Beowulf [E9] [S9] [I9] [F9] is an epic poem because it celebrates the great actions of the protagonist. The name itself of the hero celenrates his strenght: in fact Beowulf means "Bee+Wolf", i.e. bee= "bear".In the story there are also touch of entertainment, the establishment of the courtly ideal of the warrior, his courage, his endurance, his generosity and nobility. Beowulf is a man with the personale sense of mission. Arms and armour form a persistent and powerful symbol of heroic activity through-out the poem.

Superhuman powers are attributed to him. he's able to spend days underwater, kill monsters which live underwater and underground or can fly and breathe out fire.

The society described, as usually it happens in epic poems, is the military and aristocratic one.

The story

The story of Beowulf is a simple one. It deals with the legend of this young Scandinavian hero who fights two gigantic monsters, Grendel and his mother, in order to bring happiness to the kingdom of Heorot in Denmark. The final events of the poem take place fifty years later, when Beowulf is the old king of the Geats. The old hero succeeds in killing a fire breathing monster but he he is mortally wounded and he gives Wiglaf, his young retainer, his dying voice and his armour.

The gold he won for his people is returned to the ground. No one shall inherit it: the gold and the glory are buried with him.

Themes

Some of the main themes are: the sense of passing of time, the cult of fame and a deep feeling for nature, braveness, the courtly ideal of warrior [I10] [E10] [F10] [S10] .

It seems that all the Christian elements which can be found in the poem are later interpolations.

Style

The language is rich and analytical and the style is vigouros aimed at praising the figure of the hero. [E11] [S11] [F11] [I11] There are lots of allitterations, stock formulaes, parallelisms, anthitesis and variations.[I12] [E12] [S12] [F12]