BEOWULF

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By reading the plot of ‘BEOWULF’ one line attracts me from this story. " lif is læne: eal scæceð leoht and lif somod (life is transitory: light and life together hasten away)".

It is written in OLD English in a form of a poem at eighth century. In 1926 Tolkien translated it into new English. But he didn’t publish his writing. After 40 years of his death his son found the translating copy and published it.

“Beowulf” is a story of a brave man who fights against 3 dangerous creatures and wins every war. He is an orphan prince of a tribe named Geats. He is noble, strong, each of his grips is equal to thirty men but he is forever alone. After a long voyage at sea, Beowulf and his man come back at Geats and join at a dinner at mead hall. Outside of that hall there lurks a monster, GRENDEL. He visits at night and preys on Danish knights. Enjoyment of Grendel’s dinner is described by the writer like this:

“biting the bone-joints, drinking blood from veins, great gobbets gorging down. Quickly he took all of that lifeless thing to be his food, even feet and hands.” How Horrible… !!! :O

Though Grendel is a monster, he has human qualities. He is wounded like human. Beowulf decides to banish him. He attacks Grendel and tears off him part by part. Mead hall is flooded by his blood. Soon after Grendel’s dead body arrives at home his mother becomes so angry and waits at a swamp with a gang of sea monsters to kill Beowulf. Demon or not, she loved her son, and she goes at Beowulf with a blinding fury. The hero finds that his sword, Hrunting, is of no use against her plated hide. It bounces off her. But he sees another sword, forged by giants, which no man can pick up—except him. He waves it through the air, piercing the monster’s throat and breaking her neck bone. Beowulf beheads Grendel and gives it as a gift to the knights.

After ruling over 50 years in Geats, Beowulf has his third fight against a glamorous Dragon. The dragon guards treasures at a nice cave over three hundred years. One day someone stole his jewelry which makes the Dragon furious and he starts to demolish Geats. Beowulf is 80 years old now, since he wants to protect his people from this menace. As always he goes to fight alone with the Dragon. But this time he can’t stab the Dragon. It bites him at his neck and he is flooded by his blood. One young knight Wiglaf stabs the dragon. Then Beowulf rips up the serpent . After a while Beowulf leaves his last breath.

After his death Geats is ruled by foreign king and the people of Geats become his servant. Miseries of them also bring in front of readers.

According to Tolkien, “Beowulf” was not an epic or a heroic lay, which might need narrative thrust. It was just a poem—an elegy. Light and life hasten away.

Source: aldaily.com

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