxon community from the demonic actions performed by the monster, Grendel. Even in modern literature, this archetype is portrayed. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter can be seen as the epic hero. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Potter must obtain the Sorcerer’s Stone, an elixir for eternal life, before the antagonist, Voldemort, discovers it. On his journey to find the stone, Harry comes across a three-headed dog, which represents the dragon in Beowulf. This three-headed dog is protecting the Sorcerer’s Stone, which, in the wrong hands, could be used with evil intent. Later in the Harry Potter series, in the book of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is selected to take place in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, in which certain students from different schools compete for a high title. In the first task, the students must retrieve a golden egg, which contains the hint for the next task,

while also fleeing from a fire-breathing dragon. In both of these situations, the dragon figure is protecting an important object from Harry Potter, the epic hero. Just as in Beowulf, Potter must act as a dragon slayer and face death in order to protect his fellow witches and wizards in a selfless fashion.

Photograph. Dragon Art. Web. 15 Sept. 2011.
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“Movie Photos: A Hungarian Horntail Dragon Chases DANIEL RADCLIFFE as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Fantasy “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures." AllMoviePhoto.com: Photos of Current Movies. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. .

Journal #2

In the ancient poem, Beowulf, an epic hero is forced to save his threatened community by battling and defeating a total of three monsters. One of these monsters is the character Grendel, who had previously terrorized citizens of the area for many years. His attacks had become routine, and the king, Hrothgar, began to take drastic measures in order to defeat the monster for good. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, the character of Grendel is portrayed as ruthless and malevolent. However, many aspects of the story point to the conclusion that Grendel may not be to blame completely for his tormenting behavior.

As the poem Beowulf begins, readers can immediately see that the image that will be given to the character of Grendel throughout the entire story is the role of the antagonist. The poem opens by stating, “…A powerful monster, living down/in the darkness, growled in pain…” (Raffel 1-2). These lines foreshadow the presence of an evil being in the story although readers are not yet introduced to the actual character. Soon after this grim opening, however, a direct statement is made to ensure that readers realize the demonic nature of the monster Grendel. “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall/Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend/Grendel, who haunted the moors” (Raffel 15-17). Here, the readers are formally introduced to the character of Grendel, and immediately can assume that his character will be one that is not favored throughout the story. His physique is described as animal-like, having a grotesque appearance. This image coincides with the typical image that comes to mind when thinking of an evil being or character.

Although Grendel’s character is one filled with malice, the poet implies that not all of the monster’s characteristics are guided by evil. His emotions throughout the story seem to be vaguely human, leading readers to think that Grendel may not have all of the evil intentions that are portrayed through the opinions of Beowulf, Hrothgar, and the rest of the terrorized town. In times before the story takes place, Grendel and his mother had been exiled to a swamp located outside of the town, far from any place where they could obtain human interaction. This prompts the idea that Grendel is a character only longing to be accepted into the realm of human society and may just be confused on how to do so. The poet reveals that Grendel was “conceived by a pair of those monsters born / Of Cain, murderous creatures banished / By God, punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death” (Raffel 21-23). This is a direct allusion to the book of Genesis in the Bible, the story of Cain and Abel, the two sons of Adam and Eve. According to the book of Genesis, Cain killed Abel out of jealousy, becoming the first murderer in human history. This aspect of jealousy carries over into the monster Grendel, as his aggressiveness towards the Danes may be the effect of jealousy of their lineage and way of life.

Despite the fact that Grendel’s behavior may be partly to blame on his lineage, the nature of his character, as well as his mother’s, is that of a monster. His attitude is one that seems to have never shown any sort of remorse for his actions. Grendel is also described as “Killing as often as he could, coming / Alone, bloodthirsty and horrible” (Raffel 80-81) and “bearing God’s hatred, / Grendel came, hoping to kill / Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot” (Raffel 393-395). These passages give Grendel the image of a bloodthirsty monster, stopping at nothing to defeat his prey. This also shows readers of his selfish intents to torture and take advantage of anything and everything that he could attack successfully. The images given to the place where Grendel and his mother live also gives insight to the behavior that might be seen by the monster. Their lair is located at “the mud of the bottom” (Raffel 574) of the lake. This location is one filled with darkness and gloom and is the perfect setting for a ruthless monster.

