贝奥武夫-beowulf- a christian commentary on pagan society

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1、NikiFellowsEnglish3300Beowulf:AChristianCommentaryonPaganSocietyBeowulfisoneofthegreatestpoemsthatexhibitthecharacteristicsofconversioninapagansociety.Therearebeginningsofchange,evidentinthepoem,fromapaganhistorytoanacceptanceofanewChristianmeaning.Thishistoryofapaganherowasinfusedwith

2、Christiansymbolsandmoralstohelpsmooththeconversionforpagans.WhenstudyingBeowulf,itisimportanttouncoverthemeaningsandsymbolsofwhatGrendelandhismotherrepresentinaChristiansocietywithreferencetothepagansociety,aswellas,lookatthefinalfightbetweenthedragonandBeowulfandBeowulf’spride.History

3、isamajorpartofunderstandingChristiansymbolsapparentinBeowulfandunderstandinghisactionsinapagansociety.MedievalChristianityperceives“monster”asareferencetosomeonewithabirthdefectthatwasbelievedtobeasignfromGodofbadlineageoraforeshadowingofhorribleevents.Thepoemisshapedbythethreemonsters

4、Beowulfmustfight,eachthesymbolofaninhumanpresenceinthesociety.Theinhumannessbeingthattheyareoutcastsandareforcedoutbysocietytolivebeyondhumanrealms.BeowulfhadcometoHrothgarasaman-paymentinawergildsociety,andheusedittohisbenefittoattainhisreputationand,accordingtoScandinavianpagansociet

5、y,heroescontinuedtoliveindeathbysongandpoemhonoringthefeatstheyconquered.Beowulfcouldbeconsideredapaganhistoryasgivenevidenceinthepoemitself:“Sothesongwassung,thelayrecited/thesoundofrevelryroseinthehall”(I.1052).Hisfeatsweresogreatthathismemorywillsurviveinpoemandsong.Fortwelveyears,G

6、rendel(theman-likeogre)stalkedthehallsofHeorot(homeoftheoldkingHrothgar)killingtheking’sthanes.Grendelandhismotherbroughteviltotheking’scourtbynightlyrampages.Beingthatthepoem’ssettingisawergildsociety,BeowulfmustkillGrendelandhismotherinordertorestorethecommunityfromevilandtopayHrothg

7、arforhiskindnesstoBeowulf’sfather.Beowulf’svictoryofGrendel’smotherwasverysignificanttotheChristianreaderbecauseitwasaplaceofevilanditgaveheranadvantage;itwashercaveinwhichtheyfought.Becausehewenttoacavethatwasassociatedwithdarkmagicandhell,itisimpliedthatBeowulf’sabilitywasaidedwith