Hunter La Ravia Glory as the Ultimate Purpose of Life What does one think of when they hear the word ‘glory’? Does one think of a commander winning a battle? Or perhaps, one considers glory to be an honorable mention for a good deed. According to dictionary.com, the word ‘glory’ is defined as “very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent.” In Anglo-Saxon society, if one achieves glory, they believe that they have accomplished their purpose in life. While honesty, bravery, and loyalty are important qualities they must have, glory is what brings about success. “The Anglo-Saxons are motivated by one thing: Glory” (Pod Cast 1). In order to achieve this glory, one must remain loyal to a fault in every aspect of their lives. Within the epic poem Beowulf, as told by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf demonstrates relentless loyalty in his life, ultimately accomplishing what he has set out to do: obtain glory. …show more content…
If one wants land, possessions, riches and titles, which to the Anglo-Saxons is considered the epitome of glory, one must be loyal to their leader.
Beowulf’s loyalty to his king is called to attention when Grendel attacks Heorot. Upon arriving, he immediately declares his heritage and to whom his allegiance resides. “We belong by birth to the Geat people/ and owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac” (Heaney 260-261). This quote exemplifies that Beowulf is dedicated wholeheartedly to his king. Because of this demonstration of devotion, he is on his way to triumphing and accomplishing the ultimate target of glory. Another example of Beowulf showing faithfulness to his king is when he presents a series of gifts to King Hygelac after slaying Grendel and his mother. “These, King Hygelac, I am happy to present/ to you as gifts” (2148). Rather than keeping the gifts for himself, he praises his king which expresses his steadfast fidelity and love for his beloved master. Yet again, Beowulf does not hesitate to continue on his journey in attaining
glory. In Anglo-Saxon culture, ancestors are never forgotten especially if they steadfastly loyal. Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, falls in this category of being steadfastly loyal to his warrior clan. Beowulf describes his father as, “A famous man, / a noble warrior-lord named Ecgtheow. / He outlasted many a long winter/ and went west on his way. All over the world/ men wise in counsel continue to remember him” (262-266). Beowulf’s father is recognized all around the world because of his loyalty and his obtained glory. Because Ecgtheow obtained glory, his son Beowulf is acknowledged by his father’s loyalty and bravery. He easily identifies him because he remembers the glory with which his father was bestowed. For instance, King Hrothgar recognizes Beowulf when he is called for his service with Grendel. “Hrothgar, protector of Shielding’s, replied: / “I used to know him when he was a young boy. / His father before him was called Ecgtheow” (372-373). Beowulf in this instance is well-known through his ancestry because of his father’s loyalty and because Beowulf himself represents the loyalty that his ancestors are known for. Beowulf is carrying on the family name by remaining loyal just as his father was loyal. His ancestry and his willingness to follow in their footsteps brings him even closer to obtaining glory. Loyalty to one’s tribe is also a major facet in obtaining glory. The most common way of honoring their tribe is through God and Fate. The Anglo-Saxon culture relies heavily on the beliefs of God and Fate, and Beowulf addresses these values with loyalty by depending upon them to guide him through life. When Beowulf and his fourteen men are traveling by sea to help Hrothgar, the crossing of the sea is successful, and Beowulf attributes his safe passing to God. “They thanked God/ for that easy crossing on a calm sea” (227-228). By thanking God, Beowulf reveals how important it is to show loyalty to the Heavenly Being. Another way loyalty to one’s tribe is demonstrated is through the belief of fate. Anglo-Saxon’s believe that fate predetermines the course of their lives. Beowulf is deprived of the chance to live when fate determines his death as he is fighting a dragon. “That final day was the first time/ when Beowulf fought and fate denied him/ glory in battle” (2573-2575). In all of Beowulf’s previous battles, fate allows him to win and survive. When going into battle, Beowulf does not resist fate and accepts the fact that he may not see tomorrow; therefore, his loyalty to the belief of fate is ever present. His belief in God and Fate, and his ability to stay loyal to these beliefs brings him closer to his goal of achieving glory. The last aspect of true loyalty is loyalty to one’s self. Boasting plays a huge role when it comes to being true to one’s self. When Beowulf boasts, he makes himself superior by bragging about his major accomplishments and victories. “They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies/ when I battled a bound five beasts, / raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea/ slaughtered sea-brutes” (419-422). The more he brags about himself, the more loyal