This essay argues that the Anglo-Saxon poet of Beowulf presents the reader with a series of paradoxes and attempts to find a balance within these paradoxes. At the forefront is the paradox of past and present, explored through the influence of the past on the characters in the poem as well as the poet. Additionally, the poem offers the paradox of light and dark, which ultimately suggests light and dark as symbols of Christianity and paganism. Finally, the land and the sea offer the third primary paradox, indicating the relationship that the characters and poet had with land and sea, while also reflecting the other paradoxes in the poem. The result is the desire to find balance within the paradoxes through the recognition of ongoing tension.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc6110 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Fox, Bonnie L. |
| Contributors | Upchurch, Robert, 1967-, Pettit, Alexander, Smith, Nicole |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | Public, Copyright, Fox, Bonnie L., Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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