Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf free essay sample

When one has been excluded from a group for a long time, it can often lead to feelings of contempt, and a need for revenge. This is the case with the monster, Grendel, in Beowulf, by John Gardner. Grendel feels excluded from humans in general, because he cannot understand them. He feels as though he does not belong to a community, because he has been living alone with his mother for such a long time. Overall, it is the combination of many different types of exclusions that pushes Grendel to become such a cruel, hideous beast with a hardened heart and a thirst to kill. Grendel is where most of the description of this monster is located. It is said that Grendel swam across a lake of fire snakes to reach human civilization. Here, he observes human civilization from up close, and he does not understand what he sees. He feels very different from those living in that society. We will write a custom essay sample on Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition, Hrothgar becomes king and is given power and riches. He even builds a giant meadhall called Hart. Grendel is drawn in, discovers the Shaper, and becomes more curious. However, after a visit to the dragon, also an outsider, Grendel’s mind is changed because the dragon makes all these things sound so undesirable. Talking to the dragon was the turning point for Grendel, and soon after, he becomes filled with rage and starts raiding Hart and harming the people inside. â€Å"His misery leaped / The seas, was told and sung in all / Men’s ears: how Grendel’s hatred began, / How the monster relished his savage war / On the Danes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 64-68). This proves that it was Grendel’s original longing to belong that made him this way. It is very likely that Grendel would not have become such a horrible monster if it had not been for his feelings of jealousy. It is always hard to feel different and not accepted, and that is exactly how Grendel feels. Throughout the rest of the story, Grendel takes out his anger and wrath on seemingly innocent people, but there may be more to the story than what appears on the surface. These peope could have helped and included him, instead of letting him watch from the outside looking in. Jealousy drives people to do crazy things, and in Grendel’s case, jealousy of power, money, and acceptance are what make him change into a terrifying, cold-blooded killer that needs to be stopped, eventually, by Beowulf.

Mental Illness essays

Mental Illness essays Mental Illness Mental illness is a disorder that is characterized by disturbances in a persons thought, emotions, or behavior. Mental illness refers to a wide variety of disorders, ranging from those that cause mild distress to those that impair a persons ability to function in daily life. Many have tried to figure out the reasons for mental illnesses. All of these reasons have been looked at and thought of for thousands of years. The biological perspective views mental illness as a bodily process. Where as the psychological perspectives think the role of a persons upbringing and environment are causes for mental illnesses. Researchers estimate that about 24 percent of people over eighteen in the United States suffer from some sort of common mental illness, such as depression and phobias. Studies have also shown that 2.6 percent of adults in the United States suffer from some sort of severe form of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, panic disorders, or bipolar disorders. Younger people also suffer from mental illnesses the same way that adults do. 14 to 20 percent of individuals under the age of eighteen suffer from a case of mental illness. Studies show that 9 to 13 percent of children between the ages of nine and seventeen suffer from a serious emotional disturbances, that disrupts the childs daily life. Major depression is a severe disorder. Symptoms include withdraw from family and/or friends, weight loss, sleeping problems, frequent crying, fleeing helpless, delusions, and hallucinations. This disease is usually diagnosed during adolescence; parents may notice grades dropping, poor self-image, troubled social relations, and suicidal acts. This disease may be fatal if the person becomes suicidal. Phobia is a disease where a person has an irrational fear of an object or situation. Some examples of phobias are fear of flight, cats, heights, enclosed spaces, reptiles, and the most severe is agoraphobia the ...

The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C. and the Pantheon, 117-125 A.D Research Paper

The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C. and the Pantheon, 117-125 A.D - Research Paper Example Parthenon was constructed entirely using marbles. The marbles used were very strong, which is arguably the reason why the building has survived up to today. Wijesinha reveals that the Greeks strongly believe in simplicity. According to the Greeks, an understatement is elegance, which means that genuine fashion must be simple. The Parthenon was arguably built with the saying in mind according to Wijesinha. In this regard, the Greeks used very tall columns made of three architectural designs namely Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian. Despite the fact that the Parthenon’s pillars were slanted little inwards, it is very difficult to notice since the pillars just appear straight. This architectural design was meant to symbolize perfect straightness since if this could not have been achieved, then the pillars could have appeared as if they were slanting outwards. The Parthenon also has friezes and statues beautifully painted with bright colors to symbolize scenes from Greek arts. The building is also surrounded with Peristyle. It is reported that inside the building stands a 12-meter high Athene statue, who is the Athenians goddess. This statue is made of gold and ivory. The statue also appears to hold a Nike figure on one of its hands while in the other hand is a sword. Behind the statue is a room where the Athenians used to make jewelry offerings to the Athene, their goddess. In addition, the Parthenon also has alter where animals and birds were scarifies. This altar is located outdoors where worshipers remained .