Comparison between Beowulf and The Wanderer - 1436 Words

Survey of English Literature / Comparison between Beowulf and the Wanderer 10th October, 2013 / Esma Bike BostancÄ ± BEOWULF AND THE WANDERER There are many factors to consider in comparing the two poems of the Old English society – Beowulf and The Wanderer. While they have many similarities; they have, within their structure and plot, many differences we can easily find or eventually make out. When we look at both the poems in terms of their genre; while they are both products of the traditional oral literature of the Anglo-Saxons; Beowulf is more of an epic poem elevated in a heroic style with supernatural events such as the defeating of the dragon Grendel by Beowulf, who is a character of noble birth. Whereas The Wanderer†¦show more content†¦In the poem Beowulf, as the wars go on, the actions of this character have consequences for the whole nation, for instance when Beowulf defeats Grendel, he saves the whole of Hrothgars’ and possibly other kings’ kingdoms from a terrible end. Whereas in the Wanderer, the only one who suffers from his actions is the Wanderer because, when he fights in the battle and loses everything, he is the only one who is exiled. Beowulf is the lucky one who has everything; which, in the case of the character of Beowulf, it would be being a warrior to the king of Hrothgar (at the beginning), having his fellow warriors who ad mire him, the Mead Hall which is open to Beowulf at all times and his kingdom (later in the poem when he becomes a king); in contrast to the Wanderer, who is a man who has lost what he once had, he suffers from loneliness. While Beowulf is a ‘celebrity’ because of his achievements, in the end he becomes a king who is loved by his people, The Wanderer is exiled, which means he is not wanted and with no future. Although both the characters have strong bonds between their fellow warriors and their king, such as the celebrations in the Mead Hall which form a kind of unrelated kinship; Beowulf continues to be the crowningShow MoreRelatedAnglo-Saxon Heroic Poetry5673 Words   |  23 Pagesliterary artist from historical and legendary materials which had developed out of the oral traditions of his nation during a period of expansion and warfare. To this group are ascribed the Iliad and Odyssey of the Greek Homer, and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf . The literary or secondary epics were composed by sophisticated craftsmen in deliberate imitation of the traditional form. One such example is Virgils Latin poem the Aeneid, which later served as the chief model for Miltons literary epic ParadiseRead MoreGrendel and Cain and how they relate in Beowulf1536 Words   |  7 Pagesthe story of Beowulf you get a glimpse of many different themes throughout this epic. 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