Generosity in Beowulf
Beowulf is a masterly piece of literature as well as the only surviving written work from the early middle ages. While many grand themes occur over the course of the story, one in particular is subtle but vital; generosity. Comitatus, the code of generosity on the part of the leader and loyalty on the part of the thane, or soldier, was a mutually agreeable arrangement. In addition to its part in the culture, and it was also necessary for leaders to be generous in order to obtain a band or group of brave, loyal, trusted servants and warriors. However, it was the truly generous lords, like the ancient king of the Geats, Beowulf, who earned himself a name not only for strength, wisdom, and bravery, but as a bountiful
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“giver of gifts”. Grendel's frequent raids on Hrothgar's hall terrorized the people until Beowulf fought and killed Grendel.
Now, Grendel's mother has raided the hall in revenge for the death of her son and she too is being pursued by the mighty warrior Beowulf. Before Beowulf descends beneath the floods to seek Grendel's mother, he says to Hrothgar “Be guardian, thou, to this group of my thanes, / my warrior-friends, if war should seize me.” By making provisions for the future of his thanes before his expedition into the floods, Beowulf shows care for them past the usual generosity expected. Not only is he concerned with their current conditions, by taking on this monster to protect them, but also their future …show more content…
welfare. Much later, we discover Beowulf fatally wounded from a fight with a dragon who breathed poisonous fire. Beowulf rests in the cave, attended by his one loyal thane, who washes his wounds with water. While Beowulf is near death, the dragon is dead too. Beowulf requests Wiglaf the earl, his kinsman and fellow warrior in the recent battle, to go and fetch some of the treasure, that he may see it before he dies. Wiglaf returns quickly, for fear that he may find Beowulf dead on his return, and presents him a sampling of the treasure. ...Beowulf spake, sage and sad, as he stared at the gold. — “For the gold and treasure, to God my thanks, … for the grace that I give such gifts to my folk or ever the day of my death be run! Now I’ve bartered here for booty of treasure the last of my life...”` Here the noble king thanks God for the treasure, although he can't use or enjoy it, that he can give it to his people. When the timorous warriors return from the woods to where they had fled in their fright, Wiglaf, still beside Beowulf the king, speaks to them sternly for deserting their lord.
He recalls Beowulf's previous generosity and claims it was wasted on cowards. Conversely, he continues with his part; “...‘twas little that I / could serve him in struggle; yet shift I made / (hopeless it seemed) to help my kinsman.'” Wiglaf concludes that now Beowulf is dead, he will no longer serve out the spoils of war among them. This distressing prospect, the future without their king, is shared by other characters in the story, who begin foretelling desolation, invaders, and
war. Beowulf, the king of the Geats, was the quintessence of a hero at the time. Bravery, strength, courage, and skill were all honored and important, but there was another trait necessary for a truly great king and hero; generosity. Without the basic freedoms of today, the serfs were dependent on either one lord or another, because none of the peasants were powerful enough to stand alone in the midst of the coercive and rival parties; they could not survive without the protection and generosity of the rulers. This is why generosity was so important to them; it was their livelihood, it was everything past their meager and often insufficient wages.
