Beowulf is driven by forces that are beyond his control. Just as his lineage contributes to his preeminence, so to do the values of generosity and loyalty common to most Anglo Saxon warriors impact the course of Beowulf’s life. The lineage of a character in Beowulf greatly affects the character’s life expectations, especially for princes, warriors and monsters. The concept of fate (wyrd) manifests itself in Beowulf as the will of God, which Beowulf often credits his success in battle. Beowulf, along with other characters, believes that God will determine the winner in every battle. Because of this belief, Beowulf puts his trust in God and accepts that “fate goes ever as fate must” (455). Fate is a concept that is accepted by many characters …show more content…
In Beowulf, there is a continuos reference to fate, and the protagonist attributes his success to God’s will. After Beowulf defeats Hrothgar’s nemesis, Grendel, Hrothgar gave thanks to “…the Almighty Father…” (927). Similarly, when Beowulf vanquished Grendel’s mother, “his thanes advanced in a troop to meet him, / thanking God and taking great delight / in seeing their prince back safe and sound” (1626-1628). Likewise, Beowulf’s last words after overcoming the Fire Dragon were “fate swept us away, / sent my whole brave high-born clan / to their final doom. Now I must follow them” (2813-2815). The Anglo-Saxon society do not question God’s will (fate) because they believe that what happens in life happens for a reason, so the concept of death comes easily to them. At the final battle with the Fire Dragon as Beowulf lies dying, he accepts the end of his life. When he speaks his final words, he does not regret coming to fight the Dragon. The symbolic moment when Beowulf’s sword and shield fails him demonstrates that “…fate spares the man it has not already marked” (573). Wiglaf, Beowulf’s final fighting companion, knew “…there was no way / he could preserve his lord’s life on earth / or alter in the least the Almighty’s will. / [because] what God judged right would rule what happened / to every man, as it does to this day” (2855-2859). Wiglaf accepts that Beowulf dies because of God’s will. During his rebukes to …show more content…
Beowulf feels a sense of loyalty to Hrothgar which leads Beowulf “…to sail the swan’s road and search out that king, / the famous prince who needed defenders” against the marauding monster, Grendel (200-201). Beowulf’s generosity leads him to Hrothgar’s mead-hall to save Hrothgar from the clutches of Grendel. Regardless of fate and lineage, Beowulf is driven by forces out of his control. It is true that the qualities of an Anglo-Saxon warrior drives Beowulf to become the hero he is, but his lineage and fate define his
“If the battle takes me, send back this breast-webbing that Weland fashioned and Hrethel gave me, to Lord Hygelac. Fate goes ever as fate must.” Of course we see kings all the time in most novels. Beowulf, the character was supposed to advanced and become one of the strongest men alive. But at the end he fails, we learn that he dies and at last he wasn't really that big. But a doom in a story it's more heart pounding. Especially when a son gets taken away from his father. The call to action. In "Beowulf" the call to action is when the character Beowulf is called in by King Hrothgar. He is brought in to be talked to. Hrothgar's kingdom in the Danes (Denmark) is pounced by the villain/monster of Grendel. Now it is Beowulf's responsibility. The weight on Beowulf's shoulders is to go find Grendel, Grendel's mother and the forever lasting fire breathing dragon. We can relate to the quote above because us readers assume that he will defeat all three and be the best of the best. But Beowulf himself doesn't believe his own lies. He boasts' about him declaring he has the required skills to defeat all three enemies. At
The concept of Fate differs significantly in Grettir’s Saga and Beowulf. In Grettir’s Saga the eponymous hero wanders around from misfortune to misfortune, with no apparent Fate apart from vague predictions about the nature of his death. Grettir is plagued by bad luck as well. This is very different than the concept of Fate in Beowulf, where Beowulf has an established fate, and good luck or divine intervention works on his and his fate’s behalf. Fate in both narratives is predetermined, yet the concept of Fate in Beowulf is more deterministic than that of Grettir’s Saga since Fate for Grettir seems more a diffuse collection of unlucky events that repeat through his life.
Early in the poem, Beowulf hears accounts of Grendel’s destruction of Herot, Hrothgar’s majestic mead hall. Knowing his strength and military prowess, Beowulf immediately devises a plan, recruits men, and orders boats, thrusting himself into a battle that was not necessarily his to fight. Beowulf felt obligated to end Grendel’s reign of terror. Though he knew the death of Grendel would bring him fame and honor, the idealized Beowulf was able to set aside personal ambition in order to end the suffering of the Danes. Shortly after slaying Grendel, Beowulf again displays an awareness of duty when Grendel’s mother extracts revenge upon Herot, killing one of Hrothgar’s best men, Aeshere. Instead of leaving Herot in a state of frenzy, Beowulf comes to King Hrothgar’s side, pledging allegiance and service. Bolstering the defeated king’s moral, Beowulf boldly addresses the older King Hrothgar saying, “So arise, my lord, and let us immediately set forth on the trail of this troll-dam. I guarantee you: she will not get away, not to dens under ground nor upland groves nor the ocean floor. She’ll have nowhere to fall to. Endure your troubles to-day. Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.” Beowulf could not set aside his duty and obligation, though he knew full well the suffering and pain that might result from his actions. Thus, Beowulf is a portrait of
Fate plays a significant role in the Old English epic poem Beowulf and William Shakespeare's play Macbeth.. The major events of the poem, such as the three killings by Beowulf and his own death, are said to have been predestined. In Macbeth, fate is so significant that it is personified by the Weird Sisters, who drive the action of the play. But if predestination exists, then there must be an agent that determines destiny. In Beowulf, God plays this role, and fate is generally accepted as God's will. In John Gardner's Grendel, a novel which serves as a commentary on the poem, fate is totally predetermined, and is the will of no being. By contrast, Macbeth's agents of fate are the Witches, who generally go against God's will.
