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John Kotter Professor Patterson DC English IV 2322 1st Period 18 October 2017 Reputation in Beowulf There are many things that can define a person, including how they look, what they have done, and who their family is. A person’s reputation is made up of the thoughts and views others have on that person. Reputation is always important, as it determines other factors such as ones trustworthiness and how that person is perceived. There are three main enemies that Beowulf fights throughout his story and each represent the three different ways Beowulf deals with reputation. By defeating Grendel, he hopes to earn it, by defeating Grendel’s mother, he hopes to strengthen it, and by defeating the dragon, he hopes to preserve it for eternity. Reputation is a central idea in this epic poem. Hugh Magennis recognizes this when he states, “The heroic ideals of fame …show more content…
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
In Beowulf, the essence left behind by a true hero is extremely important. In epics such as this one, leaders tend to have the determination and boldness of a hero. On the other hand, the main character, Beowulf, does not only display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem. There are many moments in Beowulf that manifest the many traits that a person should have. This proves how important these attributes are to the characters and the Anglo-Saxon society. Although Beowulf has no known author, it embodies many of the beliefs and morals of the early Germanic society. The author of this epic poem uses many approaches in order to demonstrate that respect and trust are fundamental characteristics of a leader and hero.
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
Beowulf was a strong young man who was able to defeat a terrible monster known as Grendel. During this era in human history young men were expected to be far more durable and adequate compared to those of today. Those young men commonly had the dream of becoming king, defeating strong monsters, go on adventures, or even die a hero. All of which Beowulf managed to do making him a perfect role model for the young men at the time. The story of Beowulf truly captured all of the dreams of young men at the time and it was a perfect story for the time. Although times changed the dreams of the people never died, they were just advanced, edited and remade into new stories, better stories for better
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
The deeds one does leave an impression on the people for a lifetime, a person is remembered by what he did, no matter what the situation is. Thus, in the same way Beowulf is defined as being a hero and Grendel as a monster. For instance, Grendel killed a lot of men in the kingdom of Hrothgar but, on the other hand Beowulf killed Grendel for the sake of his people and his honor. Furthermore, this tells us that a person is defined by the deeds he does for his people. And as we can say Without defeating Grendel, Beowulf would have never been considered a hero. Therefore, Beowulf would have been deemed as a liar for his whole life and he would have never been made the king of Geatland.
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
... and King Beowulf's dying words, the reader begins to form a clear picture of the warrior's motivations for previous decisions in the poem. Awareness of the lack of fear of death is an important ingredient to understanding the sometimes rash actions of the protagonist. The apparent non-conflict that Beowulf demonstrates in this final scene between free will and fate allows previous choices to have merit and credibility. In the final lines of Beowulf's life, the reader sees the transition between the living and eternal worlds occur in the hero. Because he clearly gains honor and admiration in life due to his choices and will go on to claim his fated seat among the kings in the heavens, Beowulf is the example of this epic poem's declaration to attain glory in both life and death.
At the beginning of the novel, Beowulf represents a savage warrior, displaying mostly his strength and bravery by defeating Grendel and his mother. However, as Beowulf ages, he begins to change into a different kind of hero. After becoming King of the Geats, Beowulf matured and took on more of a leadership role in the community, as opposed to a warrior. Even though Beowulf was still a hero, he began to lead an army of geats and acted for the good of the people. In both cases however, Beowulf was respected by others for his admirable
The Unknown Poet believes Beowulf’s courage and beliefs are the sole reason for his fame, but also for his demise. The writer asserts that Beowulf, prideful and a good leader boasts of his deeds. He insists that Beowulf dies, but his presence and leadership leaves a legacy that leads the kingdom of the Geats.
The famous poet James Russell Lowell once said, “Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit” . Reality stresses the importance to be more concerned with personal character than self reputation, because character beholds who you really are, while your reputation is merely what others perceive. The epic of Beowulf, written in Old English, describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. Having an outstanding reputation was an important aspect of life, and in the world of Beowulf it was no different.
Reputation: the estimation in which a person or thing is held, especially by the community or the public generally. Our personal reputations are based off our own personalities, acts, or qualities. In the epic poem of Beowulf, each character has developed some kind of their own reputations based on their actions. The reputation they built themselves is important to the many different characters of Beowulf. The way we look at reputations today relate but also differ to the way they are looked at or depended on in Beowulf.
The worth of kings and warriors was determined by the amount of fame they won during their lifetime. Siegmund is glowingly described on lines 885 to 895 of Beowulf for defeating a dragon and earning treasure that made him as rich as kings. Both of these accomplishments granted him immeasurable fame. After Beowulf defeats the monster Grendel, Hrothgar tells him that “Glory is now yours / Forever and ever; your courage has earned it, / and your strength. . .” (Beowulf 953-5). While Hrothgar’s compliments are numerous, he specifically emphasizes how Beowulf has earned much glory and fame through his deeds. When Beowulf describes to his king, Higlac, his battle with Grendel’s mother on lines 2131 to 2134, he states that he was asked to “seek still greater glory” and “win / Still higher fame” (Beowulf). All three of these examples serve to show that in any situation of praise or respect, the greatest concern for the characters of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons was fame and reputation. Siegmund was only respected because of the fame and treasure he accumulated, and the most significant reward for Beowulf’s defeat of both Grendel and Grendel’s mother was fame. Conversely, it is evident in Beowulf that the loss of reputation and fame is also treated with equal importance. The argument between Unferth and Beowulf, in which Unferth reveals an embarrassing story about Beowulf and ridicules him, is given significant detail in Chapters 8 and 9 because Beowulf’s reputation is on the line (Beowulf). In addition to being the most important aspect of Anglo-Saxon culture, the concept of fame also prevails through time into present
To many, reputation is everything. In the epic poem Beowulf, the epic hero is notably known throughout the world. He is known for one, for being one of the Greats. On top of all of that, Beowulf is the greatest and strongest of all of the Greats, therefore, he automatically has a reputation to follow. Therefore, when fighting against all three monsters, Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon at the end of his well-known life, he strives to keep that reputation. By fighting each one of these battles his reputation grows, he becomes better known for the kindness and strength he has to battle these monstrous creatures. Another contributor to his good reputation is the fact that he did this for people he didn’t even know. This proves him to be a good man, and people think highly of him because of it. Also, when going to speak to the Dane’s great lord, Beowulf explains his reputation with his people on page 47, lines 246-248, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood.” This shows that Beowulf has a reputation with his people, that they know what he is capable of and have seen him in battles. His people know he is capable of fighting the beast simply because of his past experiences he has built up a reputation, a reputation of strength, honor and capability. As he fights each monsters his
Beowulf possesses each of these qualities as a young prince and an older king. He was spawned and raised by nobility and several of his qualities come from his noble background. The epic hero, Beowulf, displays honor in every act. Beowulf accepts the challenge of fighting the monster, Grendel, for the honor of helping the Geats and to honor his noble father. Beowulf is always there for his people in their time of need. Following his death, Beowulf is honored by his people. Beowulf is buried on a cliff, overlooking the sea. Buried along with Beowulf is the dragon’s treasure. But even in death, Beowulf protects his people; he is sparing them from a curse tied to the treasures. The funeral Beowulf receives pays honor to his heroic
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.