One of the first pieces of British literature recorded is the epic poem Beowulf. The poem concentrates on the life of the adventurous Geat warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf faces several challenges throughout the poem that depict him as a man who would go to extreme lengths to accumulate fame. While creating a legend for himself, Beowulf and other characters within the poem reveal several values of the Anglo-Saxons. These values include their belief in boasting, revenge, and loyalty. Who wants to be forgotten after death? Clearly not the Anglo-Saxons who believed that all that remained of a person was his fame. This belief explains the outrageous boasting the characters within Beowulf do. When Beowulf arrives in the Danes' kingdom, he begins boasting as he is asking permission from King Hrothgar to fight the monster Grendel who has terrorized the Danes for "twelve winters," (l. 147, 27). Beowulf boasts about his past deeds and then exclaims that he alone could "purge all evil from this hall," (l. 436, 36). Hrothgar had heard Beowulf's accomplishments and grants him permission to fight Grendel. Without the use of boasting, Beowulf's fame may not have reached Hrothgar's ears, and Beowulf might have been denied his quest Sometimes, however, boasting proves to be dangerous because the person who boasts may become too proud. An overabundance of pride afflicted King Hermond, who ."..was once the mightiest/Of men. But pride.../Sent him into exile...," (l. 901-903, 51). Because he was boastful, Hermond became too proud and this resulted in his death. Toward the end of the poem, Beowulf once again begins to boast. This time he faces a monster that has begun to harass the people within his kingdom. When Beowulf learns of this ... ... middle of paper ... ...f realizes that Beowulf cannot defeat the dragon and that he will die. Wiglaf rushes to his king's side when he ."..needed him most...," (l. 2694, 106). His loyal act does not save his king but allows Beowulf the chance he needs to kill the dragon and die with respect. Because Wiglaf was loyal to his king and stood by him, Beowulf rewarded Wiglac by asking him to grant his dying words. Wiglaf may have been only one man, but out of Beowulf's followers, he is the only one brave enough to face danger when his king needed him. Beowulf is a wonderful poem full of heroic men. The characters show their heroism while facing many dangers and continually holding their values near their heart. These values shine throughout the poem as the belief in boasting, revenge, and loyalty. Beowulf's and other's courageous deeds make this poem a classic epic for all time.
The poet of Beowulf uses many literary devices to enhance respect and trust in the poem. The great heroic story of Beowulf gives many examples of the traits a great leader should have. At the end, those same traits were demonstrated by Wiglaf, who then became the king of the Geats. This proves that these traits were essential to the Anglo-Saxon culture; however, this also makes Beowulf contemporary. The poem has many themes that are still applicable today.
Living in an Anglo-Saxon society was a tough time. They had to work much very hard for simple things or you had to be born into nobility, but they were not too different from us nowadays. The Anglo- Saxon society, similar to today’s society, can be defined by several key values such as bravery, honor, loyalty, and perseverance.
Wiglaf was the only person that had stayed to help his king and by doing this while all the other soldiers ran away it magnified his glory infinitely more than before. It was magnified so much that Beowulf made him king because of his bravery and loyalty to him.
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
Beowulf by far endures more than the average person as the poem progresses. He is faced with daunting challenges of defeating three monsters that would kill any other man. Beowulf exemplifies bravery by never backing down no matter what the threat was. He was loyal by honoring his promises of keeping those around him safe and alive. And finally, his unwavering confidence helped him push through the toughest confrontations. These traits and the fights with the three different monsters are what genuinely make Beowulf a hero.
During the Anglo-Saxon times, the values and beliefs of the Germanic people were considerably different from the beliefs and values of the modern age, which were reflected in the oldest surviving Old English piece of literature, Beowulf. Beowulf is an epic poem written anonymously during the Anglo-Saxon period in England spanning from the fifth century to the eleventh century. The epic poem takes place in sixth-century Scandinavia. “Recited originally in Old English, Beowulf is based on legends and chronicles of the various Northern Europeans who migrated to England.”(Literature: The British Tradition 18). During the fifth through the eleventh centuries“... the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons included loyalty, valour, selfishness, and a sense of
As Beowulf readers, we all know that at the most crucial point in the story, when the hero’s life is being challenged by the dragon to an extent that it has never been threatened before, the one loyal thane who comes through to help the hero is Wiglaf.:
...pics. Beowulf is a hero and personalized many important aspects and ideals of this time. He was loyal, selfless, and believed in justice. There are many Germanic elements in the poem that are connected to the ongoing theme of fate. Beowulf lived as a warrior-king figure in feudal society. He lived the Germanic Heroic Code that valued loyalty, strength, and courage. Beowulf also conducted himself with many Anglo-Saxon ideals of conduct that included allegiance to the lord and king, the love of glory that rules the meaning and existence of life, and the belief in the inevitability of fate.
