Winning Tactics for Writing Your Beowulf Essay
Date: Between 975 and 1025
Genre: Epic poem
Author: Unknown
Characters: Beowulf, Hrothgar, Grendel, Wiglaf, Unferth, Grendel's Mother, The Dragon.
Based on: The manuscript is based on retellings of traditional epic tales of the hero fighting multiple battles against overpowered creatures and overcoming insurmountable odds.
Symbols: Treasure, mead halls, monsters.
Influence: Multiple similar stories existed at the time across different states, and Beowulf shares many common elements with them.
Plot: The epic poem covers three major battles between a mighty warrior Beowulf and supernatural creatures: Grendel, Grendel's Mother, and The Dragon. Beowulf wins the first two fights, but he is mortally wounded in the final battle after slaying the beast. The story ends with his cremation.
Interesting facts:
Researchers don’t agree on the date of the poem's creation, and their estimates range from the 8th to 11th century.
The only surviving copy of the original Beowulf is a single handwritten parchment manuscript.
The manuscript was written by two scribes with significant handwriting, spelling, and dialect differences.
Many translations and adaptations of Beowulf exist in prose and poetry.
Christian Anglo-Saxons transcribed the poem, though the plot takes place among German pagan tribes.
Quotes:
"Behaviour that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere."
"Anyone with gumption and a sharp mind will take the measure of two things: what's said and what's done."
"Fate will unwind as it must!"
"I shall gain glory or die."
"A warrior will sooner die than live a life of shame."
Why is this topic important: Beowulf is one of the earliest examples of English literature, making it a unique artifact of the period. As a result, it can help better understand the cultural and historical origins of English poetry and prose.
SpeedyPaper hosts one of the largest collections of free essay examples online. The Literature category is the most popular among students, as high school and college professors love writing assignments. So if you're stuck working on a Beowulf essay, you're in luck. Our database hosts enough Beowulf essay examples to get your creative juices flowing.
Here are a few ideas on how to use free essay samples to make your task easier:
- Skim the list of Beowulf essay examples for a suitable title. You may use it verbatim or alter and transform the topic to suit your assignment better.
- Check out the samples' reference sections. Every good Beowulf essay needs a couple of reputable secondary sources, and our collection will provide enough references to kick your research into high gear.
- Try reverse outlining Beowulf essay examples to identify the underlying structure. Sometimes it's enough to list the thesis statement and topic sentences of body paragraphs to develop a strong foundation for your essay on Beowulf.
- Pay attention to wording and transitions. You can safely borrow all the best pieces from the samples you like to improve your writing style and secure a higher grade on your essay about Beowulf.
- Avoid repeating the same mistakes. Remember that every Beowulf essay in our collection is a student submission, so errors and typos are likely. If you catch any, keep them out of your writing to increase the chances of a higher grade.
And when desperate times call for desperate measures, you can paraphrase a sample Beowulf essay to avoid failing the assignment. Of course, you'll need to be sneaky and rewrite each sentence and paragraph from scratch to fool advanced plagiarism checkers. Otherwise, your paraphrased paper will be no different from submitting a sample under your name. And both will likely result in plagiarism accusations and big trouble.
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15 Great Beowulf Essay Topics for Your Inspiration
Sometimes starting a Beowulf essay is impossible because you don't have the right idea. To help you beat writer's block, SpeedyPaper experts devised a list of excellent Beowulf essay topics that can fit almost any class and assignment. So take your pick and get writing.
- Analyze Beowulf's take on the differences between a good leader and a good warrior
- The representation of evil through monsters in Beowulf
- Discuss the theme of death in Beowulf and the significance of the burial scenes at the beginning and the end of the poem
- Analyze the differences between the warrior honor code and other value systems in Beowulf
- How do Beowulf's plot and structure highlight the cyclical nature of life?
- Explore the religious origins of mythical monsters Beowulf fights and their significance
- How does Beowulf relate to the oral tradition of the time of writing?
- Analyze the effect of the male-dominated patriarchal society on the characters of Beowulf
- Explore the relationship between Beowulf's structure and the epic's major themes
- Analyze the role of religion in Beowulf
- The nature of glory and treasure in Beowulf and their effect on the characters
- Compare the characterization in Beowulf and modern literary works
- Explain the role of mead halls in Beowulf and discuss how they portray the relationship between the lords and their warriors
- Discuss the specifics of the West Saxon dialect of Old English and compare different translations and adaptations
- Highlight the themes and motifs of Beowulf that are relevant in the 21st century
Whichever topic you choose for your essay on Beowulf, you can trust SpeedyPaper experts to deliver a top-grade piece if you're short on time and need a GPA boost.