The mighty warrior Beowulf volunteered to help fight off the monster, Grendel. Beowulf showed great bravery because even though Grendel over sized Beowulf, he still accepted the challenge. He also showed strength, Grendel’s head was so massive that four men each had to carry it, but Beowulf could handle the head all by himself. Lastly, Beowulf revealed loyalty by coming to Hrothgar’s assistance, to help with defeating Grendel. Even after Beowulf became King he went to his last battle to defeat the dragon without any help from his
The main character, and protagonist, Beowulf is first introduced in the novel by means of ancestral lineage. Born into greatness, Beowulf makes his reputation indisputable through action. With the King Hrothgar as witness, Beowulf declares his intentions to aid the Danes by way of slaying the awesome beast Grendel who has caused havoc among the lands. "Now I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat." As every great hero fulfils his boast, Beowulf did not fall short. Though the destruction of Grendel brought relief and rejoicings- a mother's wrath would cause it to fall short. Again, the mighty Beowulf takes on this mighty beast, descendant of Cain. As Hrothgar desperately states: "Now help depends again on you and you alone./ Seek it if you dare."
Beowulf has been living at his home land taking on challenges that others may not have wanted to take on. He has always been a man of action, always looking for adventure that challenges his strength. When Beowulf was told of the rumors that a demon is tormenting Hrothgar famous mead serving hall he accepted the wise men decisions to help him rid them of the demon. This is where step two of the hero’s journey comes into play. There is a call to adventure that affects the hero in some way. Beowulf may have formed a personal connection to the cries of Hrothgar reason being his father was once had history with Hrothgar . When Hrothgar helped Beowulf 's father settle things with the Wulfings Beowulf may have felt a need to repay his father’s debt. When Beowulf and his men finished the feast the king provided in the mead hall that was closed due to Grendel’s blood lust. ¨Epic heroes possess qualities that mere mortals lack. Bravery beyond compare, superhuman intelligence, strength or skills and a driving desire to find success¨(Connie Jankowski). In this part of the story Beowulf and his men have proven that they do contain the courage
Throughout life a man makes many descions which determine the way his life will be lived and the way it will end. All choices a man makes in his life have consequences and each man must account for them. In life, every man must reap what he has sown. The values a man holds to be important in his life govern the choices he makes. The epic Beowulf is a good example of this truth. In the story, Beowulf is a god-like human who possesses a strength and warrior spirit unmatched by anyone. The choices he has made resulted in this power and it is also those same choices that play a part in his end.
The battle between fate and free will produces a lopsided victory by fate in Beowulf. A continuous reference is directed to fate by context as well as in elements of theme, plot, and character. The most prominent relation to fate is seen with Beowulf. From his early adventures as a warrior to his later rule as king, fate strongly influences Beowulf's beliefs and courage. He attributes the successful outcomes of his many fights and struggles to the reasons of fate. The lives and outcomes of Beowulf and his enemies are obvious examples of the Beowulf poet showing that God has the power to control everything, resulting in predetermined fate. "Fate goes ever as fate must."(Line 455)*
First of all, Beowulf came to help Hrothgar on his own free will. Hearing of the troubles that Hrothgar was having with a monster terrorizing Herot, his mead hall, Beowulf bravely offered his help not knowing what he was up against. When he arrived, Beowulf did not ask the king for either money nor fame. The only favor that he asked of Hrothgar was that he and his men were to fight the monster, Grendel. Coming away from one's homeland to help get rid of a man-eating monster and asking for nothing in return takes much courage and is an extremely brave deed.
Those of the age of Beowulf, were strong believers in fate and destiny. Everyone was born with a fate already assigned to them by the gods. And this was the case with Beowulf. “One of Hygelac’s thanes, Beowulf by name, renowned among the Geats for his great bravery, heard in his own country of Grendal’s crimes; he was the strongest man alive, princely and powerful. He gave orders that a good ship should be prepared, said he would sail over the sea to assist the famous leader, the warrior king (Hrothgar) since he needed hardy men.” (Crossley, Beowulf). Beowulf would set sail for Hrothgar’s kingdom an...
Accordingly, then is it safe to say that the evil forces that preyed upon the people of Herot were a part of their fate as a whole? Could their continuous attacks by evil beings be part of God's plan to punish them for their prior deeds? It seems as if Beowulf's heroism was used to protect the people of Herot from danger, death, and destruction. If this is so, then why is it that they have not addressed the fact that death and danger are inevitable? They were avoiding the reality that "good" forces can shield them for only so long, until they are both faced with destruction.
Though the origins of the epic poem Beowulf lie in the Pagan Anglo-Saxon era, by the time it was recorded, most Saxons had converted to Christianity. The story seems to be told partly from a heathen point of view and also partly from a biblical. Beowulf seeks glory, crediting it to God, yet a lot of his works are said to have been fated, and he seems to be trying to earn immortality on the earth, and not in an afterlife or in heaven. To determine the role of religion in the poem, the difference between fate and God’s providence must be examined, and examples of Pagan beliefs and Christian beliefs in the story should be discussed.
In the beginning of the story, a mythical monster named Grendel who is attacking King Hrothgar’s mead hall Herot. When Beowulf hears of this tragedy, he volunteers to go and fight the mythical beast. The author wrote, “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find the bravest and the best of the Geats, fourteen In all.” Once Beowulf arrives, he is given a feast and then decides to stay in Herot overnight to confront Grendel. Grendel then arrives and kills one of the Geats before Beowulf can get into the battle. Beowulf then goes hand-to-hand against Grendel and ends up tearing off Grendel’s shoulder. Grendel then retreats to his lair to die. This is only a mere example of why Beowulf is a hero.
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.