Beowulf

Eckert 1 “Beowulf” is an epic poem that goes through the life of the great warrior Beowulf. King Hrothgar and his men have a great mead-hall called Herot where they have all their gatherings and celebrations. All of the sudden there was a sense of uncertainty and fear around the hall. This was because there was a monster from the lake that had been spotted. Some of the men said they had seen two monsters wandering around in the night, one male, one female. The male monster’s name was Grendel and the loudness of the hall bothered him. He attacked the hall one night and killed many Danes, which caused hysteria throughout the land. Beowulf, a young Geatish warrior, and some of his men decide to sail to Denmark, determined to triumph over Grendel. Hrothgar had once done a great deed for Beowulf’s father, so Beowulf thought this would be a fair compensation. They held a great feast for Beowulf and his fellow warriors. Grendel arrives late in the night and Beowulf fights him unarmed, proving his strength. Beowulf tears Grendel’s arm off, and he runs away back to the lake, where he would die. The arm is hung in the mead-hall and a sign of victory. Beowulf and his men are showered with gifts and everyone is thrilled. They completely forget that there is another monster living in the lake, a female figure. In the middle of the night Grendel’s mother murders Hrothgar’s good friend, Aeschere. Beowulf follows the beast into the lake and swims all the way to the bottom. He fights her and kills her with a sword. He sees Grendel’s corpse, and he decapitates it and brings his head back as a trophy for Hrothgar. Beowulf’s fame spreads throughout the kingdom. Beowulf decides that it’s time for him and his men to return home. They depart after a sorrowful goodbye. Beowulf gives most of the treasure he received in Denmark to Hygelac, king of Geatland. Eckert 2 Hygelac would later die in battle, and after Hygelac’s son dies, Beowulf takes the throne. He would be a great ruler for the next fifty years. When Beowulf is 70 years old, someone robs the area where the dragon lives. Someone has to do something about it or the enraged dragon could harm a great number of people. Beowulf knows that he doesn’t have many years left, so he decides to go fight the dragon. He is able to kill the dragon, but he was bitten on the neck. The venom kills him. Beowulf represents the values and aspirations of his people in many ways. He is strong, not only physically, but also mentally. After the death of Aeschere, Beowulf says “it is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (1384-5). Beowulf was loved by his people, he was their hero. Without Beowulf, life would have been difficult for both the Danes and the Geats. He was admired by all. Before the battle with the dragon Wiglaf spoke to Beowulf and said “your deeds are famous, so stay resolute, my lord, defend your life now with the whole of your strength. I shall stand by you” (2666-8). At the time “Beowulf” was being written, society was in the process of moving from paganism to Christianity. The poem has both Christian and pagan aspects. The fact that Beowulf is sort of “superhuman” is a pagan idea. He does so many things that no normal person could ever think of doing. In a lot of pagan stories, the dragon is often the enemy of the hero, as in “Beowulf”. Christianity is very much in the story as well. You could say that Beowulf himself is a Christ-like figure because he is the savior of his people. Beowulf represents the good, as in Christ, and Grendel represents the evil, as in the devil. In the poem, Grendel is referred to as a descendant of Cain, who the devil tricked into committing the first murder. Eckert 3 Grendel lives in an underworld, just as the devil lives in hell. In the end Beowulf gives his life for his people, just as Christ did. When Beowulf dove into the water to find Grendel’s mother, his fellow soldiers waited for him to come back, similar to the way the apostles waited for Christ to return from the Garden of Gethsemane. The author’s overall attitude toward life is difficult to comprehend. I believe he is optimistic about the future of humanity because there could be a Beowulf or Christ-like person to return and be the savior of his people. Beowulf knows that he is no normal person and that he was meant to be the savior of his people. He says “but the truth is simple: no man swims in the sea as I can, no strength is a match for mine” (533-4). Death is a very common occurrence in this poem. The attitude towards death is that you should not dwell on the fact that the person is gone, but instead get revenge for their death. Respect and honor should be shown for those who have passed but not grief. “Beowulf” symbolizes many things and has very deep meanings. It requires a lot of thought to understand the connections between the poem and aspects of Christianity and paganism.