Death “rituals” in literature can be seen as protagonist-based. Usually, the death of those around the protagonist will, ironically, suffer the same fate. Whether it is Beowulf or William Shakespeare's famous works Hamlet and Macbeth, there is a ritual "connection" between these literary works. These literary works possess acts of purposeful dying, a heroic death as well as atrocious suicides. These deaths are ritualized differently based on religious beliefs, influenced by the written year, as well as the overall "goodness" of the deceased. Beowulf, is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem composed by an anonymous poet between the 8th and early 20th centuries. 11th century. Beowulf tells the story of a strong and courageous warrior who could defeat anyone and anything without an ounce of fear. Towards the end of the story, Beowulf becomes a great ruler and rules for many years, until tragedy occurs. A dragon is unleashed and with it comes massive destruction everywhere and everyone he encountered. Beowulf, knowing that his death was fast approaching, fought the dragon with the intention of saving his kingdom. Although Beowulf's intentions were fulfilled, his heroic fight for the well-being of his people ended in his death. Indeed, Beowulf died a hero. As a result, the citizens acted in a ritualistic manner. They burned his body on a funeral pyre and buried his remains along with a huge treasure on a mound overlooking the sea. This ritual burial allowed everyone to remember the great and heroic king that Beowulf once was. The story of Beowulf represents the culture and traditions of the Anglo-Saxon – Old English period. Burial practices in Anglo-Saxon times consisted of cremation and burial... middle of paper... suicide in the hope of joining Romeo for eternity. Such examples could signify the similarities between Shakespeare's life and his fictional stories. The rituals of these literary works were based on the "goodness" of the person and on the religious beliefs related to written time. From Beowulf, the protagonist was buried in a lair along with a huge treasure. In Hamlet, Ophelia's funeral is celebrated as a traditional Christian funeral, even though “religiously” the funeral contradicts the Christian faith. As for Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, her self-inflicted death had no remorse. Lady Macbeth's heinous acts and "evil" intentions prevented her from having any kind of "proper" burial. In these literary works, the rituals performed for the deceased were influenced by the time period written, as well as the morality of the individual..