Critical Essay on Beowulf: The Medieval Hero

Introduction

The Merriam-Webster dictionary refers to a hero as an imaginary or mythological individual usually of godly origin enriched with incredible strength and ability. The long poem, Beowulf captures heroism perfectly and what it precisely means to be a hero. According to Foster, the poem was almost lost during an inferno in 1731 at the Cotton Library. Beowulf possessed all the qualities of a hero. He was loyal, courageous and strong. Next, to that, Beowulf bestows an adventure of a warrior that modifies himself into an extraordinary hero. His heroism superbly caught and prepared the way for other heroes (Akhter).

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Loyalty to the people regardless of the situation is the main attribute of a good hero. Beowulf's loyalty is seen at the very beginning of the poem when he sails for the Danes' land. As per Foster, the relationship between the Beowulf's and the Hrothgar's families is sufficient for Beowulf to mobilize his men and risk their lives to assist. In addition to the fact that this supports and shows Beowulf's loyalty, it also demonstrates the people's mindset during the time. According to Foster, these ethics and qualities are seen in Beowulf additionally reflect some of the ideas and convictions of Anglo-Saxons England, the period in which Beowulf is believed to have existed. Beowulf makes the following announcement as soon as he arrives in Denmark: "We belong to the great people by birth and owe loyalty to Lord Hyglac. In this day, my father was a renowned man, an honorable warrior-master named Ecgtheow" (Foster 260-263).

Beowulf's loyalty is seen again when he plans to battle Grendel. Foster states "Beowulf defies that physical insidiousness and, supported by genealogy and allegiance, defeats the unfriendly power with which all individuals must fight." This means that Beowulf must maintain his loyalty to Hrothgar and secure his family's status. He must proceed with his battle and defeat Grendel. Beowulf addresses Horthgar in lines 1826-29 after defeating Grendel and states: "If at any point I get news from over the sea that individuals on fringes are compromising fight as assailants have usually done, I will arrive with a thousand men" (Foster) This act reaffirms Beowulf's loyalty to Hrothgar even after defeating Grendel.

Vaughn criticizes Beowulf in The Fight at the Center. She states, "In a poem so clearly worried about social dedication, the reality Beowulf is separated from everyone else when he enters the minor is one of the biggest signs that his experiences there are integral to the importance of the poem" (Vaughn). Beowulf pledges allegiance to other individuals besides Hrothgar in the poem. In his analysis of Beowulf, Ramey Peter states, "Beowulf never demonstrated that he wants to succeed and his continued allegiance to Hygelac after returning home..." (Ramney). Beowulf maintained his devotion to the people even in old age, coincidentally till the end of the poem. For instance, when someone stole the goblet protected by the dragon and began terrorizing the people of Geatland, an older Beowulf would suit up and embark on confronting the dragon. Other men would decline to go into battle with him except for one who expressed similar devotion.

Courage and fearless are other qualities that added to Beowulf's' heroism. An example of where Beowulf demonstrates his courage is expressed in lines 530-580 during a swimming competition. In addition to the fact that he swum for five days and nights, he also stopped to battle ocean beasts as expressed in lines 559-5641: "Evil creatures attacked me frequently, hiding and stalking. However, I resisted and battled them as best as I could with my sword. I would not allow them to feed on my flesh; no creature would gnaw and gloat on my flesh at the bottom of the sea" (Ramney).

Beowulf battled Grendel without any body armor or weapon to be equal with Grendel who did not wear a helmet or have any weapons. The poem portrays Beowulf as a fearless demigod. As per Vaughn, during the fight, Grendel's mother isolated herself from the people and moved to her cave. Vaught adds that Beowulf must find the courage and become a monster in his epic adventure of becoming the perfect hero. The last demonstration of boldness shown by Beowulf was when he was at his weakest, debilitated by old age.

