“Man may his fate foresee, but not prevent ...'Tis better to be fortunate than wise” (John Webster). The awareness of death is constant throughout the poem of “Beowulf”. Beowulf believed that life is filled with uncertainty and that everyone must die. He took on great deeds so that his name would live on as a great warrior after his fate had caught him. Throughout the poem Beowulf strived to uphold his reputation. He believed that if he died in battle, fate had chosen him to die for his people. Beowulf faced each of his battles knowing that he may not return. He continued to fight even when there was no hope that he would win the battle. Beowulf was conscience of death when he accepted these impossible quests. He knew when he took on a battle …show more content…
Grendel’s mother was both bigger and stronger than Grendel. She sought out Danish blood for the revenge of her fallen son. She killed Hrothgar's closest friend along with many other soldiers. After her first attack Beowulf knew he had to defeat this savage killer or she would continue to return for more blood. He tracked where she had traveled through the woods. He found her lake where her evil lair lay in the depths of the boiling hot water. “Again lies with you; Grendel's mother; Is hidden in her terrible home, in a place; You’ve not seen yet. Seek it if you dare! Save us,” (56). Beowulf plunged into the depths of the uncharted waters aware of the fate that could possibly be before him. He challenged the sea witch even though his measly sword had no effect on her enchanted skin. His sword shattered and all odds were against him but even then he did not fear dying. He continued to fight the beast even when his ending was closer than ever. Beowulf scoped her lair in search of a possible weapon. To his surprise he found a magical sword made by giants. This was the only weapon powerful enough pierce her impenetrable skin. Beowulf spent hours under the water fighting the monster. The Danes lost hope and thought he had been defeated. Beowulf surfaced from the water showing that he has not meet his fate in this
Beowulf was a true hero, in the eyes of many, through said traits. He fought a number of battles and was triumphant in all, except his last battle. Beowulf possessed the skills and power necessary to kill Grendel, the monster who had been terrorizing the Danes for over a decade, with his bare hands. While fighting, Beowulf detached Grendel’s arm from his shoulder, which was later hung up as a trophy. Beowulf eventually put an end to Grendel’s life, and naturally, Grendel’s mother had pursued Beowulf. Although Grendel’s mother was an even deadlier monster than her son, Beowulf once again proved his abilities by slaying her, as well. He slashed her neck with a sword that carried unbearable weight. Afterwards, he carried her head with only his own arms, while it took the a...
He explains that Beowulf’s greatest weakness is that he is a man and men are not immortal. The author, according to Tolkien, is “concerned primarily with man on earth… each man and all men, and all their works shall die” (Tolkien). Therefore, all humans must be prepared to meet their end and accept their. I other words, individuals must learn how to die is the lesson that emerges from Beowulf. The reader learns that “defeat is the theme. Triumph over the foes of man’s precarious fortress is over, and we approach slowly and reluctantly the inevitable victory of death” (Tolkien). Even though Beowulf defeats the monsters he encounters and is victorious, he still has to die and nothing can change the fact because it is inevitable. There is nothing any man can do to change that
This last encounter was destined to define his lasting legacy. He lived as a warrior; it was only natural that he should die as one as well, he hopes to go down in a fiery blaze of glory, pun intended. At this point in time, Beowulf is a seventy-year-old king, he knows he is mortal and isn’t going to live forever. Nevertheless, even as an old man, it was his duty to protect and defend his subjects until the death. Towards the end Beowulf’s death looms closer and it seems like he foreshadows that he is prepared to meet his maker. “When I meet the cave guard: what occurs on the wall, between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides. I am resolved. I scorn further words against this sky-borne foe” (Heaney 2525-2528). Beowulf’s maturity has blossomed to its utmost peak, ironically right before he is laid to rest in the valley of death that is Beowulf’s Barrow. His endeavors throughout this long journey have brought him wisdom and enlightenment. Since the beginning, he has rapidly progressed over time, especially since evolving from his role as a warrior to a king. Initially, Beowulf was insatiable with pleasure seeking activities, but then he
Beowulf is steeped in a pagan tradition that depicts nature as hostile and forces of death as uncontrollable. Blind fate picks random victims; man is never reconciled with the world. Beowulf ends a failure. There is some truth in this conclusion, but for the most part, someone who didn’t have a well-lived life has most likely portrayed it.
