Hero-ego in Search of Self: A Jungian Reading of BeowulfIn Hero-Ego in Search of Self, Judy Anne White offers a perceptive explanation for continued interest in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. Building upon the earlier work of Jeffery Helterman and John Miles Foley, she argues that the sum of all confrontations between hero and monster in Beowulf equals the process of individual psychological development identified by Carl Jung as individuation. Dr. White's study proposes that the hero's struggle is the universal struggle towards self-knowledge - and that Beowulf thus resonates for the contemporary reader as it did for the poet's original audience. |
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action æfter Aeschere's Anglo-Saxon anima appears archetype armor aspect associated attack audience avenge barrow battle behavior Beowulf and Grendel Beowulf poet Breca C.G. Jung Cain cave-hall challenge character comitatus confrontation consciousness context Danes Danish court death describes dragon Ecgtheow elements English Studies eternal evil fact fame feminine feud fight flyting function Geatish Geatish king Geats Grendel's mother hall Heorot Heremod hero hero-ego hero's hetaira Hildeburh hoard host personality Hroðgare Hrothgar Hrunting human Hygelac identifies implies individual Jung's Jungian killing king Kroll Literature lord monster mythic Neophilologus Neuphilologische Mitteilungen Niles notes Old English physical poem poem's poet tells poet's potential protect psyche psychological recognize reflects relationship represents seems self-knowledge sense shadow sið social society strength suggests that Beowulf sword symbol thane treasure tribe ultimately unconscious Unferth wæs warrior Wealtheow Weohstan Whitmont wið Wiglaf words wulf's þæt