Along with his group of apprehensive men as stated in lines 2596-2601: "No assistance or support was guaranteed then from his aristocratic confidants; that hand-picked troop broke ranks and ran into the woods for their lives. "But in one heart sorrowed welled up: in a man of worth the claims of family ties cannot be denied" (Vaughn). Beowulf proceeded with his quest to confront the dragon regardless of the risk he was putting his life into given his old age. He alongside Wiglaf were the only two men courageous enough to face the dragon.

The entire epic poem is a course of events of the advancement of an ideal hero. Every one of the three fights added to the production of the absolute legend. In the early stages, Beowulf was just a war-hardened warrior. He needed to prove and establish himself. Vaughn notes that in his fight with Grendel, "Beowulf does not satisfy his journey as the legend definitely since he is still inside society, actually inside the borders of Herot and the hover of his men" (Vaughn). This implies that although Beowulf wanted to battle Grendel equally without any armor or weapon, he still enjoyed home support and had his men within Herot Hall. The real test was his battle with Grendel's mother since it happened in a new territory. This presented Beowulf's journey to heroism since for the first time he faced a big challenge.

Vaught describes his transformation here stating: "Beowulf makes his journey inward as he enters the insignificant. Quickly he notes that neither society nor his physical quality can help him in this inner fight. But he discovers his center of himself, the quality of his immovable will..." (Vaughn). However, Beowulf still depends on a sword made by goliaths to defeat the beast. Beville Maria summarized it by stating, "While the initial two fights display Beowulf as a young warrior, the dragon fight express him as a mature hero" (Beville). The last dragon he overcomes is the place the ideal hero is conceived and, in the meantime, killed.

Family and ancestry were a critical factor while deciding if somebody could be a hero in the Anglo-Saxon culture. All through the poem, before Beowulf would talk, he would be referred to as "Beowulf, child of Ecgtheow." This demonstrates the significance of heredity alongside different things. For instance, after the guardians, Wulfgar, briefed Hrothgar of Beowulf's heredity, Hrothgar sends the answer: "My ruler, the vanquishing lord of the Danes, offers me report that he knows your family line; Additionally, that he invites you here to Herot also, salutes your entry from over the ocean" (391-394). According to Foster, the heroin Anglo-Saxon culture is expected to avenge in honor of the family and pledge allegiance.

Some people may have an alternative perspective on Beowulf and may consider him a lofty character that thinks about pride. This is a legitimate point, but regardless Beowulf prioritized his people and ensured their safety during his battles. Beowulf fought and defeated Grendel's mom in an isolated area. This demonstrates that although he may care about his legacy, he values his devotion to Hrothgar and his kin more. Additionally, it is fair to note that it was selfish of Beowulf to face the last dragon at his old age.

Conclusion

Loyalty, courage, and strength all play critical roles in the molding Beowulf into a perfect hero. In this epic lyric he takes a voyage to obscure grounds and shows these attributes from multiple perspectives. His loyalty towards the Danes helped them live without fear. His courage pushed him into facing different fights till the end without backing out. He even risked his life on occasions to give his opponents a fair fight. Beowulf transformed into an honorable man and represented his family with great pride. His epic superbly caught and prepared the way for other heroes. At the time of his death, he was with Wiglaf who refused to take his fortunes (Schrader). Wiglaf was set to succeed Beowulf given that he was the only one to match his courage. Beowulf turned out to be a godly individual and shown his capacity of incredible quality ordinarily, changing himself into one of the best legends ever.

Works Cited

Akhter, Tahmina. "Beowulf: A Game of pride, punishment, and purification." Researchers World 5.1 (2014): 54.

Beville, Maria. The unnameable monster in literature and film. Routledge, 2013.

Foster, John Wilson. The Achievement of Seamus. 2018.

Ramey, Peter. "Variation and the Poetics of Oral Performance in Caedmon's Hymn." Neophilologus 96.3 (2012): 441-456.

Vaughn, Terri. "Imagining Judith: An Examination Of Judith's Representation In The Middle English Metrical Paraphrase Of The Old Testament." (2012).