Beowulf Essay Topics for Students With Detailed Examples

Filed in Education by on February 2, 2022

– Beowulf Essay Topics –

The following Beowulf Essay Topics will guide you in your quest to win the essay competition this year. Every year, some medieval history and literature students fall in love with “Beowulf”. This story captures their imaginations. And they love to attempt to draw Grendel. Also, they reenact the fight with his mother.

However, like many students, they struggle to choose an essay topic. And this is once they have finished reading the poem.

Thus, this article is here to stand in that gap. And in this article, you shall get some awesome “Beowulf” essay topics.

Awesome Beowulf Essay Topics

Choosing literature essay topics is sometimes difficult. However, this is because you have to narrow your focus to a single aspect of a book. And then you need to give a detailed analysis of it. However, it is important to maintain an inquisitive mind.

Also, write down questions you have as you read the book. And then select the most interesting one. Furthermore, respond to it in your essay. However, below are some awesome Beowulf essay topics:

Potential Beowulf Essay Topics

  1. Which of Beowulf’s fights was most heroic?
  2. Was Beowulf a good leader?
  3. Should Beowulf have fought the dragon?
  4. What role does the mead-hall play in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture? And what is the proper relationship between a lord and his warriors? Also, what examples can you find throughout Beowulf?
  5. What is the role of women in the heroic culture of Beowulf?
  6. How does treasure function in Beowulf? And how do the characters and the poet seem to feel about the element of gold?
  7. What role do the digressions play in Beowulf? And what light do they shed on the main action?
  8. Is Beowulf an ideal hero and king? And is there anything lacking in his character?
  9. Would you say that the characters in Beowulf are as psychologically complex as those in modern works of literature? And do they undergo any development as the poem progresses?

List of Topics for Scholars

Let us delve deeper into the main guide of choosing Beowulf’s essay topic. When choosing a Beowulf essay topic, note. You need to be cautious. And this is because answering questions in this book can be quite complex.

But with this article, you will find interesting topics that you can use to write the paper without worrying about misinterpreting the question. The following are some topics you can choose from:

  1. The reenactment of Grendel’s mother getting the news of her son’s demise.
  2. What were the personae of Beowulf as a leader?
  3. Beowulf’s preoccupation with his glory.
  4. The concept of woman in the heroic tradition and culture of Beowulf.
  5. What is the importance of lineage as seen in the book?
  6. How was the personality of Beowulf in the story?
  7. The Unferth opinions of Beowulf in the story.
  8. How thoughtful and ignorant was Beowulf?
  9. The differences and similarities of Grendel’s mother grievances to those of a grieving human mother.
  10. Pagan and Christian elements in Beowulf.
  11. The archetypes in Beowulf.
  12. Beowulf and the Odyssey deeds and triumphs.
  13. The better hero: Beowulf vs. Hercules.
  14. Comparison between Beowulf the movie and Beowulf the epic.
  15. Correlation between Beowulf and Canterbury Tales.

Bonus Topics

Below are some bonus Beowulf essay topics:

  1. How does Christianity work in Beowulf? Discuss where aspects of Christianity can be found? Also discuss whether, in your opinion, the story is benefited by these aspects or not.
  2. How does the poet use the theme of revenge in the poem?
  3. What does Beowulf tell us about the Anglo-Saxon culture?
  4. Describe Beowulf’s heroic journey. And make sure to use the text to describe all steps that apply.
  5. What is the status of gold and gift-giving in the poem? Who gives gifts, who receives them, and why?

Commonly Asked Beowulf Essay Topics Questions

While reading through the whole story, note. You may have encountered interesting parts. And these parts may have questions you would like to answer. Also, they may have questions that sound intriguing. However, some of the frequently asked questions include:

  1. What is the role of a mead-hall play in an Anglo-Saxon warrior tradition?
  2. Does Beowulf fall short of leadership skills in the story?
  3. What is the right relationship between a warrior and his lordship?
  4. How do the characters affect the general story?
  5. What is the role of the mother in the heroic tradition and culture of Beowulf’s society?
  6. How do gold and treasure control the attitudes, actions, or beliefs of the characters?
  7. Does Beowulf possess the ability to play as a heroic character and a king?
  8. Would you consider Beowulf’s characters ‘Modern’?
  9. What are the various lessons from the songs of Siegmund and Finn?

While selecting an essay topic for your Beowulf essay, note. Though it is not supposed to be difficult, it may seem hard. And this is if you have no prior writing experience.

Also, reading the entire book is another cause for concern for some students. But to get the best topic, note. You have no option but to read the book up to the end. And this is to get the flow of the story as well as the characters and each setting.

Furthermore, a good topic can be as simple as ‘the most heroic fight in Beowulf’. However, you can pick from the above topics.

CSN Team.

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