he is to himself. In the scene when he talks about fighting Grendel he says how he can beat Grendel with his bare hands. This is an example of loyalty to one’s self because Beowulf is boasting about his strength and his bravery. After defeating Grendel, the remaining beast’s arm is placed in the mead hall as a symbol of Beowulf’s pride. Beowulf’s pride in himself illustrates his loyalty, and therefore furthers his objective of acquiring glory. Beowulf’s loyalty is finally rewarded when King Hygelac dies and gives him glory through the keys to his kingdom. This is an enormous responsibility, but Beowulf accepts this opportunity with honor and pride. “The wide kingdom/ reverted to Beowulf. He ruled it well/ for fifty winters, grew old and wise/ as warden of the land” (2207-2210). Beowulf undertakes this opportunity to rule after Hygelac and stays loyal to King Hygelac even after he dies. The people revere, respect and glorify him because of his incessant loyalty to them. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth/ he was the man most gracious and fair-minded/ kindest to his people and keenest to win fame” (3180-3182). In being given the kingdom and in gaining the affections of the people, Beowulf attains the ultimate goal of glory therefore fulfilling his purpose in life. Throughout the poem of Beowulf, Beowulf consistently demonstrates loyalty within his life, ultimately reaching his goal of obtaining glory. He is loyal in every aspect of his life including remaining loyal to King Hygelac, to his ancestors, to his tribe and to himself. Glory ensues because of his dedication and his allegiance. He fulfills his purpose in life when he receives the glory of ruling a kingdom. Without loyalty, he is nothing. Without glory, he is nothing. Beowulf sees an opportunity to have what he intrinsically desires and he chases it until he has it within his grasp. Even following his tragic death, the entire world glorifies him and they will remember him for millenniums to come.
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 theme of glory in Beowulf is shown many times and is shown in two different ways. The first was self glory from when Beowulf killed Grendel and freed the Danes from his terrible nightly feasts on their bodies. The second was when Wiglaf was the only one who stood up and fought alongside his king when he was needed. The second probably gave the more glory in the end because Wiglaf became the king after that fight. This is where glory was in the story of
Early in the poem, Beowulf hears accounts of Grendel’s destruction of Herot, Hrothgar’s majestic mead hall. Knowing his strength and military prowess, Beowulf immediately devises a plan, recruits men, and orders boats, thrusting himself into a battle that was not necessarily his to fight. Beowulf felt obligated to end Grendel’s reign of terror. Though he knew the death of Grendel would bring him fame and honor, the idealized Beowulf was able to set aside personal ambition in order to end the suffering of the Danes. Shortly after slaying Grendel, Beowulf again displays an awareness of duty when Grendel’s mother extracts revenge upon Herot, killing one of Hrothgar’s best men, Aeshere. Instead of leaving Herot in a state of frenzy, Beowulf comes to King Hrothgar’s side, pledging allegiance and service. Bolstering the defeated king’s moral, Beowulf boldly addresses the older King Hrothgar saying, “So arise, my lord, and let us immediately set forth on the trail of this troll-dam. I guarantee you: she will not get away, not to dens under ground nor upland groves nor the ocean floor. She’ll have nowhere to fall to. Endure your troubles to-day. Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.” Beowulf could not set aside his duty and obligation, though he knew full well the suffering and pain that might result from his actions. Thus, Beowulf is a portrait of
Throughout the heroic poem, Beowulf demonstrates his sense of duty and justice in numerous events. During the preparation for battle with grendel, Beowulf displays his passion for justice by exclaiming, “That this one favor you should not refuse me-- / That I, alone and with the help of my men, / May purge all evil from this hall.” (164-166). This quote signifies Beowulf’s integrity and devotion to his people. Another instance when Beowulf demonstrates a sense of duty and justice is after he defeats Grendel’s mother. As he was exiting the cave after his success, Beowulf encounters Grendel’s lifeless body and severs his head to bring to the King; “He sought Hrothgar / To salute him and show Grendel’s head.” (601). The act of Beowulf bringing Grendel’s severed head to Hrothgar signifies the importance of justice to Beowulf. Moreover, Beowulf exemplifies how a hero should care for his people by saying, “For all of this, that His grace has given me, allowed me to bring to my people while breath / Still came to my lips.” (807-809). This quote signifies Beowulf’s sense of duty and justice because he demonstrates his responsibility for the safety of his people and the success of the kingdom. A great hero has a sense of urgency when his kingdom is in harm’s way and a passion for justice regardless of the consequences. Evidently, Beowulf encompasses a sense of duty and justice throughout his
