Beowulf

Though still an old pagan story, Beowulf thus came to be narrated by a Christian, and he makes the Christian world extremely visible. He alludes to Cain and the Flood, and he shows the Christian God's influence upon the pagan world of the Danes. Yet he is obviously aware of his culture's pagan past and attempts to describe it in great detail through rituals, such as the elaborate Germanic sea-burials and the grand feasts in the mead-halls, and the ever-present belief in fate. By incorporating Christian beliefs into this epic poem, the unknown author is able to capture his audience's attention and it helps to make Beowulf an even greater epic. .
             By further analyzing the literal structure of this poem, the reader can acquire an in-depth understanding of what makes this epic so great. This poem is written in the Old English language, which is also known as Anglo-Saxon, and is written in the past tense. The story takes place in Denmark and Geatland (which is now southern Sweden), and falls within the time period of around 500 A.D., with some allusion to prior historical events. The poem's genre consists of alliterative verse, and closely resembles a heroic epic but with a smaller scope than most classical epics. A Christian narrator recounts the story in third person, from a generally objective standpoint, where he details the action occurring. In addition, the narrator has access to every character's depths and the reader often can see into the minds of most of the characters. The narrator also seems to move forwards and backwards through time with considerable freedom, and the poet is generally enthusiastic about Beowulf's feats, but often surrounds events he narrates with a sense of doom. All together, these help strengthen and establish an unusual style that appeals to the reader.
             The poem of Beowulf essentially consists of three parts with three central conflicts. The first conflict deals with Grendel's domination of Heorot Hall and his defeat by Beowulf.