He [Beowulf] picked us out/from the army deliberately, honoured us and judged us/fit for this action,made me this lavish gifts-/and all because he considered us the best/of his arms-bearing thanes. And now, although/he wanted this challenge to be one he'd face/by himself alone-the shepherd of our land,/a man unequaled in the quest for glory /and a name for daring-now the day has come/when this lord we serve needs sound men/to give him their support . Let us go to him,/help our leader through the hot flame/ and dread of the fire. As God is my witness,/I would rather my body were robed in the same/burning blaze as my gold-giver's body/than go back bearing arms. /That is unthinkable, unless we have first/slain the foe and defended the life/of the prince of the Weather-Geats. I well know/the things he has done for us deserve better. (Heaney 2638-2657)Roberto Sande Carmona
Ms. Peifer 10 IB English
Period 5th
15th of December, 2008
This passage provides an insight into the very core of Beowulf. It shows that the entire epic centralizes around honor, valor, and Beowulf. It represents the level of impact the protagonist had on the people he came across. Never a negative thought is even whispered of him, he is ultimate righteousness. In this passage the audience is provided of how valuable Beowulf is to everything, more specifically his people. He's their provider-"my gold-giver's body" (2653); their leader-"the shepherd of our land"(2644); and he is also self-sacrificing and earned the claim of his people-" the things he has done for us deserve better" (2657).
This section makes the loyalty to and dependence of Beowulf blatantly evident. Any assumptions the reader has of his followers feeling resent towards him are completely vanquished by the power of this passage.
One literary device found is the allusion to God and by that Christianity. It is representative to the probable religion of the author and if we take this to be the truth, it makes the statement much more powerful through the religion. For a Christian, stating " As God is my witness..." (2650), the statement following would be something clearly powerful.
The most effective literary element for this passage however is diction. The voice the author gives to Wiglaf as he unites his fellow arms-bearers using such powerful language is incredible. It creates an increasingly moving and motivating speech and it nearly makes the reader feel as if he/she is one of the soldiers. The word choice does justice to the entire writing, again expressing their feelings for courageousness and honor.
This extract embodies Beowulf's entity-both the character and the work. It puts forth Beowulf's greatness in words other than his own, making it much more impacting. The umbrella of protection Beowulf's was over his people, and his absolute sacrifice for them is what produces this spark in his men and in his immortality through their remembrance.
This section makes the loyalty to and dependence of Beowulf blatantly evident. Any assumptions the reader has of his followers feeling resent towards him are completely vanquished by the power of this passage.
One literary device found is the allusion to God and by that Christianity. It is representative to the probable religion of the author and if we take this to be the truth, it makes the statement much more powerful through the religion. For a Christian, stating " As God is my witness..." (2650), the statement following would be something clearly powerful.
The most effective literary element for this passage however is diction. The voice the author gives to Wiglaf as he unites his fellow arms-bearers using such powerful language is incredible. It creates an increasingly moving and motivating speech and it nearly makes the reader feel as if he/she is one of the soldiers. The word choice does justice to the entire writing, again expressing their feelings for courageousness and honor.
This extract embodies Beowulf's entity-both the character and the work. It puts forth Beowulf's greatness in words other than his own, making it much more impacting. The umbrella of protection Beowulf's was over his people, and his absolute sacrifice for them is what produces this spark in his men and in his immortality through their remembrance.
Works Cited
Beowulf. Trans. Seamus Heaney. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.
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1 comentario:
Dude Robert whats up brother? I Like your Beowulf assignment. Very nice. Robert and Ebert says "2 Thumbs Up" Ahahaha.
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