Functioning on three distinct but coexistent levels, water imagery unifies Beowulf. On the first level, that of conscious symbolism, Beowulf's three water adventures develop the triple immersion motif present in Anglo-Saxon baptism ritual. On the second level, that of the poet's personal unconscious, the water monsters against whom Beowulf struggles symbolize the hero's Shadow, his fallen nature in which lurk inadmissable and anarchic desires. On the deepest level, that of the port's collective unconscious, the water monsters are symbols for the archetypal Mother to whose womb the hero of myth strives to return in order to achieve immortality by means of rebirth.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc332777 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Mann, Betty Tucker |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | Public, Mann, Betty Tucker, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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