Beowulf's Noble Blood

Hailed as the template of an epic poem is the anonymous epic tale, Beowulf. Beowulf's noble blood, the vast setting expanding beyond the mead hall Herot, Beowulf's strong, honorable spirit, a battle of good against evil, life and death themes, and the formal speech of the text - all of these blend into a classic epic poem.

Naturally, the most explicit piece of Beowulf's epic traits is Beowulf's noble blood. In the beginning, Wulfgar refers to Beowulf's noble blood, proclaiming, "My lord the great king of the Danes, commands me to tell you he knows of your noble birth" (Beowulf 43), referring to Beowulf's status as the Geat prince. The king of the Danes, Hrothgar, is familiar with Beowulf's father, thus knows of Beowulf's noble standing

as well. As both a warrior and prince, Beowulf defends Herot against Grendel's murderous rampage, ultimately putting the lives of his people in Beowulf and his men's hands. Much later in the epic, Beowulf becomes the Danes' new king, leading the nation in peace until, once more, he must defend his people against an angered dragon. Beowulf's courageous, honorable leadership as a noble man protects his people to the very end.
Fitting of a standard epic tale and epic hero, Beowulf uses eloquent, formal speech, especially when addressing other characters of high standing.

When greeting Hrothgar, the Danes' king, Beowulf makes sure to address him with great respect and reverence, greeting him: "Hail, Hrothgar! Higlac is my cousin and my king... my duty was to go to the Danes' great king" (Beowulf 43). Beowulf makes sure to emphasize Hrothgar's greatness as a king, especially given his own status as a warrior, rather than a prince. As for referring to Higlac as his "cousin", this is merely a generalized term for a relative, however within the flow of the sentence, "cousin" fits better, especially within the full length of Beowulf's lengthy speech to the

king.
Along the lines of setting, Beowulf takes place within a fair amount of areas: the mead hall Herot, Grendel's marsh, the underwater lair of Grendel's mother, and the dragon's cave.

Grendel's final approach to Herot details: "Out from the marsh... toward Herot" (Beowulf 43). Nearly every night, Grendel traverses from his home in the marsh to Herot, and, after his death, his mother does the same. Grendel's mother contributes to the expansion of the epic poem's world, adding on not only the marsh itself, but under its murky waters, where she also drags Beowulf into a dry lair deep within the underwater lair. After defeating her, Beowulf must return to Herot. Later, against the dragon, Beowulf travels to a cave within the Danish kingdom, and he later dies in the forest, with his men sending him off on a boat out in the

ocean.
Further, those mentioned traits of courage and honor highlight traits often emphasized in epic tales. Beowulf feels strongly about his capabilities. For example, when declaring his determination to battle against Grendel unarmed, he refers to his men, claiming: "They have seen my strength for themselves... five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth" (Beowulf, pg. 43). For Beowulf, his greatest trait is his strength, which allows him the ability to defeat Grendel, ripping his arm off, and also Grendel's mother, overpowering her and later decapitating Grendel, saving Herot from the deadly family. In both instances, Beowulf insisted on going against the demons unarmed, however he still understands and knows he is within fate's hands, declaring, "I alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall... my lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to... my hands alone shall fight for me... Fate will unwind as it must!" (Beowulf, 44). Aware that weapons cannot harm Grendel, and that Grendel fights with his bare hands, Beowulf decides for himself that he, too, will go unarmed, depending only on his strength and courage to defeat Grendel, especially because he feels it dishonorable to depend on a sword when his opponent depends on only his fists. Although confident in his own strength, Beowulf still understands that he is within fate's own hands. In the time Beowulf was written, Celtic and Pagan values heavily influenced it. Fate, "wyre", is an important part of life, thus Beowulf's understanding of fate's influence over him fits in well with the themes of an epic hero.
In the end, Beowulf hails itself as a template of an epic poem. Beowulf's noble blood, the vast setting, Beowulf's strong, honorable spirit, the battle between good and evil, with life and death stakes, and formal, poetic speech all blend seamlessly into a classic epic poem.