He lives in solitude in a cave at the bottom of the lake and is angered by the parties in the mead hall. To further emphasize the archetype, he is said to go on raids only during the nighttime. This shows more of his loneliness because he can not show his face in broad daylight. When his arm is ripped off, Grendel runs away. This shows his cowardice since he runs instead of finishing the fight on the spot. For the Anglo-Saxons, death in battle was the most glorious type of death, Thus Grendel running away would have been mocked by the crowd and re enforced the quality of courage. When the battle itself begins, Beowulf decides to fight Grendel bare handed. His comrades however stay to help him fight. This reveals the theme of loyalty. This theme is prominent during the main battle because Beowulf is shown to be, “Surrounded closely by his powerful thanes” (98). This ties into the theme of loyalty to one’s kin because although the weapons do no damage, Beowulf’s brethren stay by his side to help. This is also used to emphasize the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture, the battles serve as a way to show the listener the deep cultural significance of the kinship of the warriors. They are treated as one group,
Literature has always been an immensely helpful resource when discerning cultural values in societies past and present. Through the study of noteworthy historic fictional and factual, texts we are able to distinguish parallel characteristics present through many different cultures and time periods. These distinguishing characteristics are one of the main things that help us to determine when and how a society, or world culture as a whole changes as time moves forward. When similarities are identified throughout many cultures in the same time period academics are able attach general titles to that specific time expanse. The “Heroic Age” is an example of a labeled span of time that generally maintains societal sameness throughout the period. The epic texts of Beowulf and The Odyssey are examples of culture revealing novels created during the heroic age. The texts help to prove the idea that societies maintain a basic status quo for many years because there is a 1500 year separation in the creation of the books. Despite this time difference in authorship, similar cultural ideals can be recognized throughout each novel. Both Greek and Germanic cultures emphasized the power and importance of receiving and giving gifts as a means of displaying and achieving power. Beowulf and The Odyssey share the general theme of giving, and when comparing the two, it is easy to conclude that giving and receiving is an integral part of both the Germanic and Grecian cultures of that time.
This quote is one of many examples of Beowulf’s pride. Beowulf, a strong warrior, wants to fight Grendel, a malicious monster. Although his adventure is seen to benefit his honor and glory, he is thoughtful of others and gives his time, labor, and treasures to them. The Anglo-Saxons hold a high respect for pride and sacrifice. Beowulf’s lust for glory and pride is obvious he wants to be known and feared. But throughout the story there is an unspoken tone about his constant charity. When he fights a monster for
The tale of Beowulf is a tale of human nature, people still want the same things that they wanted thousands of years ago. Even if people switch out words now to make themselves sound less selfish, it is still there. Beowulf makes such an interesting topic to discuss because it covers the normalities in Anglo-Saxon culture, the ethics of gift-giving and how these customs have carried over into today’s world. It is relatable if one looks at it from a more personal point of
(A) “Remember how he clung to the rotting wealth / Of this world, how he clawed to keep it, how he earned / No honor, no glory” (1758-1750). (B) The poem “Beowulf” written by an unknown author and was set in Sweden and Denmark. In the story, many men and kings were easily corrupted by money and abused the power that they had, and what came of this is an unfortunate end usually in the wars that they started. (C) This could have easily happened to Beowulf but he happened to listen to the advice of those who were wiser than him. (D) Beowulf was the ideal hero and a great king with nothing lacking in his character, and Beowulf believed that a good king should rule without the thoughts of greed and pride.
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.
After she escapes, the warriors realize that she has managed to steal back Grendel's claw from where it has been hanging. The victim is one of Hrothgar's closest advisors, "the man he loved most of all men on earth." The king summons Beowulf and his men. There's a feeling of desperation in the air. We know Beowulf realizes that something is dreadfully wrong -- no doubt he can hear the uproar from the main hall- but he also knows that it's his job to convey confidence and self-control. At this moment, the young warrior seems wiser and more mature than the aging king.
Back and forth from building to building Spider Man is swinging chasing Hobgoblin they’re going from street to street messing up window panes. Spider Man snatches Hobgoblin and takes him to the ground. Strength. Bravery. Selflessness. Spider Man has a lot of the same qualities as the heros from the Anglo-Saxon time period. Like Beowulf he has the same exact heroistic qualities to be a hero. Beowulf shows the characteristic qualities of an Anglo-Saxon hero by being selfless, brave and being really strong.
Once Grendel and his mother are killed, the king showers Beowulf in gifts. Beowulf shows humility and accepts the gifts, and quietly returns to his home. He does not want to bask in his glory. "So they went on their journey, and Hrothgar 's generosity was praised repeatedly"(Beowulf 1885-86). This quote symbolizes the relationship between the King of Danes and Beowulf, because he is constantly thanking him for the gifts. It is not just seen as a business deal where Beowulf has come to provide a service, and collect his reward. There is much more to his actions, he genuinely provides services to the king for the greater good. He is humble in nature, where he is not looking for attention. He does not gloat that he is truly the best warrior he sort of just thanks the king. The king of Danes states to Beowulf "In all things you are even tempered, prudent, and resolute"(Beowulf 17056). It is already known that he is a great warrior, so there is no need for him to overly express
Beowulf: The Selfless Hero Beowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. The poem starts with a journey across the sea to defeat an enemy that has plagued the land of Herot for twelve years. The poem ends with Beowulf’s final deed of defeating a dragon that was plaguing his own land, but with the defeat of the dragon also comes the death of Beowulf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem of bravery by one of King Arthur’s knights. Sir Gawain takes up the deed of playing a Christmas game with the challenging Green Knight.
