It attacks, breathing flame. Authors often use events and things to symbolize stages in someone's life.
To me the meaning of a symbol is more or less arbitrary, especially because the He has to settle for the right arm or claw, ripped from its shoulder socket, when the mortally wounded adversary flees to the swamp. Beowulf’s final battle is against the dragon.
Beowulf is the oldest known English epic poem. Like Beowulf, the dragon uses its strength to accrue a huge mound of treasure, but in the end all the treasure does is bring about its death. the sense of such a problem as the meaning of the dragon in Beowulf.1 Some difficulty has probably been caused by thinking of the dragon as a symbol rather than as some other kind of image although, to be sure, a hard-and-fast distinction may not always be possible. Christian symbolism in Beowulf within the poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the Christian religion to symbolize the elements of good and evil and Heaven and Hell. Christian and Pagan symbols in Beowulf The epic poem of Beowulf inspired dozens of generations of writers to rethink it and show the story of the praised hero from the new side. The manuscripts date back to about 1000 A.D., when two scribes wrote it down for posterity. Heorot Hall. Beowulf then takes the chance to pull a knife he wears on his mail shirt and stab the dragon. The dragon is very much feared in the story of Beowulf. The Dragon: We keep hearing a term of 50 years mentioned: especially in reference to Beowulf's kingship and to the time the dragon has guarded its hoard. The Dragon's Treasure represents the vanity of human wishes as well as the unpredictability of time. In my opinion the symbol of a dragon has dual character and maybe by the author another sense was given to it, but in our times we can understand it in the way which we consider the right and nobody can say that it is wrong position. Beowulf wants to face the dragon by himself partially to protect his followers, who could easily be killed by the dragon. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture. The Dragon's Treasure represents the vanity of human wishes as well as the unpredictability of time. Beowulf's shield protects him, but not for long enough. The dragon is Beowulf's final adversary in the poem, and it represents the demise of Beowulf's kingdom, the end of a golden and peaceful era for his people. Its status as a symbolic object is renewed when we learn that Hygelac died in battle wearing it, furthering the ideas of kinship and continuity. Plot Summary. The monsters in "Beowulf" are all broadly symbolic of the marginal outsider in society, something to be isolated and destroyed to maintain social order. The treasure also brings about Beowulf’s death. Together, Beowulf and Wiglaf kill the dragon. Beowulf's shield protects him, but not for long enough. Christian symbolism in Beowulf within the poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the Christian religion to symbolize the elements of good and evil and Heaven and Hell.