Comparing Beowulf 'And The Dream Of The Rood'

Many epics, while centered on great heroes facing many obstacles, concern themselves with tales of human nature. In literary terminology, Stephen Greeenblatt defines the epic genre as “an extended narrative poem celebrating martial heroes, invoking divine inspiration, beginning in medias res, written in high style, and divided into long narrative sequences” (A15). Applying this formula, there is no question in defining “Beowulf” as an epic about human nature, but this definition can also apply to “The Dream of the Rood”—albeit in a different way.

Both of the works fit the definition of epic since they are both extended narrative poems. Their styles are similar, having both originated in Old English verse, which encompasses a unique form of accentual poetry that is composed of alliteration, caesuras, and phrase repetition. The caesuras are visible in both epics: in the translated form of “Beowulf,” they appear in the form of commas and periods, while “The Dream of the Rood” keeps the spaces that denote the caesuras. This exemplifies that both poems fulfill Greenblatt’s epic criteria by being extended narrative poems. However, a narrative poem must have more than a caesura to be an epic; the definition demands a martial hero who is capable of invoking divine inspiration.

“The Dream of the Rood” contains a martial hero, but its hero is not human like Beowulf.

Rather, the poem’s martial hero is a rood—specifically, the rood that Jesus Christ was crucified on. While the rood did not swim across the sea in chainmail with Breca (“Beowulf” 52) or fight demons underwater (72), it did brave some great obstacles and played its own part in the redemption of man. The rood, from “The Dream of the Rood,” claims, “I raised up a mighty king” (34). It goes on to explain how it could not falter in its task, nor could it even bow to this mighty king. Rather, the rood had to muster strength enough to bear the son of God and raise him up for mankind to witness his

sacrifice.
Like “Beowulf,” “The Dream of the Rood” also invokes divine inspiration through its martial hero. “Beowulf” invokes divine inspiration through its protagonist’s faith in Christianity, even if that faith sometimes conflicts with that of pagan tradition in the epic. Beowulf frees the people of Heorot from the torment of Grendel, and he attributes this accomplishment to “his God-sent strength” (88). Thus, the heroic actions that Beowulf performs (saving the kingdom) are done with the help and the grace of God. Meanwhile, the rood becomes an actual symbol of divine inspiration for the audience. The rood explains that it is now a symbol for salvation and redemption, and only through the rood can one be admitted into the kingdom of God (“The Dream of the Rood” 35). The rood is granted this grace because of its endurance during the crucifixion; the rood’s words regarding its symbolism reveal that human nature is tarnished but can be saved through the grace of God, just as the people of Heorot were saved because of Beowulf’s God-given strength.
Yet there is one criterion of an epic that neither narrative fulfills, revealing that this is not mandatory for epics, as few would argue against the classification of “Beowulf” as such. Neither narrative begins in medias res—in the middle. “Beowulf” begins before its protagonist’s existence, as it deals with the history and establishment of Hrothgar’s kingdom. “The Dream of the Rood” begins when a sinner falls asleep and is revealed, through a dream vision, the truth about the crucifixion. However, it can be argued that this is the middle of the rood’s story if the beginning of the story, as well as the beginning of mankind’s salvation, takes place during the crucifixion of Jesus. Whether or not this is a narrative to be interpreted in medias res, it remains an epic with or without this aspect as “Beowulf” does.
The last two aspects of Greenblatt’s definition refer to form: being written in a high style and divided into long sequences. The translated form of “Beowulf” appears to have been written in a high style because of its use of elegant-sounding words that are stringed together to create bigger concepts. “Word-hoard” is used instead of “mouth,” which makes the body part sound much more complex and beautiful than the crudeness of the single word. “The Dream of the Rood” mimics this style by using small words to build bigger concepts with its epithets for people such as “language-bearers” (35). Both of these narratives also divide their story into long sequences. While “Beowulf” does it through sequences that resemble chapters and are blatantly labeled, “The Dream of the Rood” chooses to separate its sequences through its dialogue format. When the narrative shifts in its tone or idea, the rood’s dialogue is given a new paragraph without using dialogue tags. These divisions occur when the rood talks about its making for the crucifixion, the events after the crucifixion, and an explanation of its powerful symbolism. As mentioned, these are not as clear-cut sequence dividers as the headings in “Beowulf,” but they work to allow “The Dream of the Rood” its rightful place in the epic genre.
While many exceptions in Greenblatt’s definition of epic can exist, “Beowulf” and “The Dream of the Rood” both follow its criteria to place them in that genre. Close observance of the two texts’ styles, language, and characters gives readers insight into what makes a text an epic. Even though literature is always open for interpretation, Greenblatt’s definition sets guidelines that have the ability to guide the creation of new interpretations, allowing for a story about a rood to take its place in the epic genre next to “Beowulf” with its tale of pagan heroes and battles against demons.