The Rood's Dream is a poem that deals with enigmas and paradoxes, but a sense of unity permeates the piece. It is iconic for its depiction of the actual crucifixion of Jesus, narrated by the crucifix itself through the poet's use of prosopopeia – the attribution of a voice to an inanimate object. The language of the play draws inspiration both from a Christian lexicon and arguably from the “Heroic Code,” reflected in the relationship between Christ and the Cross as that of servant and lord. Additionally, the passive language used to describe the former and the active language used to describe the latter reflect a dichotomy between femininity and masculinity, perhaps indicating sexual undertones in the play. Nevertheless, despite the use of paradoxical language and binaries, an attempt to unify the Cross and Christ with the outside world permeates the passage, as the crucifixion and the natural world are shown to be linked linguistically and thematically. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Through the use of language indicative of the heroic code, the poet connects the relationship between Chirst and the Cross to that of a warrior and his servant. Jesus is called both “geong hæleð” (39) and “beorn” (42), common names used to describe lords and heroes, but this is juxtaposed with the Christian lexicon of “heofona Hlaford” (45). The events of the crucifixion are characterized as “miclan gewinne,” confusing the religious with the militaristic, which is further reflected in the violent language of the passage. Furthermore, the repetition of the negative “Ne dorste Ic” in verses 43, 45 and 47, for example “ne dorste Ic hwæðre bugan to eorðan”, reinforces the sense of duty between the Cross and Christ. This feeling of loyalty can be conceived as the realization of a representation of the relationship between lord and servant. The fusion of a culture derived from pagan tradition with a Christian vocabulary is in itself paradoxical, but it is a conflict that permeates much of ancient English literature. What distinguishes the Dream of the Rood is its perversion of the very ideals of the heroic code. Although it may appear that the cross is a faithful servant of Christ, it is ultimately also the instrument used to bring about his death: a perversion of the underlying principle of the heroic code, namely the protection of its lord . Rather than focusing on the suffering of Jesus himself, the cross laments its own scars “me syndon þa dolg gesiene,” the shift to the present tense emphasizing the lasting physical toll of the crucifixion. Above all, despite being the hero of the poem, the reader or listener is denied the perspective of Christ. Furthermore, the repetition of "ne dorste Ic", notably in the line "ne dorste Ic hira nænigum sceððan" (47), also implicitly suggests that the cross had the power to protect, even save its Lord, but that it didn't dare to do it. he. By perverting the norms of the heroic code, the poet reinforces the idea that the death of Christ was a necessity to cleanse humanity of its sins. Additionally, the depiction of Cross's own suffering, rather than detracting from that of Christ, can be seen as a projection of his own pain onto the object, suggesting a strong unity between the two despite the paradoxical nature of their relationship . This unity is solidified in the line “Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere” (48) with the somewhat foreign plural pronoun “butu” placed next to the adverb “ætgædere” to emphasize the unity of the cross and Christ. Even the emotional and the physical are conflated in this unity, as the cross repeats a section of line 20, crying “sare ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed” (59): yet,.