The Theme of Father/Son Relationships in Beowulf the...

The Theme of Father/Son Relationships in Beowulf The Song of Roland Thomas Lazzaro Professor Fisher Literary Patterns of European Development Paper #1 2/6/97 The representation of father-son type relationships in early Medieval literary works is a key theme early authors used to give their works more depth and meaning. Two works that use the theme of father-son relationships are Beowulf and The Song of Roland. In Beowulf, the relationship between Hrothgar and Beowulf is one in which there is no actual blood father-son tie, but the two characters take on all the characteristics of a real father son relationship. Hrothgar, although Beowulfs senior, has to rely on this new warrior who comes to Heorot to help him rid his kingdom of a†¦show more content†¦184) The deep pain in Charles heart is different than in Beowulf, because Charles is in mourning, while Hrothgar was joyous, and while Hrothgar could be proud of his son Beowulf, Charles feels as if he has let his son down bye letting this whole situation happen when he trusted the evil Ganelon. He then goes on with a new vigor to destroy those who killed Roland and the Franks, and the resulting battle can be seen as a revenge mission for Charles, which further helps to give the story more depth. Although the result of the two father-son relationships is different in some of the respects that are stated above, both relationships are essential in establishing the plot of the two works and giving the reader a sense of all the intricate forces that were at work in the two societies. The person who wields the power in the two stories also varies in each work. In Beowulf, Hrothgar is seen as old and unable to challenge the forces of evil that have befallen his kingdom, and Beowulf is seen as the young powerful warrior who will bring a new energy to the fight against evil. Beowulfs arrival marks a time when the son is taking over from the father the responsibilities of a great threat, and further help to give the character of Beowulf more stature and prestige. In The Song of Roland the situation is almost the complete opposite. In this work, CharlesShow MoreRelatedChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagescategory; rather, it is a diverse and paradoxical area of study. Its richness is reflected in the vast amount of theories that permeate and surround the term. From feminist studies to new historicism, literary theory places the child/text/context relationship on varying ideological and political axes. The reconceptualization of its history and the postmodern growth of radical alternative literary â€Å"histories† further complicate a retelling of the history of children’s literature. Consequently, it becomes