Pacifism In Beowulf

Beowulf as a Pacifist Poem

Social phenomena have always been narrated by artists. Art is a cathartic way to express one’s negative feelings; poems help poets and their readers or listeners to deal with people's frustrations. War, man's tendency to wage aggression upon each other, is the most criticized issue among intellectuals in the society. An artist's opinions, especially when conflicting with the established social norm of the dominant society, may be disguised and hidden beneath metaphors and complex analogies. Beowulf, a pacifist poem, was written as an expression of frustrations with the wars that constantly occurred during the Anglo-Saxon period. It illustrates, in a cynical, grim light, how people futily die in battle, represented

(Howe 50)

The messenger mentions that Beowulf has accomplished so much for his country, and Beowulf was a good man, but now his accomplishments are useless because the Geats are going to be attacked by the Swedes anyway. So any accomplishments in war eventually become completely futile.

Beowulf is a pacifist poem that explicates war as a pointless way of life. The values of the warriors are as wasted and unnecessary as is the death of the warriors themselves. Beowulf's epic story, and the awesome events that surround it are ultimately completely futile and fail to change anything. The contrast between great accomplishments and their dismal results helps to accentuate the irony of Beowulf's wasted sacrifices, culminating in one of the greatest anti-war works ever created.

Work Cited

"A History of Beer." Did You Know? 06 February 2004.