An Analysis of the Epic Poem, Beowulf - Social Codes in...

Social Codes in Beowulf In reading Beowulf, one cannot help noticing the abundance of references to weapons and armor throughout the text. Many passages involving weapons and armor contain important messages that the author is trying to convey. These passages involve the choice to use or refrain from using arms, the practice of disarming oneself upon entering anothers home, and the idea of a mans worth being measured by his weapons. First, the theme of choosing to use, or not to use, weapons against an adversary seems to be a major issue in the work. On three different occasions, when Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendels mother, and the dragon, the choice of†¦show more content†¦But I expect here hot battle-fire, steam, and poison. Therefore, I have on me shield and mail shirt (59). A modern way of communicating the same idea would be, Dont bring a knife to a gun fight; again, the basic idea is that no one would speak ill of Beowulf because he kept the fight honorable. Another important way that weapons are connected to a display of honor in Beowulf is the idea of disarming oneself upon entering anothers home. Near the beginning of the poem in The Coming of Beowulf to Heorot, a guard tells Beowulfs troops, You may come in your wardress . . . to see Hrothgar. Let your war shields, your wooden-spears, await here the outcome of the talk. (32). It is a sign of respect to disarm oneself in another persons home, in this case, Heorot, Hrothgars mead hall. To take advantage of this moral code makes the violator that much more evil as we see when, because there are no weapons present, Grendel is able to kill and eat one of Beowulfs thanes in a surprise attack. Finally, the idea of a mans having to be worthy of his weapons appears numerous times throughout Beowulf. This is perhaps the most intricate of the ideas because interwoven in this idea are the related ideas of weapons as heirlooms, weapons as indications of a mans stature, and the surrendering of ones weapon to another for use in battle. When the poems author observes, The armed band was worthy of its weapons, he clearly illustrates the firstShow MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesthrough observation Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · novel and short stories are important prefers objective narrator dialogue includes many voices from around the country does not tell the reader how to interpret the story Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · social realism: aims to change a specific social problem aesthetic realism: art that insists on detailing the world as one sees it Historical Context: ï‚ · Civil War brings demand for a truer type of literature that does not idealize people or places Naturalism periodRead MoreSituational Analysis: 7th Grade Language Arts6569 Words   |  26 PagesSituational Analysis Grade 7th Grade Language Arts Classroom rules and routines: In this classroom, I am committed to building a cooperative learning environment that contributes to the confidence of students in sharing their ideas. This confidence is built around an understanding that the students have, that they are to respect each other and their ideas. There are multiple ethnicities represented in this classroom, therefore it is paramount that everybody respects each other and appreciates what