Within the poem, swords, at one level, are used as a symbol of reward and gratitude. After Beowulf heroically kills Grendel, Hrothgar repays him with a sword, described as, “a victory gift … that was both precious object and a token of honor” (pg. 62 1020-1023). This sword represents Beowulf’s brave battle with Grendel, in which he chose to fight without a weapon, to avoid an unfair advantage. Beowulf is portrayed as inhuman because of his phenomenal strength, murdering a monstrous beast with his bare hands, and rewarded with an object unnecessary to him.
A quote that describes this is, “…he cut the beast in half, slit it apart. It fell…”(line 185). He shows courage along with his cousin, Wiglaf, when they defeat the fire dragon. In line 189 it says, “…their courage had killed it, two noble cousins had joined in the dragon’s death.” Beowulf also shows courage in all of his battles. His intelligence is far above any others.
No ordinary man has the ability to say he can defeat a monster with his own hands, but Beowulf does. This just shows that Beowulf has too much pride, and it will lead him to his downfall. According to Tolkien, the reason for this characteristic is that this is base on old traditions of glory and defeat (Monsters and the Critics). This is the time when pride was strong among men. Yes, pride is alright, but it is to an extent.
They erect over his ashes a royal barrow in which they hide the dragon’s treasure. Twelve warriors circle the mound on stalwart seeds, praising the virtues of their slain leader (15-16). This is also an example of good prevails evil since the evil dragon is being defeated even though Beowulf, the epic hero sacrifices himself in the end. Through Beowulf’s battles against those three evil monsters, Grendel, Gendel’s mother and the fierce dragon, exposes the major theme in the epic, “Good vs. Evil”. Beowulf, the epic hero remains loyal to his kingdom and his people.
121 there are Geats speaking about Beowulf, and they basically sum up the fame of Beowulf’s among the average person. “Telling their sorrow, telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name.” Another positive repercussion of bravery is wealth. In this epic wealth would include land, money, and most importantly for a warrior, grandiose armor and weapon. In this epic soldiers can earn wealth by displaying bravery on the battlefield (or wherever else they may be battling). One example of this is after Efor and Wulf kill Ongetho, the Swedish king.
Beowulf has the noble status of the prince of the Geats, making his death seem unbelievable because of his superior nobility and courageousness. While the Danish coast guard observes Beowulf, he says, “Nor have I seen / a mightier man-at-arms on this earth / than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, / he is truly noble” (247 – 250). In the beginning of the epic poem, Beowulf truly exemplifies the identity of a courageous hero, and he also has the noble status of a prince. His appearance is bold and intimidating, giving people the impression that he is an audacious hero of great significance. This makes the readers admire Beowulf, and this is quite ironic, because later in the poem Beowulf is pitied as a tragic warrior who is killed in a gory battle with a dragon.
He fights Grendel in hand-to-hand combat and is able to defeat him, just like he said. Although Beowulf is able to defeat Grendel, he could not have done it without the assist from his men. “Time and again, / Beowulf’s warriors worked to defend / their lord’s life, laying about them / as best they could with their ancestral blades” (793-796). This is significant in that it shows the amount of respect people have for Beowulf. The fight with Grendel is significant in many ways.
121 there are Geats speaking about Beowulf, and they basically sum up the fame of Beowulf’s among the average person. “Telling their sorrow, telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name.” Another positive repercussion of bravery is wealth. In this epic wealth would include land, money, and most importantly for a warrior, grandiose armor and weapon. In this epic soldiers can earn wealth by displaying bravery on the battlefield (or wherever else they may be battling). One example of this is after Efor and Wulf kill Ongetho, the Swedish king.
Maliea Faison Symbolism: Found Even in Monsters Glory for one’s King, Glory for one’s ancestors, Glory for one’s tribe, Glory for one’s self. These are the noble qualities only certain epic knights condone. Throughout the oldest surviving epic poem, Beowulf an Anglo-Saxon piece of literature, the courageous warrior Beowulf, hero of the Geats, embodies these heroic characteristics as the defender gallantly volunteers to aid King Hrothgar defeating not one or two, but three heinous creatures with honor. In a different perception, each behemoth Beowulf conquers symbolizes more than just a facing a ghastly creature. Beowulf, morally durable and audacious, first secures the Danes against a satanic being named Grendel.
However he did have a lot to lose, “What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there loose.” (Andre Agassi) Beowulf keeps his thoughts about glory with him the entire time, wanting to be the one who gets the fame without losing anything dear to him. Even more so he saw the advantage of taking the treasures that were so heavily guarded by the rivals he had to demolish. Grendel’s mother had an abundance of riches in her nasty cave, including the sword that led to her gruesome demise. Let’s not forget the prize that had been lying in the golden dragon’s lair. “I want to examine that ancient gold,” he says, “gaze my fill/on those garnered jewels; my going will be easier/for having seen the