However, unlike some characters, Beowulf does not try to alter his fate to reach his desired outcome. Accepting his fate from the beginning, Beowulf states, “Fate goes ever as fate must” (Beowulf 455). By accepting his fate, he realizes that he will achieve what he ultimately wants. Indeed, he is known for his vast strength: “There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, highborn and powerful” (Beowulf 196-98). However, he is aware of this power, and boasts about it whenever possible. Thus, he wants to be remembered as a mighty warrior and is willing to die to achieve this honor and legacy. Beowulf, like many of the early Anglo Saxons, is overly concerned with the ideas of fame and immortality. The Anglo Saxons believe that fame and immortality are conjoined, and therefore the more fame a person is granted the more immortal he or she becomes. Beowulf’s desire is that his legacy will live on, so he continuously seeks out fame, even if it puts him in danger. For example, when defeating Grendel, Beowulf uses only his bare hands. Because of his aspiration, he is fearless and, “. . . indifferent to death . . . ” (Beowulf 1442-44). He is unconcerned with death, as it will allow his legacy to be known. Even in old age Beowulf is concerned with fame: “I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning” (Beowulf 2511-14). By being an admirable king, he again secures his legacy. Beowulf states, “Men-at-arms, remain here on the barrow, safe in your armor, to see which one of us is better in the end at bearing wounds in a deadly fray. This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth. I shall win the gold by my courage” (Beowulf 2529-36). He does not want the men to help him fight, as he wants to defeat the monster on his own. He does not
In the poem “Beowulf,” Grendel’s mother, a monstrous creature, is one of the three antagonists Beowulf, the main character, fights against. The battle against Grendel’s mother appears to be the strangest of the three battles. The main reason for its strangeness is that Grendel’s mother is the mother of the monster Grendel, who was killed by Beowulf in the first battle. Another reason for its strangeness is that Grendel’s mother is the only female-type creature. An alternative reason for this strangeness in the battle is due to the fact that Grendel’s mother is not a true monster, aside from her physical form. Through the explanation of kinship, the understanding of the missing words from the original text, and the comparison of Grendel’s mother to other mothers in the poem, specifically Welthow and Hildeburh, it can be established that the intentions of Grendel’s mother are not monstrous even though she has the appearance of a monster.
Bravery is like a very trusted friend, it will never let you down. That statement holds true in the great epic of "Beowulf." "Beowulf" is the story of a great hero who comes to the aid of a troubled king. Beowulf hears that king Hrothgar is having trouble and immediately comes to help with no questions asked. he defeats the monster, Grendel, with his bare hands. Beowulf then defeats Grendel's mother along with a dragon until he is fatally injured. Bravery is a very admirable characteristic that few people possess.
In order to determine whether Beowulf is a hero, we need to look at how a hero is viewed in the poem's time. Within the tale of "Beowulf" four character traits can be found which define the Anglo Saxon Hero. The first trait is loyalty, as can be seen by the warrior's relationship with their lords. A proof to that can be seen by the way Beowulf is introduced: not by his name, but by "Hygelac's thane" (line 194). The second characteristic is strength. Upon Beowulf's arrival to the Danes land, when the watch-man describes him, He says "Nor have I seen / a mightier man... unless I am mistaken, / he is truly noble" (lines 247-250). It is obvious that the watch-man is impressed with his might and concludes from his look only that he his noble. The third trait is courage, which is given as a reason for Shield Sheafson's greatness (line 2). The last trait is the notion of fame, what will be remembered of a warrior after his death. When Beowulf introduces himself to the watch-man, he speaks of his father. "All over the world / men wise in counsel continue to remember him" (lines 265-266). The proof that Ecgtheow was such a great and noble character is the fact that even these days wise men still speaks of him.