In England the poem of Beowulf was regarded as a fable and considered necessary to preserve civilization (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford, 2004). Beowulf changed the ideal of hero considering the acts of bravery he achieved. Unlike the common hero when Beowulf comes to be poisoned by the dragon he battled, the people that admired him abandoned the dying man. Sadly, Beowulf died with his friend and brother that he named his successor. Wiglaf, Beowulf’s friend and brother became king after his death (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford,
Every culture has many stories and poems to represent what they believe in, and what they look for in a hero. The heroes written in these stories and myths are brave, and are leaders. However, every hero comes with a flaw or two. The epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, has an extraordinary hero named Beowulf. Beowulf was a hero to the Anglo-Saxons which were fierce warriors who fought a lot. Beowulf fights many brutal monsters and threats in his days, but the most barbaric of them all is the inside threat within him. Beowulf had a big ego, and focused more on creating a name for himself than thinking about the real risks ahead. Two of his major battles that he faced along with his internal peril was against the dragon, and the beast Grendel.
Beowulf is the story of a great king. Beowulf protects all of his warriors. However, the warrior with the most courage happened to be Wiglaf. Beowulf protects Wiglaf. Wiglaf is the only warrior with the courage to give his own life in effort to save a king he loves and respects. Wiglaf is the hero in Beowulf. Wiglaf’s courageous character confirms that his attempt to defeat Grendel was not for his own good, but to honor his king. Wiglaf’s heroic behavior was in hope to save his lord, Beowulf from the dangerous fumes given off by Grendel.
Beowulf was written anonymously like most poems during the Anglo-Saxon period. During this time period, “there was a rigid code of behavior that stressed bravery, loyalty and [the] willingness to avenge” (Rougeau-Vanderford “Themes in Beowulf”.) His character represents the true values of the Anglo-Saxon values, from his sacrifices, to the loyalty he shows his people. The Anglo-Saxons culture believed that “life was regarded as valuable,” (Rougeau-Vanderford “Themes in Beowulf”) making Beowulf’s sacrifice the ultimate display of
Beowulf is brimming with a variety of symbols, motifs, and themes. When examined through a through an analytical lens, it is obvious that the poem uses simplicity to reveal much deeper meaning. Beowulf’s slaying of monsters is not transparent, on the contrary, the majority of the text’s substance is found within the encounters that Beowulf has with these creatures. The hero’s encounter with the dragon is an allusion to the sin of greed, while his battles against the monsters in general show his heroic nature. In addition, the events in the story show Beowulf’s internal struggle of simultaneously being a hero and a king and the importance of self-reliance.
In Beowulf’s last battle, he versed a fire-breathing dragon“that has been guarding treasure for hundreds of years”. Beowulf wore armor in addition to bringing a shield and a sword. His sword shattered against the dragon. As Beowulf’s strength was decreasing and suffering, only one of his comrades remained and that was Wiglaf. Wiglaf together with Beowulf succeed in defeating the dragon, but the wounds of Beowulf were mortal. The treasure from the dragon’s lair was buried with Beowulf. Although the “long lasting” warrior died, he still unlocked a “trophie”; in which was the guarded treasure, his loyalty,
In the battle with the dragon, Beowulf is struggling and Wiglaf is the only warrior who helps Beowulf to eventually defeat this beast. The proceeding excerpt is from Beowulf which shows Wiglaf encouraging Beowulf to fight with everything he has left and he will be by Beowulf’s side. “Beloved Beowulf, Summon your strength, remember the vow You made of old in the years of youth Not to allow your glory to lessen As long as you lived. With resolute heart, And dauntless daring, defend your life With all your force. I fight at your side! (1587-1595)” The proceeding quote signifies that Wiglaf will never give up on Beowulf and will always fight on his side. A major characteristic of Wiglaf in this epic is his loyalty to his king, Beowulf. He will never give up on Beowulf. Even when the ten other warriors leave, he stays to help assist Beowulf in taking down the dragon. He is extremely loyalty to Beowulf and will never leave his side even in the face of death. Wiglaf loyalty towards Beowulf helps him to the killing of the mighty dragon at the end of the