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Christianity in Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales

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Christianity plays a prominent role in the early British works, The Canterbury Tales and Beowulf. Beowulf, written between 700-1000 CE, tells the tale of a brave hero on an epic journey. Through the use of allusions, references, and imagery, the work suggests that the narrator of Beowulf ardently believes in Christianity. Geoffrey Chaucer's poem, The Canterbury Tales, uses humor to show the differentiation between good and evil in society. With imagery, phrasing, and character usage, The Canterbury Tales not only proves that the narrator knows about Christianity, but also extends the knowledge further to demonstrate the conspicuous doubts in the speaker's faith. The narrator's outlook on Christianity in both works reflects the time period during which they were written, the state and understanding of Christianity at that point in history impacting the epic poems.The authors of Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales use Christianity as an agent of momentum for their plots, applying it to unveil deeper themes. Yet it is the historical context, the time period in which the authors wrote these works, and the understanding of Christianity at that specific point in time, that most influences the authors' portrayal of Christianity. The early 700s CE, a time noted for many changes and advancements, was known as the Anglo-Saxon period. Anglo-Saxon, a fairly modern term, refers to settlers from the German regions of Angln and Saxony who made their way over to Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire (BBC Primary History). The early Anglo-Saxons were pagans, who were extremely superstitious and believed that rhymes, potions, and stones would protect them from the evil spirits of sickness. It was not until 597 AD that the Pope in Rome began to advocate the spread of Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. The seventh and eighth centuries were times of great religious transformation in the Anglo-Saxon world. The old religion was vanishing, and the new faith of Christianity had arrived via Rome. When the Anglo-Saxon kings accepted Christianity, they banished the old gods from their religious observances and turned solely to the Christian God. The author of Beowulf, claims British literature critic William Witherle Lawrence, had to adopt his story to the new ways. The unknown writer of Beowulf took this new form of faith in his society and adapted it to his work, where it becomes a prominent theme within the poem. Despite the fact that pagan people make up the poem, the narrator's faith makes itself evident. The unknown author includes Christianity in his work through allusions, imagery, and his own personal narration. The changes taking place in his life, and in history, influence his portrayal of Christianity. (BBC.Co.UK) The 1300s were a time of change and innovation, with Christianity at the center of it all. During the 14th Century, the time in which Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, the Catholic Church was in turmoil. Greed and avarice consumed many, particularly the priests in the church. The desire for power, money, and success became overwhelmingly bloated, with many clergy falling to corrupt tendencies and habits. The people began to revolt against the immoral ways of the church by creating new denominations and reshaping it. This corrupt and disheveled time period for the church can easily be seen through Chaucer's work. For example, when Chaucer compares good and evil in the general prologue, he portrays the vast majority of the holy pilgrims in a dark and greedy light. Chaucer's depiction here speaks to his own negative view and personal opinion of so called pious, religious people, as well as the overall state of Christianity during that era. The imagery throughout Beowulf promotes Christianity. For example, when speaking of Grendel and his first attacks, the narrator says, "Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, / nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him / to hear the din of the loud banquet  (Unknown 86-88). The use of words like dark and demon to describe Grendel, create an image of a creature from hell. The poet continues this description of Grendel saying, "He took over Heorot, / haunted the glittering hall after dar

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