Beowulf is a hero that shows honor respect and courage. In lines 710-1007 is where the battle with Grendel happened. Thinking of the destruction that he will get, Grendel bursts into Heorot. Grendel tears the door from its hinges with his hands and quickly becomes a Geatish warrior while Beowulf carefully looks around. When Grendel reaches out to pick Beowulf up, he is surprised to find his arm gripped with a strength than he never knew could even happen. Confused and frightened Grendel doesn’t want to run back to the safety of the swamplands. He tries to escape, but Beowulf wrestles him down to the ground. The crash around the hall, making noise on the walls and smashing the mead-benches. Grendel begins to panic in pain and fear; the sound
The mighty warrior Beowulf volunteered to help fight off the monster, Grendel. Beowulf showed great bravery because even though Grendel over sized Beowulf, he still accepted the challenge. He also showed strength, Grendel’s head was so massive that four men each had to carry it, but Beowulf could handle the head all by himself. Lastly, Beowulf revealed loyalty by coming to Hrothgar’s assistance, to help with defeating Grendel. Even after Beowulf became King he went to his last battle to defeat the dragon without any help from his
In the story Beowulf’s men show loyalty to him as well, from the time of them being brought down to help him. When he brought fourteen of his bravest and strongest men he had to choose them because he knew of their worth and of their loyalty. Later on in the story Beowulf vows to protect the town with all that he has inside of him, he didn’t have to do it but instead he choose to do so. Even though he was much younger than everyone else. Beowulf knew that since he promised Hrothgar that he would of it by him giving up Beowulf would be betraying all the loyalty that he had to King Hrothgar. Beowulf also shows loyalty because he could of sent any of his leaders to go and defeat Grendel but instead of doing that Beowulf took the chance of bringing himself and then bringing the men along with him as a sense of backup just in case he needed them. Beowulf knew it was his duty to do so, this is a huge representation of loyalty to his dear friend King
According to Henry Bosley Woolf, “News of the evil wrought among the Danes by Grendel is carried across the seas” (86). When Beowulf, who is in his home in the land of Geatland, hears about the tragic attack that Grendel has caused the Danes, he announces his plan to sail to Heorot and help King Hrothgar with Grendel (Beowulf 45). Beowulf, by helping King Hrothgar, is showing great signs of honor because Beowulf feels as if it was the right thing to do since he had been successful in his past deeds. In return, Beowulf expects no reward for his action but rather just being able to put another notch in his
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
Glory is great praise bestowed by a general agreement that an action is honorable. With this definition, glory becomes very opinionated; what is honorable to some is not to others. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu states “’My friend, one who [falls] in combat [makes his name,] but I, [I do not fall] in [combat, and shall not make my name]’” (62). This view that one must die for their homeland
Throughout the epic Beowulf attempts to introduce himself as someone worthy of glory by boasting of his skills and deeds. These boasts show Beowulf’s glory seeking tendencies. One of these boasts
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
Beowulf is honored after Grendel and his mother’s defeat for his morality and willingness to help the king with his problem. He put aside the life he had at home and gave up everything so they were protected. Upon his return, everyone was praising him and lifting up the wondrous works and all that’d he’d done to protect them. Because of his respectable actions, Beowulf was rewarded for his true heroism. He becomes king over his people and ruled for the next fifty years.
To start off, Beowulf, identified as the greatest Anglo- Saxon, pursues glory and fame. He brags about himself and his accomplishments. When it was time to battle Grendal, Beowulf states “my youth have been filled with glory”. (143-144). He boasts about what the people have witnessed. Beowulf says to his men, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of the race from the earth” (151-155). In addition to Beowulf bragging about himself and his accomplishments, Beowulf embodies that fame and glory mean more than anything else. When Beowulf helmet failed him, he jumped back in battle because
Triumph is an intriguing word that can mean to be victorious in a test of ability or to accomplish a goal. The victory can be little minor accomplishment that you achieved to one of the biggest victories achieved in human history. In Beowulf, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and Ebscohost, victory is exhibited through triumphs over the evil lurking, accomplishments in the steps to become a unruly tyrant, and the feat of overcoming prejudice in order to obtain equal rights.