Gary Murray
Mrs. Tieman
CP English 12
02/08/2015
Beowulf’s protector
Throughout history there has been something that every great warrior has worn, it is armor. Armor has changed a lot throughout the years nowadays it is light and is very reliable, but in the time of Beowulf it was heavy and could only protect you so much. In the epic poem “Beowulf” it mentions his “mail shirt” (chain mail). Mail shirts at the time of Beowulf were made to protect from a slashing motion from a sword. Mail shirts in Beowulf’s time were heavy and had to have some sort of cotton or under shirt so you could take the blunt of the hit. I believe the mail shirt in Beowulf is a symbol of protection, I believe this because when Beowulf is close to death in his battle scenes it always saves him.
The first point I bring up is the battle scene in the sea with Brecca where it says “Of my mail shirt, these shining bits of metal Woven across my breast, saved me from death.”(284-285). In this scene it starts with Brecca and him swimming when a storm wash them apart. After this monster of the sea come up and attack Beowulf in which then the mail shirt saved him from the claws of the monster.
The next point is the scene with Grendel’s mother in which Beowulf went to her because she killed one of Hrothgars best men after Beowulf killed her son. In this scene him and Grendel’s mother get into a huge battle in which at first Beowulf is having trouble, but his mail shirt came to the rescue, in which the story exclaims “And her stabbing blade was blunted By the woven mail shirt he wore on his chest”(624-625). Again the mail shirt saves his life and helps Beowulf destroy his enemy and succeed in saving Hrothgars kingdom from destruction.
In this epic poem there are many instances of references to the mail shirt in which it save Beowulf’s life and helps him defeat and destroy his enemies. These examples show how important the mail shirt is to Beowulf and the story. It also shows how it is the symbol of protection in the story and how even the strongest of men need some extra protection.
Mrs. Tieman
CP English 12
02/08/2015
Beowulf’s protector
Throughout history there has been something that every great warrior has worn, it is armor. Armor has changed a lot throughout the years nowadays it is light and is very reliable, but in the time of Beowulf it was heavy and could only protect you so much. In the epic poem “Beowulf” it mentions his “mail shirt” (chain mail). Mail shirts at the time of Beowulf were made to protect from a slashing motion from a sword. Mail shirts in Beowulf’s time were heavy and had to have some sort of cotton or under shirt so you could take the blunt of the hit. I believe the mail shirt in Beowulf is a symbol of protection, I believe this because when Beowulf is close to death in his battle scenes it always saves him.
The first point I bring up is the battle scene in the sea with Brecca where it says “Of my mail shirt, these shining bits of metal Woven across my breast, saved me from death.”(284-285). In this scene it starts with Brecca and him swimming when a storm wash them apart. After this monster of the sea come up and attack Beowulf in which then the mail shirt saved him from the claws of the monster.
The next point is the scene with Grendel’s mother in which Beowulf went to her because she killed one of Hrothgars best men after Beowulf killed her son. In this scene him and Grendel’s mother get into a huge battle in which at first Beowulf is having trouble, but his mail shirt came to the rescue, in which the story exclaims “And her stabbing blade was blunted By the woven mail shirt he wore on his chest”(624-625). Again the mail shirt saves his life and helps Beowulf destroy his enemy and succeed in saving Hrothgars kingdom from destruction.
In this epic poem there are many instances of references to the mail shirt in which it save Beowulf’s life and helps him defeat and destroy his enemies. These examples show how important the mail shirt is to Beowulf and the story. It also shows how it is the symbol of protection in the story and how even the strongest of men need some extra protection.