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The theme of honor and courage in beowulf
The theme of honor and courage in beowulf
The theme of honor and courage in beowulf
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Beowulf, an Anglo Saxon epic poem, is useful in understanding a warrior culture. An important aspect of a warrior type culture is brotherhood, which is based on trust. A liege lord must have military prowess, and the attributes of honesty, honor, and generosity. A liege lord with these qualities should inspire the same characteristics in his comrades. A group of men with traits such as these, will have a bond built and maintained solely on loyalty. This paper will elaborate on the scenes where this idea of fellowship is most prominent.
Throughout the epic poem this brother bond between a liege lord and his comrades is discussed and its importance is both shown and stated. There is an understanding between a liege lord and his thane, when the bond is true, that if a thane is faithful and honest enough to bring his lord all of the treasure he has obtained, he shall be rewarded most handsomely. When Beowulf returned to his king, Hygelac, with the many great gifts bestowed upon him by Hrothgar, he offers them up to his king. “Now to thee, my prince, I proffer them all, gladly give them...
Many people who read the poem Beowulf would probably find it hard to find similarities between the poem and life in modern America. How could one compare an ancient Anglo-Saxon culture with the sophisticated world that we are living in today? But, if we look closely, we may be able to pinpoint some parallel between the two societies. This essay will discuss the topics of warrior life, the “bad guy,” and social similarities. One might wonder how a warrior culture might be similar to our own? But if we consider American culture, we are actually still very war-like. We have a strong military system built to protect our country and the people that make it up. We are also known for going to the aid of other countries that aren’t able to defend themselves. This is very similar to the mentality of the warriors in Beowulf. Beowulf comes to the aid of Hrothgar’s falling kingdom.
In the length of the poem, Beowulf goes from abandoned child to gallant warrior to King. This transformation, expressed in the tone and content of the poem, shows the importance of the relationship between lord and thane and expresses the ultimate value of that connection. From the difference in battle scenes to Beowulf’s speeches, it is clear that he has gone from a somewhat self-loving hero to a selfless king. Within this change he also goes from serving a lord to becoming a lord, and in that way the poem shows us the importance of both sides of the relationship.
In the epic poem of Beowulf, written by an unknown monk in about 725 AD, the Anglo-Saxon virtue of comitatus is displayed as a slowly dying aspect of life. Comitatus is the basic idea that everyone protects the king at all costs even if it means a warrior giving up his own life, and if a king is killed, the warriors must avenge the death of the king or they can no longer serve as warriors for the next king. This value of comitatus is displayed mostly through the three battles that Beowulf encounters during the epic poem. An analysis of the three battles is important because Beowulf’s choice of weapons, behavior of the Thanes, and preparation for and attitude toward battle all emphasize the death of the Anglo-Saxon virtue of comitatus.
Boasting, as vastly shown in the epic poem, was not an uncommon method of introduction in the Middle Ages. In the world of Beowulf, the concept of boasting does not carry the negative connotations that it normally does today. In a warrior society, such as that of Beowulf, manly valor was so highly prized in the world full of
One of the first examples of respect and trust in the poem is when Beowulf arrives with the intention of fighting Grendel. Beowulf's intention is to honor the allegiance between his father, Ecgtheow, and Hrothgar. When Ecgtheow was alive, he killed Heatholaf who was a Wulfing and it started a war. Hrothgar decided to send treasure to the Wulfings which repair the conflict and ended the
The Epic poem of Beowulf is a story of heroism, loyalty, ego, and fate. To be a great leader of men; a great king of the people, you must be respected and trusted. Loyalty is given to those who earn the respect and trust of their people. Beowulf was blessed with great physical strength, the pride and fearlessness of a warrior, and an equally strong command of the spoken word, which he used skillfully to his advantage. He gained the respect and trust of nearly everyone he came in contact with, largely because he possessed the characteristics of a true hero, but in the end it was his ego that sealed his fate. Although it could be said that Beowulf’s character was flawed by an enormous ego, fueled by thoughts of immortality, it is this very trait that made him an ideal hero and king.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
It seems that the avoidance of shame and dishonor in one's youth establishes a life-long pattern in Geat Society, whether minor failures are registered later in life or not. Once a great warrior, Beowulf remains one. His people thrive on his noble character and triumphs; his opponents tremble at his name, in awe and respect.
Beowulf is going out of his way, "across the sea" to help a lord whom he is not obligated to. He is doing so out of choice to show his respect for Hrothgar, and to help the poor people threatened by Grendel.
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
Kinship is one of the many recurring themes in Beowulf. It is known that kinship establishes an important part of society because this theme is seen throughout the long poem. Kinship is defined as blood relatives. According to Lorraine Lancaster, in the Anglo-Saxon society, one is considered to be kin with someone even if they are fifth cousins. However, after they become sixth cousins, they are no longer kin. In Lancaster’s “Kinship in Anglo-Saxon Society –I,” readers become aware that one is very loyal to their kin. In this article, it is said that it is one’s duty to be loyal to their kin. Because of this loyalty, feuds commence. If a person is killed, it is only fair that the slaughterer is killed by a kin of the person who was killed, and so on. This sounds familiar because it is the main idea ...
In this essay, I will uncover the countless insights that can be learned about the characters in Beowulf, as well as the society as a whole, based on the weapons the characters choose to use in battle. During the Anglo-Saxon time, roughly between 400 and 1066, swords were considered the most precious weapon someone could own. Although it is not certain who wrote Beowulf, and when, many people believe it was composed in the middle to end of the Anglo-Saxon period. Analyzing the different weapons, and significance of each, in Beowulf, and comparing them to the weaponry at the time, provides the readers with a great deal of insight into the society during this period. The use of weapons in Beowulf not only provides the readers with insight into
One must first understand the meaning of these medieval qualities, in order to then succeed in examining Tolkien’s use of them in The Lord of the Rings. Chivalry, to begin, is described by Maurice Keen, the author of the undisputed “last word” on the subject, as “a word that came to denote the code and culture of a martial estate which regarded war as its hereditary profession” (239); this is not, however, all that Keen be...
Throughout history rulers have always been protective of their kingdoms. In hopes of always being in control of their territory, rulers develop special relationships with the people to protect them. This relationship was usually achieved by of instilling fear into the minds of their warriors, or instilling respect between each other. In the story Beowulf the relationship between the ruler and his thanes is that of honor, friendship, and respect.
Honour, generosity and trust may seem to be the key words in the code. The protagonists reiterate in actions and words a belief in the importance of generosity of spirit and self awareness that make man a responsible member of the society. Beowulf secures the future of his thanes, in case of his death, not leaving them up to their own fate. He proves that in the warrior society, human relationships must be based on mutual respect and trust rather than subordination of one man to another. A warrior vowing loyalty to his lord becomes a voluntary companion more than his servant, taking pride defending him and fighting in battles. In return, he receives affectionate care and rich rewards - e.g. seen in Hrothgar’s attitude to Beowulf’s achievements.