Beowulf is much older than he was when he fought Grendel and his mother, and the dragon he is to face is a much stronger opponent, but Beowulf is determined to stop it not only for the good of his kingdom, but also for how he will be remembered. During the fight Beowulf is fatally wounded and he knows he will not survive long, but he kills the dragon and dies a hero. From this Beowulf secures his reputation forever. The end of the poem reveals Beowulf’s legacy and how his reputation will be perceived as forevermore, “They said that of all the kings upon earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.” (3180-3182) Andrew Motion used this quote when explaining that loss in inevitable when struggling to gain reputation. Beowulf knew that would eventually he would lose his life, and that inspired him even more to do all he could while he was alive to make a good name for himself for others to hear about while he was
Comparing Beowulf with other heros like Oedipus, I think in this poem is very little choice or free will at all.
Beowulf’s next opponent is Grendel 's mother, a hellion of the same species yet far worst in nature. Beowulf bravely battles Grendel’s mother in the depth of a lake in which Beowulf similar defeats Grendel’s mother as he did Grendel by beheading her instead with a special sword. This bloodshed between Grendel’s mother and Beowulf represents vengeance. The author of Beowulf describes Grendel’s mother as, “...grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge” (1278). Instead of Beowulf fighting pure evil, he is simply in war with revenge. Grendel’s mother is just mourning the death of her brute of a son when she decides to kill the one who took her son. She symbolizes revenge as it is the only thing that is fueling her lust to kill. Throughout the poem, Beowulf at one point explains how revenge is the best answer rather than choosing to grieve, but in this case, Grendel’s mother is too corrupted to cause revenge and Beowulf knows he must put down the beast at once. The last beast Beowulf goes against is the dark dragon. Mid-duel, Beowulf realizes his sword does not work on the scaly serpent, just as it had failed him in the battle
First, Grendel’s mother appearance, “Grendel’s mother, monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs” stated in the text. She was described as a “swamp-thing from hell, the tarn-hag in all her strength”. The term “tarn” is a small lake. She is a water monster. This monster was strong compared to her son Grendel. She was so strong; she broke the first blade that Beowulf
Beowulf is called upon again to defeat this monster. Beowulf puts on his armour and takes the sword Hrunting and descends into the monster’s lair. Grendel’s mother quickly grabs Beowulf and takes him to the battle arena. Once there, Beowulf fights and finds his sword cannot pierce the monster’s hide. So once again, Beowulf throws his sword aside and fights hand-to-hand. Yet, he could not defeat her with his hands alone. Then Beowulf sees, “hanging on the wall, a heavy, Sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons.” Taking the sword and holding it high above his head he strikes the monster in the neck cutting deep into the skin, breaking bones and all. Thus ending his second heroic battle with a mythical beast and proving that he is indeed worthy of praise. Yet, this is not the greatest of his deeds.
During Beowulf’s battle with the dragon the poet states, “Edgetho’s famous son stared at death, unwilling to leave this world, to exchange it for a dwelling in some distant place-a journey into darkness that all men must make, as death ends their few brief hours on earth.” Even though Beowulf refused to die as the story states, in the end he still was killed. Beowulf knew that this would happen; that fate wasn’t on his side this time, but he still wasn’t ready to let it happen despite his belief in God. At the end of the battle the poet states, “No one could have kept life in their lord’s body, or turned aside the Lord’s will: world and men and all move as He orders, and always have. and always will.” This statement is presented at the end of the story and the end of
Furthermore, another Christian element that is constantly represented in the poem is the belief of fate, or the belief that whatever happens to you is out of your control. When Beowulf fought the dragon in Beowulf’s Last Battle, he says this: "when [the dragon] comes to me / I mean to stand, not run from his shooting / Flames, stand till fate decides / Which of us wins." (619-622). During all of the battles, Beowulf says something retaining to how fate will decide who will win the battle. Throughout the poem, Beowulf’s men constantly support him and are ready to back him up if fate does indeed decide to take his life. Loyalty is a value that the Anglo-Saxon culture believes greatly in, so when Beowulf’s men abandon him after the dragon defeats him, Wiglaf gives them a long speech on how they should be ashamed for running, seeing as Beowulf has always had their back, so that they should, in return, have