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The author of Beowulf is unknown, as are his motives and inspiration for the creation of the poem. Written some four hundred years before the Norman conquests, it is comprised of three thousand, one hundred and eighty-two lines, dramatically reproducing the timeless struggle between good and evil. By far one of the most admirable qualities presented to the reader is the notion of heroism, and the importance of honor. The quality of character was a major element of a heroic man in the ancient world of which this epic poem is set. As defined in Webster’s Dictionary, personality is the complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual. Such a definition would include the persons traits, values, motives, attitudes, emotional reactions, abilities, self-image and intelligence as well as the persons overall behavioral patterns. Throughout the poem, the author allows the reader to see, in action, the true workings of heroes. Men and women who cast aside their own personal needs and desires for the better of others are heroes. During this time, society sustained a strong honor code. The actions that an individual accomplished over their lifetime were the title by which they were known to the rest of the land, either good or bad.
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