In the beginning of the novel, Beowulf takes interest in the plight of Hrothgar, King of Denmark, and wants to help him fight Grendel. Grendel is a large monster that has been harassing members in the mead-hall of the Heorot. Beowulf owes Hrothgar a favor, due to the fact that Hrothgar saved his father in years past. Hrothgar is honored to have Beowulf attempt to fight the swamp monster, and decides to hold a feast in his name. When Grendel shows up to the feast, Beowulf illustrates his bravery by fighting Grendel without any armor. When Beowulf wins the battle by ripping Grendel’s arm off, everyone in the mead-hall praises Beowulf for his acts of courage. In this scene, Beowulf proves that he is a hero by fighting off a monster that everyone else was afraid of. This made him look
Beowulf feels a sense of loyalty to Hrothgar which leads Beowulf “…to sail the swan’s road and search out that king, / the famous prince who needed defenders” against the marauding monster, Grendel (200-201). Beowulf’s generosity leads him to Hrothgar’s mead-hall to save Hrothgar from the clutches of Grendel. Regardless of fate and lineage, Beowulf is driven by forces out of his control. It is true that the qualities of an Anglo-Saxon warrior drives Beowulf to become the hero he is, but his lineage and fate define his
Acts of generosity can be materialistic items such as gold and armor, or it can be things you cannot see. Kind and boastful words are an example of such generosity, or in other words “right for the people” (l701). Hrothgar is the perfect balance of both types of generosity. He is very wealthy in gold, for he has been ruling for a long time. He is also wealthy with his words, his experience of being king has given him the wisdom he needs to pass down to others. Boasting of one’s self or someone else is a highly respected thing to do because it establishes an identity. People love to boast about themselves, so when someone else boasts about you, it is one of the highest compliments you can receive. Establishing an identity in the Anglo-Saxon’s time is something that never goes away. For example, when Hrothgar boasts of Beowulf he says, “My friend Beowulf,/ your glory is exalted throughout the world,/ over every people” (1703-1704). Meaning that not if, but when Beowulf becomes king, he will be unstoppable because everyone has heard how amazing and incredible he is. When Beowulf is visiting the Danes, in the short amount of time he has already gained the respect of everybody there. Even Unferth, who was enraged at the sight of Beowulf and all of his men, came around to respect Beowulf. Unferth even gave Beowulf his sword in the battle of Grendel’s mother. Since armor, swords, and gold were highly respected and correlated with
The epic Beowulf is loaded with rich details of the early Anglo-Saxon culture and paints a clear picture of the values and standards of the time. A Christian morality and perspective is woven throughout Beowulf, creating a tension between the two value systems represented. This tension can be seen through the high value placed on giving and receiving treasure. Like mead-benches and armor, treasure is vital to the culture and is used to set the stage throughout the novel; however, the frequency and causal use of gold-giving may cause the reader to miss the literary significance. Treasure-giving in Beowulf evolves from a significantly honorable act to a careless, misused practice in its final moments.
When he has a challenge, Beowulf is the type of hero to never back down so easily. One way Beowulf risks his life is when he battles the monster, known as Grendel, who has killed 30 men in the past. Not only did he have to risk his life to fight Grendel, but he risks his life again when he fought against a new threat, and this threat was known as Grendel’s mother, who seeked revenge for the death of Grendel. Beowulf wins the fight against Grendel’s mom. Fifty years later, Beowulf is now the king of the Geats, and one day, a fire-breathing dragon terrorizes the land of the Geats.