Wiglaf vs. Unferth in Beowulf
In the heroic poem Beowulf, not only does Wiglaf demonstrate the importance of heroism to society and the necessity of loyalty to one’s kinsman and lord, but he also sets the context of the final part of the poem. Unferth, on the other hand, presents a rude challenge to the hero, which is not without precedent in heroic poetry, and thus becomes in the eye of the audience a sort of villainous type. Let us consider the more noble of the two first.
As Beowulf readers, we all know that at the most crucial point in the story, when the hero’s life is being challenged by the dragon to an extent that it has never been threatened before, the one loyal thane who comes through to help the hero is Wiglaf.:
The hoard-guard took heart,
his belly swelled with fierce new hissing.
Enveloped in flames, he who earlier
had ruled his people felt keen pain.
But not at all did the sons of nobles,
hand-picked comrades, his troop stand round him
with battle-courage: they fled to the wood
to save their lives. Only one
felt shame and sorrow. Nothing can ever
hold back kinship in a right-thinking man.
He was called Wiglaf, Weohstan’s son,
a worthy shield-bearer, Scylfing prince, (2593ff.)
Why is Wiglaf here called a “Swedish prince”? George Clark in his “Traditions and the Poem,” says that the Waegmundings, to whom both Beowulf and Wiglaf belonged, had both Geatish and Swedish affiliations (35). Beowulf apparently restored the rights and patrimony of Wiglaf among the Geats.
kinsman of Aelfhere; saw his liege-lord
tortured by the heat behind his battle-mask.
He remembered the honors that he gave him before,
the rich homestead of the Waegmunding clan,
the shares of common-land that his father had held,
and he could not hold back. His hand seized the shield,
yellow linden-wood; he drew his sword,
known to men as Enmund’s heirloom, (2604ff.)
In “The Old Kings” George Clark explains how Wiglaf makes the scene in Beowulf:
Wiglaf emerges from a shadowy troop of Geatish warriors who accompany Beowulf to the dragon’s lair. . . .Though he enters the story abruptly, Wiglaf becomes Beowulf'’s one faithful follower. . . . Wiglaf is described as a son of that famous warrior Weohstan, who played a significant role in the dynastic wars of the Swedes and Geats.
In the Anglo-Saxon times, honor, bravery and loyalty were very important morals. Beowulf and Wiglaf showed loyalty in this poem by sticking to their word. Beowulf killed all the monsters and also risked his life. Wiglaf sticks by Beowulf side when he knew that his king were struggling to kill the dragon. The battles between the monsters and the clear descriptions give the poem a more vivid approach and gives the audience bold imagery.
Clark, Gorge. “The Hero and the Theme.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
The great heroic story of Beowulf gives many examples of the traits a great leader should have. At the end, those same traits were demonstrated by Wiglaf who then became the king of the Geats. This proves that these traits were essential to the Anglo-Saxon culture; however, this also makes Beowulf contemporary. The poem has many themes that are still applicable today. Natural respect and trust are fundamental parts of character in Beowulf and in today's society. This is a great reason to keep reading Beowulf and take it as an example of honor and loyalty. Beowulf is a great hero but also a great example along with many of the characters. The poem itself teaches the reader about respect and
Heroic characters such as Beowulf and Wiglaf do not fight for shallow fame and riches as certain rivals such as Grendel may. The two heroes of the epic exhibit selfless characteristics that contribute to the definition of what “good” means in the fight against wickedness. When Beowulf lays dying after Wiglaf fearlessly assists him in slaying the dragon, Beowulf makes one final request: he wants Wiglaf and his men to construct a memorial for him on the coast of the highly populated sea in Hrothgar’s kingdom. At the surface, this request may seem selfish and immature for a warrior like Beowulf. However, there is significant evidence to suggest that Beowulf’s request for fame is as much for others’ benefit as his own fame and recognition. He aims to gain acclaim, yes, but he also wants to continue his legacy far into the future and paint of picture of true heroism and courage that he lived his life by for generations to come.
Leopold researched the continent extensively and followed the news of the white explorers through the region. When he found out that an explorer was low on funds, he quickly offered to contribute to the cause. He found a few explorers who had brought back news of Africa and its current state at the time, when Arab slave traders were seen leading caravans of captives to be sold into the slave trade. This news stirred the many Europeans who were looking to abolish the slave trade. Leopold saw this as a way to get into Africa by setting up faux organizati...
...fight the dragon. Beowulf understood that the key to being a great leader was selflessness, which is also why he chose Wiglaf, son of Wexstan, to be his successor. In Beowulf’s time of greatest need Wiglaf was the only selfless warrior that came to Beowulf’s aid. Even in death, Beowulf understood all the qualities of a great leader and saw them in Wiglaf.
