Comparing Beowulf's Speech To His Lord Hygelac

The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf is brimming with feats of archetypal heroism. The titular character engages in feats of strength, slays monsters, and ultimately sacrifices his life for the common good. Yet, in the final third of the poem the author uses a digression to create a more rounded character that understands the importance of politics and social alliances. Beowulf’s speech to his lord and uncle Hygelac after his victories over the beast known as Grendel and his mother, illustrates this shift towards a more civic-minded character that places importance upon relations within tribal society over his own glory. The digression takes place as Beowulf moves from heroic youth toward aged leadership, and serves to portray Beowulf not only as

a mighty warrior, but as a man that possesses the socio-political acumen to rule. By placing news of political alliances before news of his own deeds, Beowulf shifts from a solely archetypal hero to a more realistic representation of a Scandinavian noble.
Beowulf certainly has the glory of his deeds in mind upon reaching his native soil, yet that glory takes a secondary position in Beowulf’s speech to his lord Hygelac.

The betrothal of Hrothgar’s daughter, Freawaru to the son of the Heathobard chieftain, Froda weighs heavier on Beowulf’s mind. Hygelac makes it clear that he earnestly desires news of Beowulf’s deeds:

How did you fare, beloved Beowulf,

In your journey, when you suddenly resolved

to seek a far-off strife over the salt

sea,
a battle in Heorot? Did you better at all
the well-known woe of Hrothgar,
the famous prince? (1987-92)
Though his lord wishes to hear of the great battles Beowulf has endured, the mighty Geat instead speaks of the daily business in Heorot and of the betrothal, placing this news before his own victory over the monsters. Until this moment in the poem, Beowulf was concerned only with honor, duty, and his own fame, his desire to forestall recounting his deeds to Hygelac shows that these things may not be the only matters of import for him any longer. The author is revealing a Beowulf that still has a taste for fame and glory, yet is tempered by an interest in social affairs that may have violent repercussions in the future. Beowulf is no longer just a great hero, now he is also a hero in possession of sagacity in regards to the peace of his people.
Beowulf’s speech to Hygelac not only shows the character’s development beyond archetypal deeds, but also reflects some of the cultural attitudes towards women within pre-Christian Europe.

Within his speech, Beowulf speaks highly of Hrothgar’s queen:

At times the famous queen,

bond of peace to nations, passed through the hall,

urged on her young sons; often she gave

twisted rings before she took her seat. (2016-19)

Beowulf clearly admires Wealtheow and understands her importance as a “bond of peace to nations” (2017). Beowulf’s regard for Wealtheow shows that the character sees great value in the role of women within his culture. This broader frame of mind in regards to gender roles makes the character a more realistic representation of a man within Norse culture given that the status and function of women in Norse society was perhaps a bit more complex than they were in the author’s own time. Beowulf’s speech pays similar respect to Hrothgar’s daughter, and the placement of this respect in the lines of his speech argues in favor of Beowulf as a more socially aware character in terms of how he views women in his culture and fleshes him out beyond the narrower archetype that he is portrayed as in earlier sections of the

poem.
Just as the digression provides some insight into Beowulf’s view of women and their role in tribal society, it also illuminates Beowulf’s doubts concerning the limitations of these same roles. This doubt is expressed by Beowulf in explicit terms as he expresses his thoughts pertaining to Freawaru’s betrothal to Froda’s son:
“She is promised,
young, gold-adorned, to the gracious son of Froda;
the ruler of the Scyldings has arranged this,
the kingdom’s shepherd, and approves the counsel
that he might settle his share of feud and slaughter
with this young woman. But seldom anywhere
after the death of a prince does the deadly spear rest
for even a brief while, though the bride be good! (2024-31)
Beowulf’s admiration for Freawaru may be evident, but he is clearly skeptical about her ability to keep the peace between two tribes in conflict. A good bride can perhaps maintain a fragile peace, but in Beowulf’s summation, the animosity of men and their hunger for power are not easily stayed by such marital alliances. This attention to what may eventually transpire upon Hrothgar’s death affords the reader a characterization of Beowulf that is more intelligent and forward-thinking than what is witnessed in earlier portions of the narrative.
Beowulf’s concerns also lead him to an intuitive distrust of the Heathobards in general. Beowulf exhibits considerable wisdom in his opinion of the alliance between the Danes and the Heathobards. He astutely understands how past acrimony could in time make the peace provided by marriage ineffective. Beowulf foresees the problems this alliance may someday encounter:
the sworn oath of earls
will be broken, once bitter violent hate
wells up in Ingeld, and his wife-love
grows cooler after his surging cares. (2063-66)
This digression continues to expand upon Beowulf’s character, making him more complex as well as foreshadowing the political savvy that will eventually make him king among his own people. No longer is fame and heroism the character’s sole purpose, Beowulf through this speech, begins to take shape as a a man of great strength and honor, but also of great wisdom.
While Beowulf continues to display traits that keep him firmly rooted as a heroic figure throughout the rest of the poem, his particular speech to Hygelac provides a model of Beowulf that goes beyond the simple structure of a pagan hero. Beowulf’s emphasis on the importance of women and the alliances they create (although potentially fragile) through marriage shows that fame and glory are not always as important as the more delicate art of maintaining lasting peace. The digression presented and the order in which its contents are relayed to Hygelac make Beowulf as a character more grounded in an actual historical, socio-political context than some of his archetypically heroic brethren.