Gold is the hero. Gold is the representation of an Anglo-Saxon hero, as portrayed by Beowulf. Within the epic poem, gold, along with other treasures represents the idealized values of generosity, the pursuit of glory, and the strong desire to leave a legacy. Gold represents generosity through the practice of giving gold to followers and the kenning, “ring giver.” Gold’s role in rewarding loyal soldiers is crucial to understanding the system of comitatus that unites Anglo-Saxon culture. When Beowulf rewards one of his men for guarding the boat, the soldier’s new gold “brought him honor” (1903), and when Beowulf returns to Geatland, he “had brought his king / Horses and treasure – as a man must, / Not weaving nets of malice for his comrades…” …show more content…
The Anglo-Saxon hero searches for glory by completing deeds for gold. The Anglo-Saxons consider amassing wealth as the same thing as attaining glory; Wealthow, Hrothgar’s wife, best illustrates the connection when she advises Beowulf to "grow richer, let your fame and strength / Go hand in hand" (1217-1219), while the ruler Shild "lived to be rich and much honored" (5-6). The essence of the hero in Anglo-Saxon culture is performing great deeds; by doing great deeds, the hero gains gold. By accumulating gold, the Anglo-Saxon hero gains glory and his fame spreads across the land; in addition, being a hero entails a powerful ambition for more gold and glory. When Beowulf kills Grendel, he is lavishly rewarded, but he did not pack up his bags and leave; he has to go kill Grendel’s mother as another test of his strength and is once again rewarded for it. After returning to Geatland, the people offer him kingship, but he refuses it; the refusal represents his overwhelming drive to obtain more glory, and he does so by fighting in wars and serving kings. Beowulf finally settles as king and reigns for 50 years, but when the dragon came, he once again took up arms to defend his people and to accumulate more
The tale of Beowulf is a tale of human nature, people still want the same things that they wanted thousands of years ago. Even if people switch out words now to make themselves sound less selfish, it is still there. Beowulf makes such an interesting topic to discuss because it covers the normalities in Anglo-Saxon culture, the ethics of gift-giving and how these customs have carried over into today’s world. It is relatable if one looks at it from a more personal point of
Clark, Gorge. “The Hero and the Theme.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
The Epic poem of Beowulf is a story of heroism, loyalty, ego, and fate. To be a great leader of men; a great king of the people, you must be respected and trusted. Loyalty is given to those who earn the respect and trust of their people. Beowulf was blessed with great physical strength, the pride and fearlessness of a warrior, and an equally strong command of the spoken word, which he used skillfully to his advantage. He gained the respect and trust of nearly everyone he came in contact with, largely because he possessed the characteristics of a true hero, but in the end it was his ego that sealed his fate. Although it could be said that Beowulf’s character was flawed by an enormous ego, fueled by thoughts of immortality, it is this very trait that made him an ideal hero and king.
Gold is one of the most valuable materials all around the world. This jewel has its own glittering appearance and shiny color which induce people to desire to possess it. That’s probably why Europeans in the middle age have explored new continents and invaded other civilizations to find this glittering material. Americans also had given much endeavor to mine that valuable jewel in the time of gold rush. Investigating these events, gold has immensely affected the world history; the Age of Exploration, invasions of Spaniards, and the development of California.
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
Beowulf is honored after Grendel and his mother’s defeat for his morality and willingness to help the king with his problem. He put aside the life he had at home and gave up everything so they were protected. Upon his return, everyone was praising him and lifting up the wondrous works and all that’d he’d done to protect them. Because of his respectable actions, Beowulf was rewarded for his true heroism. He becomes king over his people and ruled for the next fifty years.
To start off, Beowulf, identified as the greatest Anglo- Saxon, pursues glory and fame. He brags about himself and his accomplishments. When it was time to battle Grendal, Beowulf states “my youth have been filled with glory”. (143-144). He boasts about what the people have witnessed. Beowulf says to his men, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of the race from the earth” (151-155). In addition to Beowulf bragging about himself and his accomplishments, Beowulf embodies that fame and glory mean more than anything else. When Beowulf helmet failed him, he jumped back in battle because
In the poem Beowulf, we see the Anglo-Saxon hero. Beowulf, the protagonist, embodies the honor of the Anglo-Saxon culture and tradition. The poem in itself is an elegant script of Anglo-Saxon times. Composed in 8th or 9th century, the epic was passed down from generation to generation orally and has no known author. The Anglo-Saxon hero was a warrior.
The title characters in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were both considered paragons of excellence by their peoples. Yet, upon close inspection of the specific actions of these characters, stark differences emerge. While Gawain is virtuous and exemplifies selflessness, Beowulf's heroism is marred by his pursuit of fame and wealth, which seems to dominate his every action. The discrepancy can be explained by a contextual analysis of both heroes. Gawain's code of chivalry emphasized perfection and thus he is flawless. Beowulf on the contrary adheres to the code of heroism, which is much less stringent on man's actions, and much more open to interpretation.