Beowulf is similar to all heroes, telling tales of his adventures and battles that required courage, as well as strength to overcome (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford, 2004). There is always someone who challenges the hero. Unferth is that very challenger accusing Beowulf of exaggerating his adventures, as well as telling of failures that the story teller left out. This challenge is put to rest once Beowulf confronts Unferth with his own indiscretions. Once the night begins to fall, and all challenges have been
Beowulf and the dragon die together, and with his last words Beowulf requests a burial within a giant tumulus so his grave can guide sailors from the sea. Beowulf also crowns Wiglaf, who will bring years of prosperity to the Geats. Although having patriastic elements, Beowulf is predominately a pagan, as evidence with one of the closing lines that “twelve chieftains, all sons of princes, rode round the barrow lamenting their loss, speaking of their king, reciting an elegy, and acclaiming the hero” (101). The story of Beowulf teaches much about the ancient Anglo-Saxon times and pagan beliefs; not only is it a masterful piece of literature, but a manuscript that we can appreciate both in its historical and literary sense forever.
adult stage (age 80 plus). Levinson states "the shift from one era to the next
This recognition that Beowulf receives proves his place as the quintessential hero in Anglo-Saxon society. The unknown author recognizes Beowulf as a warrior who “behaved with honor and took no advantage” (149). This quality is important to Beowulf’s image as a hero. The author also days that Beowulf “bore himself with valor” and names Beowulf “Heroic Beowulf” when describing the hero (135, 149). The author’s recognition of Beowulf as having these qualities and as being heroic shows that Beowulf was regarded as a hero during the authors’ own time. This is also confirmed by the several times people in the epic recognize Beowulf’s heroic qualities. Wiglaf, who was with Beowulf during the final battle, is one of the people to recognize Beowulf’s glory-seeking heroics, saying that Beowulf is “a man unequalled in the quest for glory” (179). This statement speaks much of Beowulf’s willingness to search for and his success in finding glory. Beowulf is also recognized by a thane of Hrothgar’s court during his earlier days. This thane recognizes Beowulf’s heroics and begins “rehearsing Beowulf’s triumphs and feats” by comparing him to Sigmund, an old Anglo-Saxon hero (59). The recognition Beowulf receives from the characters in the epic shows that Beowulf was impressive and heroic to Anglo-Saxons who told his
...e was more important than his own. In his last dying moments, Beowulf thought about his people rather than the condition he was in. In his weak state, he said, “Take What I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people, Help them; my time is gone “(Raffel 16). He was willing to hand over to Wiglaf the responsibility of taking care of his people. He believed Wiglaf was a leader himself and appointed him to lead his people to triumph. Three individual aspects made up a leader in the Anglo-Saxon age: loyalty, bravery, and generosity.
In addition to mortality, their leadership customs serve as a difference in the characters these two heroes. Thought they were both prominent leaders, the method that Beowulf approached kingship significantly contrasted that of Gilgamesh. Beowulf was a loyal, caring king that always put the needs of his Geatish people before those more personal. In the text, Wiglaf, a member of Beowulf’s band of thanes,...
A hero is someone who is idealized for his courage and noble qualities. Beowulf and Sir Gawain can certainly be called heroes. They both have many qualities that are expected of heroic knights and warriors. They are both brave, gallant, and skilled men, but are they the perfect heroes their people believe them to be? While they are portrayed as perfect heroes and they possess many heroic qualities, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are far from perfect.
This essay looks at the heroic code that is exemplified by Beowulf, as seen in his battles with Grendel, his fight with Grendel’s mother, in his relationship with Hygelac. In the second part, the essay then examines how Beowulf moves away from this heroic code in his final battle with the dragon. In the conclusion, the essay shows that Beowulf makes choices that hark back to his past courage and foreshadow his own bravery and death. This shows that his choice of the heroic life has implications not only for himself, but for his kingdom as well.
They are the ones who takes the first steps in any battle or advancement. The text states, “A king must allow a man to grow famous, and his family rich, gives him land and towns to rile and delight in,” (1728). This means that a king must think of the good of others before they think about themselves. Like in Beowulf, at the final battle, Wiglaf, Beowulf’s right-hand man, shows the same bravery, loyalty and devotion that Beowulf showed during the entire poem. This loyalty is selflessness because Wiglaf ignored his own safety and showed bravery and his courage against the dragon and helps Beowulf (2694). Although the rest of Beowulf’s men ran away from the dragon’s flames, Wiglaf stood behind to help his leader in a time when Beowulf was needing more people. The selflessness that a ruler should have was evident in Wiglaf during this