Throughout the play of Beowulf, Grendel is possibly the most memorable character present. His dark and evil intentions are those far beyond that of many antagonistic characters throughout literature. No one knows exactly whether Grendel’s malice is to be blamed on his nature, his lineage, or both. Throughout the poem, the poet indirectly implies that while Grendel’s resentment towards Hrothgar and his subjects is due to his widely known status, he had always been malignant in nature. It is that the lack of resentment in his actions that would result in his staying the same for all of eternity.

Journal #3

In the story of Beowulf, a young hero is summoned to save the fate of a threatened community. This hero is Beowulf, from the land of the Geats. In the end of the story, Beowulf is killed in the process of defeating a dragon that was terrorizing the town. After this devastating event, the poem ends in a very somber mood, one of mourning for the death of their king. Many words and images that are present within the last parts of this epic poem reveal this poignant tone. It is said that the “champions in battle, all of them [were] distraught, changing in dirges, mourning his loss as a man and a king” (Heaney 830-831). This statement shows that all of the people that resided in the town, even the champions, were troubled by the event of Beowulf’s death. The poem then says that they “gave thanks for his greatness” (Heaney 834), because Beowulf was a man whom the Danes regarded as “a prince whom [they] held dear” (Heaney 835). Beowulf is described as a man with heroic qualities such as “gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame” (Heaney 841-842). Throughout the ending of this epic poem, the tone of Beowulf is one filled with catastrophe and mourning of the death of Beowulf.

Journal #4

The epic poem of Beowulf is one that is rooted in traditional Anglo-Saxon values. Its beliefs lie in the fact that fame and fortune can only be gained by loyalty to the leader of their people. Those that were loyal to their leader were often those that play the role of the epic hero. An epic hero is most often characterized by their leadership, generosity, bravery, and friendship. Throughout the epic poem of Beowulf, the character of Beowulf portrays many of the traditional Anglo-Saxon beliefs and themes that become evident as the poem unfolds.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, loyalty to the leader is a very important concept. The loyalty to one’s leader was a very important virtue in many Anglo-Saxon’s lives because in this allegiance, one could discover a life filled with riches and fame. These two possessions are still highly regarded in today’s society. People will often do whatever it takes in order to achieve a high social status or money. However, in Anglo-Saxon culture, the means for doing so were a lot less risky and much more morally acceptable. In the poem of Beowulf, it is said that when the hero, Beowulf, arrived from the land of the Geats, his respect and loyalty towards Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, led the King to give him great fortune, “yield[ing] benches to the brave visitors [leading] them to the feast” (Raffel 226-227). This feast is then described as one filled with elegance, calling for the Danes and the Geats to “Celebrate as one, drink[ing] and rejoic[ing]” (Raffel 232).

Another important Anglo-Saxon theme is that of the presence and importance of an epic hero. An epic hero is a character with virtues such as generosity, bravery, friendship, and leadership. In the poem of Beowulf, the character of Beowulf plays the part of the epic hero. His merciless fighting against the monsters of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon for the good of the Danes shows his loyalty towards Hrothgar’s people. When Beowulf kills Grendel, it is said that, “a prince of the Geats, he had killed Grendel, / Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering / Forced on Hrothgar’s helpless people / by a bloodthirsty fiend” (Raffel 511-514). The tone of this passage is one of praise towards Beowulf, who indeed was the hero of the Danes.

Throughout the poem of Beowulf, many Anglo-Saxon values and themes are portrayed to the reader. The idea of an epic hero, a character filled with good morals and values, is present by the character of Beowulf. His loyalty to Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, sets him up for a life filled with fame and fortune. This shows another aspect of Anglo-Saxon values, which says that fame and fortune can only be gained by one’s loyalty to their leader.

Journal #5

Throughout the story of Grendel, by John Gardner, the main character, Grendel, becomes significantly more sophisticated in his language style. When the story begins, his language is entirely internal, as Grendel cannot communicate with the humans that he comes across. As the story progresses, however, his language becomes more understandable to humans, and Grendel’s use of punctuation, italics, and other writing techniques suggest to readers that Grendel is becoming more literate. When reading Grendel, by John Gardner, readers can sense Grendel going through a notable change in his writing style as well as auditory language.

