Use Of Gold In Beowulf

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Beowulf is a story of an epic hero set in present day Europe between 400 A.D. and 600 A.D. Beowulf is a larger than life hero who faces many enemies throughout his life. He battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. In each of these battles, the reader learns something new about the characters and the themes of the story. In Beowulf’s last battle, he fights a dragon that is terrorizing his kingdom because someone stole a treasure. The treasure that the dragon is guarding is a very important symbol in the story. The treasure exposes the misuse of gold and represents the vanity of human nature and the quest for the unattainable. The treasure exposes the misuse of gold in this story. In the beginning, gold was seen as a reward and honor. Beowulf was given gold as a reward for killing Grendel and Grendel’s mother. When Beowulf returned to Geatland, he gave the treasures to the king, and it was seen as honoring his country. After Beowulf rules over Geatland for 50 years, the misuse of gold can be seen quite easily. There was a thief who found a “hidden passage, / unknown to men” and “handled and removed / a gem-studded goblet” (Beowulf 2213-2217). The thief was “fleeing the heavy hand of some master” (Beowulf …show more content…
In the beginning, treasure was given to show honor and respect, but in the end, it was taken for selfish desires. The treasure also symbolizes the excessive pride Beowulf has in his appearance. Beowulf is a very prideful character, and it is displayed throughout the story through his use gold. The treasure also represents the quest for the unattainable. All of the characters who sought after the treasure never found what they were looking for. Beowulf sought after the treasure to bring pride to his kingdom, but in the end, he requested that it be buried with

Gold In Beowulf

Gold, treasure, and gifts are less important for their economic value than their social value. In fact, gold can be seen as a symbol of social interaction: a lord rewards loyalty with gold, and in doing so inspires further loyalty.The Anglo-Saxon culture gave gifts of gold out of honor for heroism.The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is not only a great story of valor and honor, but it shows the significance of values gold is when Scyld funeral, Beowulf shows his bravery when fighting Grendel and Grendel's…

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Gold In Beowulf

The epic poem, Beowulf, was written in the Anglo-saxon period, when people were all about the glory and valor of war. That glory and valor includes the rewards of war, specifically speaking of treasure and gold .At the beginning of Beowulf, Beowulf is a new and fierce warrior who receives lots treasure as gifts for his fearlessness. This treasure is used in a traditional sense, where it is given as a gift or reward and symbolic of a warrior's honor and bravery but at the end of the story the meaning…

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Treasure In Beowulf

Throughout history gold and treasure have been a driving force in this world, this is no different in the Christian epic, Beowulf. During the poem, there are several references to treasure as being a symbol of loyalty, status, and reward. In the Anglo – Saxon community, it is known that gold rings were given to thanes by the king as a reward for being loyal to him. At any moment, they were liable for sacrificing their lives for his, which is because the Anglo-Saxons community, including the warriors…

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the anonymous epic Beowulf, Beowulf is challenged to fight three battles. In these battles, Beowulf uses various methods to defeat Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, and takes different trophies each time. As Beowulf continues to fight more monsters, he not only develops his own trophy collection, but also develops as a character. Further, Beowulf’s attitude and personality change as he transitions from youth to adulthood and further on into old age. The weapons Beowulf uses in battle and the…

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Victoria Whaley Period 5 Meluish British Literature The Hero of the Anglo-Saxon Period Beowulf shows what qualities an Anglo-Saxon hero must have and the most important characteristics would be strength and courage and you cannot have one without the other. A hero cannot fight with only strength because he will surely lose. A man can have courage, but what damage will you do if you're weak and cannot back yourself up. Although it doesnt only take strength and courage to be an Anglo-Saxon hero,…

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Beowulf is a hero that saved Hrothgar's men from a beast named Grendel who was killing his men. Beowulf came from another town and told them he would step up and sacrifice himself for the safety of Hrothgar's men and to bring pride to his masters name. He ended up fighting both Grendel and Grendels mother and won both. The mead hall was a hall that was made for the king, it was one big grand room with lots of lights and gold and was used for gathering after a battle was fought. It was a celebratory…

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Beowulf: Beowulf and Anglo-saxon Poetry Essay

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Middle Ages and Beowulf Essay examples

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The Last Life Of Beowulf Research Paper

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