In fact, in one of the opening descriptions in the poem we read about Shield Sheafson, the beloved Danish king who has died: “They stretched out their beloved lord in his boat, laid out by the mast, amidships, the great ring-giver. Far-fetched treasures were piled upon him, and precious gear. I never heard before of a ship so well furbished with battle-tackle, bladed weapons and coats of mail. The massed treasure was loaded on top of him: it would travel far on out into the ocean’s sway (34-42).” This giving of gold sets the scene for other references to gold in the first part of the story. Gold is used as wergild, or a man-price used as a compensation for any kind of injury or even a death, and after Beowulf kills the marauding Grendel, Hrothgar rewards him richly, including a gold standard. Hrothgar also rewards all of Beowulf's men with lesser gifts of gold for their willingness to come and help his
But we know from archaeological evidence that the royal and aristocratic milieu of Beowulf with its lavish burials and gold-adorned armor “can no longer be dismissed as poetic exaggeration or folk memories of an age of gold before the Anglo-Saxons came to England (Cramp 114).
In this essay, I will uncover the countless insights that can be learned about the characters in Beowulf, as well as the society as a whole, based on the weapons the characters choose to use in battle. During the Anglo-Saxon time, roughly between 400 and 1066, swords were considered the most precious weapon someone could own. Although it is not certain who wrote Beowulf, and when, many people believe it was composed in the middle to end of the Anglo-Saxon period. Analyzing the different weapons, and significance of each, in Beowulf, and comparing them to the weaponry at the time, provides the readers with a great deal of insight into the society during this period. The use of weapons in Beowulf not only provides the readers with insight into
When asked about investing, many people imagine a crowded building in New York with thousands of stock brokers in their different crowds for different stock. Many people do not consider investing in one of the most common jewelry metals. Gold can also be a good investment economically as the demand is increasing quickly as more and more household and industrial components and different jewelries are being produced, and even some uses, like NASA’s uses, many people have not thought of. However, the supply is increasing at a much slower rate. In 2003, gold was being consumed, through creation jewelry, electronics, etc., at a rate of 120 million ounces per year; however, the rate at which gold was being produced at that time was only 80 million ounces.
Acts of generosity can be materialistic items such as gold and armor, or it can be things you cannot see. Kind and boastful words are an example of such generosity, or in other words “right for the people” (l701). Hrothgar is the perfect balance of both types of generosity. He is very wealthy in gold, for he has been ruling for a long time. He is also wealthy with his words, his experience of being king has given him the wisdom he needs to pass down to others. Boasting of one’s self or someone else is a highly respected thing to do because it establishes an identity. People love to boast about themselves, so when someone else boasts about you, it is one of the highest compliments you can receive. Establishing an identity in the Anglo-Saxon’s time is something that never goes away. For example, when Hrothgar boasts of Beowulf he says, “My friend Beowulf,/ your glory is exalted throughout the world,/ over every people” (1703-1704). Meaning that not if, but when Beowulf becomes king, he will be unstoppable because everyone has heard how amazing and incredible he is. When Beowulf is visiting the Danes, in the short amount of time he has already gained the respect of everybody there. Even Unferth, who was enraged at the sight of Beowulf and all of his men, came around to respect Beowulf. Unferth even gave Beowulf his sword in the battle of Grendel’s mother. Since armor, swords, and gold were highly respected and correlated with
Men high in power, such as the king, represent their fortune and power through the adornment of women. The lady with arguably the most lavish description in Beowulf is Wealhtheow, who is described as “regal and arrayed with gold” (Beowulf 641). In another description, the other defining trait about her was “her gold crown” (Beowulf 1162). Repeatedly, the gold is used to exemplify the beauty of Wealhtheow; however, it is not really her own gold. Instead, it comes from the king, the provider of gold for everyone in the community. Making all her appearances aside the king, she is a representation of the king’s riches and the abundance of his wealth; anyone visiting the mead-hall would be under impression that King Hrothgar is a wealthy man with a well off community. Similarly, Beowulf’s importance as a leader comes into perspective with the lady mourning at his funeral. As Beowulf’s funeral pyre burned, “A Geat woman too sang out in grief; / …of her worst fears, a wild litany / of nightmare and lament: her nation invaded, / enemies on the rampage, bodies in piles, / slavery and abasement” (Beowulf 3150-3155). As the messenger delivering the message of Beowulf death relayed, surrounding tribes were now liable to attack the Geats. By crying about her fears of the war and raids, the Geat woman highlights the importance that Beowulf had for the community: he was Geats’ sole protector and the