In the epic poem "Beowulf," written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, a narrator recounts the tales of a man named Beowulf who was incontrovertibly the greatest hero of their time. Beowulf travels miles over an ocean to slay the demonic monster Grendel, who is wreaking havoc on the Danes, and soon after kills Grendel's bellicose mother. After returning home, he becomes King and fifty years later slaughters a dragon who was destroying his kingdom. Though he may appear to be noble and courageous, Beowulf, through his "selfless" acts, in reality is a man who is a fiend for hubris and is solely concerned with himself. This is apparent throughout Beowulf's trials against Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon.
Beowulf first arrives in Denmark because word has traveled that the Danes are suffering from a demonic creature. Beowulf's voyage to conquer Grendel is symbolic of how only he can commit the act. As Grendel is ravaging through Heorot, Beowulf attacks him with his bare hands; this is symbolic of Beowulf being too powerful to succumb to mortal weapons such as a sword. When he severs Grendel's arm from its socket, "Proof of this...was displayed beneath the high gabled roof." (36) By boasting Grendel's gory arm, Beowulf is showing his might and impenetrable force for all Danes and Geats alike to see and praise. Later on, when Beowulf is being praised for his deed, he notes that he is only wishes that he could have killed Grendel at Heorot so all could see his corpse, a symbol of Beowulf's work.
As Beowulf is preparing to leave, Grendel's mother then storms into the hall and takes Grendel's arm and flees. Instead of leaving after receiving treasures from King Hrothgar, Beowulf vows to find the witch. Symbolically, it would have been impossible for Beowulf to turn down the chance to kill yet another monster; the pride that would come with it is unfathomable. When he faces Grendel's mother, he struggles and finally uses a giant blade to pierce her neck, and, "the man is pleased with his work." (57) In lieu of leaving after completing his task, he sees Grendel's body and severs the head, making his comrades plunge a spear through it for display. This momentum of his battle is almost incontrovertible for Beowulf to have because it is a daily reminder of what Beowulf's unconquerable strength is; people can see and even feel Beowulf's victory in lieu of only hearing about it orally.
Beowulf's pride is ultimately tested when he faces the dragon fifty years later after being entitled King. After raining fire upon King Beowulf's land, he quickly becomes enraged. This emotion results because to Beowulf, the dragon believes it is more powerful than Beowulf, and it attacks Beowulf's pride by attacking his domain. Instead of building a vast army of young, elite warriors to eliminate the dragon, Beowulf sets off with a few warriors to destroy it himself. In the battle between Beowulf and the dragon, a warrior named Wiglaf stabs the dragon, but Beowulf is the one to deliver the fatal blow. In this act, Beowulf wants to take the glory for himself, and hacks away at the dragon's flesh. As Beowulf is slowly dying from the dragon's poisonous bite, he orders Wiglaf to enter the dragon's den to see some of its treasures, noting, "I would resign the life and lordship I have long held with more ease when I look upon this splendid hoard." (86) By sending Wiglaf to retrieve the treasures and show them to him, he is for the last time looking at what his power and will resulted in. After this, he orders his men to create a memorial of him on a hill looking out into the sea, By creating a grave higher than any other structure, Beowulf is signaling that he is still greater than any other being even in death.
Clearly, Beowulf's acts are a perfect example of the human condition: people think only for themselves. Humans in their very own nature are at the top of the pyramid because they prey on other animal species. Children are aggressive in their toys, just as adults are possessive in their belongings. The concept that humans think only of themselves has endured the test of time from Beowulf all the way to the 21st century, and it is one that will never fade from exist
Overall good job. I like how you broke down Beowulf's self pride piece by piece chronologically. If I were you I would also include the episode where Beowulf boasts of his strength and the swimming contest; as well him taking on Unferth's jealous remarks; but that's all up to you. I agree with how you said that Beowulf is a "fiend for hubris and is solely concerned with himself". I feel that’s his tragic flaw, and thus makes him a tragic hero when it comes time for him to face the dragon. You also brought up some really interesting symbolism like his burial, which makes Beowulf reign superior even after death. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteWell David, I agree with the very last paragraph of your essay that people think only of themselves. That is not only human nature but our animal instinct as well, in other words, survival of the fittest. If people are too soft, by soft I mean too much of a push-over so to speak, they will get left behind and would not get far if they continue with such a lifestyle. One must become more aggressive to live in such an aggressive world such as the one we live in. If humans stop thinking of themselves and start focusing too much on let’s say the animals and we help all of the animals expand their habitats then we humans will lose our own habitats and eventually fade away. All in all it really is just survival of the fittest.
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