When the story opens in Chapter one, Grendel is alone. He cannot communicate with anyone, and most of his monologues take place internally, as his speech is not advanced enough to speak coherently out loud. The majority of his writing in Chapters one and two comprise of simple sentences containing little punctuation and no quotes. In Chapter three, however, Grendel begins to use more punctuation and imagery in his writing. In addition, he also begins analyzing war culture and the government system that he observes in human communities. Once readers reach Chapter four, it is obvious that Grendel starts to believe that humans are more dangerous than what he has previously believed. His writing begins to contain kennings, more complex sentences, and quotes. Chapter five brings about lots of imagery, more advanced punctuation, and italics in Grendel’s writing. In addition, Grendel begins to follow the beliefs of nihilism after talking to the dragon.

Chapter six of Grendel brings about very notable changes in his writing style. Grendel is beginning to understand humans, and attempts to make a peace offering with them. However, the failing of this attempt prompts Grendel to become a deliberate enemy to the Danes. Irony is now used in Grendel’s writing, as well as even more advanced punctuation. His writing also reflects himself; he is becoming very self absorbed. Chapter seven of Grendel brings about a number of textual changes as well. Grendel’s writing suddenly contains italics, brackets, and bulleted lists. In addition, the way the text is organized on each page resembles that of a play rather than a novel. This changing of Grendel’s writing style reflects his evolvement throughout the story. In Chapter eight, Grendel’s writing begins to contain parentheses, blocked quotes, and italics. His style also shifts to a more narrative one, although still written in the style of a play. In this chapter, Grendel’s ideas about government shift to that of the beliefs of socialists, believing that political systems should benefit all of society. Chapter nine brings about another major feat for Grendel; he can now speak to humans, which is a distinction of his character. In Chapter ten, Grendel begins to believe that history has lost all of its meaning. His writing now contains more efficient communication. In Chapters eleven and twelve, Grendel is able to use his imagination, and a use of ellipses is more present in his writing. Grendel also begins to believe that he is trapped in a never ending loop of life.

When reading the story of Grendel, by John Gardner, it is obvious that Grendel goes through a number of significant changes in both his way of thinking and in the way that he writes and portrays his ideas to readers. The textual changes that are present throughout signify Grendel’s maturation and evolution from innocence to experience. This change is portrayed through Grendel’s actions as well. His understanding of governmental and societal problems plays a major part in his maturation process. By the end of the story of Grendel, the monster is most nearly a misunderstood beast, who is only trying to discover the meaning of life and find his place in society.

Journal #6

Throughout much of Anglo Saxon literature, common themes and reoccurring ideas are present. These motifs include those of exile and fate. These two topics are present in the poems of Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer. The writers of all three of these poems are unknown, however, the use of Anglo-Saxon ideas throughout suggest that all of these writers were from the Anglo-Saxon period. The use of the motifs of exile and fate throughout Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer reflect the values and beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon people.

Both the poems of The Seafarer and The Wanderer are classified as elegies -- a sorrowful poem of serious reflection. The Seafarer is a poem about a man who has self-isolated himself to the sea. He is filled with sorrow, fear, pain, and many challenges, with a “soul left drowning in desolation.” This self-isolation follows the Anglo-Saxon ideal of exile. The narrator believes that, “[People’s] thoughts should turn to where our home is...then strive for sure permission for us to rise to that eternal joy,” and that “fate is stronger and God mightier than any man’s hand,” following the Anglo-Saxon motif of fate. In The Wanderer, however, the narrator feels remorse for the disappearance of everything pleasurable on Earth. He is filled with regret and dark thoughts, believing that there is no one to trust in the world. Therefore, he is exiled in regards to the fact that no one is left to enjoy life with him. He believes in the idea that the heavenly father is his “fortress and strength,” and that a “good man is he who guardeth his faith.” Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf, these ideals of exile and fate are also present. The Danes, under the rule of Hrothgar, continuously exile the monster Grendel, who is only longing for a meaning in life. These people also believe in the concept of fate, and the highest honor was found in being honorable to your king.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, the ideals of fate and exile were very prominent, as seen in many of the writings from that time. In The Seafarer, a man exiles himself to the sea, where he encounters many challenges, but has time to ponder his beliefs about fate and the afterlife. In The Wanderer, a man is exiled by not having anyone to enjoy life with, in which time he reflects on his beliefs about the problems of the world around him. In Beowulf, an entire town exiles a monster longing to fit in, while a number of heroes strive for greatness by being loyal to their king, in order to be the most profitable in the afterlife. When reading the poems of The Wanderer, The Seafarer, and Beowulf, these two motifs are reflected in great detail.