Beowulf´s Obligation to the Anglo- Saxon Code

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Beowulf was a great and mighty warrior who was known for how amazingly awesome he was. He had fought and slain everything that came into his path. When there was heard of a great monster named Grendel who was terrorizing Hrothgar’s Mede hall, Beowulf made the trip to defeat the monster. When he arrived, king Hrothgar welcomed him and gave him permission to fight the monster, with one twist; Beowulf wanted to fight the monster without any armor or weapons. He fought the monster and killed him, keeping his arm as a trophy, which he hung in the mead hall for everyone to see. This is why we put cardboard cutouts in a trophy case. He went on to fight Grendel’s dam/mother/the witch (depending on the translation). After defeating this wicked monster, Beowulf returned home to the land of the Geats and 50 years later, he was the king in the land. At this time, there was a dragon on the loose and Beowulf was asked to fight it. This battle would be his last and a faithful man named Wiglaf would help him defeat the monster. Beowulf’s motivations to do these wonderful things were based on the Anglo-Saxon code.
A part of the Anglo-Saxon code is to honor your duty; Beowulf made the trip to Hrothgar’s Mede hall because he had a duty to do so. He was known all over as the greatest warrior, Hrothgar himself would even say, “Well may he say, whose judgment is just, recalling to memory men of the past, that this earl was born of a better stock! Your fame, friend Beowulf, is blazoned abroad over all wide ways, and to every people. In manful fashion have you showed your strength, your might and wisdom. My word I will keep, the plighted friendship we formerly pledged. Long shall you stand as a stay to your people…” (Lines 1160-1168) Beowulf believed it...

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...e a special talent you have an obligation to use that talent. This is a tough question to choose a side on because it really goes either way. Some would say that even if you have a talent, you have free will and can choose to not use it. Others say that when you are spectacular at something you have a duty to do that thing that others cannot do. If you knew that you could help a team to win, but you walk away and that team loses, are you responsible? If you knew that you had the talent to save a life and no one else could, would you? If you could change the world for the better, but don’t apply yourself, are you to blame for the state the world is in? You have the power to change a lot of things in this world, but people like to tell us that we are small and insignificant. They fail to remember the power of one; it only takes one drop of water to start a water fall.

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