Analysis of World Renowned Epic about Beowulf - Essay Example

First Last September 16, Beowulf Beowulf is a world renowned epic consisting of 3182 alliterative lines and is thought to have been written between the 8th and 11th century. Although it is still not known when the poem was actually written or originally published, the fact remains that Beowulf is one of the most significant pieces of literature and it plays an important role in making readers understand more about the human nature. Unfortunately, the mastermind behind this great work is unknown and the readers are in a situation where they do not know whom to thank for, for the work. However, on a more general perspective, since it has been discovered that the poet was an Anglo-Saxon, one can acknowledge the epic as a tribute to mankind from their culture. Though the poem is hailed as a great masterpiece now, in retrospect it was not until the end of the 18th century that the poem started to receive acclaim. Beowulf is the protagonist in the poem and the narrative takes place in Scandinavia, which is where Beowulf’s tribe, the Geats clan, live. Beowulf, being obligated, ventures off to Danes with his fellow warriors in order to help king Hrothgar and his people, who are constantly suffering in the hands of the unbeatable Grendel, one of the three main monsters in the poem. However, Beowulf succeeds in defeating the monster and thus restoring peace in the kingdom of Danes as well as receiving several gifts from the king. Meanwhile, the killing of Grendel awakens the spirit of vengeance in his mother, and she then decides to attack the Heorot Hall, but retaliates when the sleeping warriors wake up after the night’s wild celebrations. However, Beowulf soon slays this second monster too and then returns home to Geatland, where he later becomes king and wisely rules his kingdom. After a lapse of fifty years he comes across a very powerful dragon that creates a rampage in his land. However, during the battle, he ends up getting wounded and dies shortly after. In order to pay respect to the great Beowulf, his fellow men bury him in a burial mound within the great Geatland. J.R.R. Tolkien has argued that the theme of Beowulf deals with "man alien in a hostile world, engaged in a struggle which he cannot win..." This statement is held true for a few reasons, the first being that Beowulf does alienate himself from his tribe in a way, secondly he is engaged in never ending battles to defeat the evil of the world, and lastly, the ultimate battle is with death, which the hero simply cannot overcome. This can be seen throughout the poem in various lines, for instance, in the lines: "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. This is no mere/ hanger-on in a heros armour" (244-251). Here, the author gives us a perspective of what Beowulf’s personality is like. Everyone realizes early on that Beowulf is not like anyone else. For example, the coast-guard knew instantly that Beowulf was a true hero just because of the way he acted and dressed. In essence, those who come into contact with Beowulf are able to tell with ease that he is a true warrior. Beowulf is alien to others in the sense that he is an outcast by choice, that is, he is not born an outcast, but is in fact an outcast due to the outcomes of his own decisions. During his time alive, he is unlike any other individual, the only man with such great strength and abilities. With great power comes great responsibility, and as a hero Beowulf has always lived up to his responsibilities. It is indeed because of this power and strength that he is revered as different from other people of his society. Though the king and the troops of both Danes as well as Geatsland celebrate Beowulf’s victory, they do not actually understand what he has experienced. Therefore, in this way Beowulf is unable to share his feelings with others and this leaves him isolated. Furthermore, when the hero goes to track down Grendel’s mother and is not back for a long time, the warriors from Danes give up on him and think of him to be dead, even though he helped them defeat Grendel. This backs up the fact that Beowulf is all by himself in this hostile world. However, his own fellow warriors, namely the Geats, do not give up hope and believe that he will be back after defeating the monster. But even then they simply cannot comprehend what troubles Beowulf has been through, and thus their loyalty cannot compromise for Beowulf’s feeling of being alienated. Therefore, Tolkien was completely right when he made his claim. By being Beowulf himself, he is constantly in a struggle and no matter how much he fights evil, he simply cannot finish all the evil in the world alone. There are also other instances that evidence the fact that Beowulf is in a world that is truly full of hostility. At each and every turn, there is always some or the other kind of problem waiting for him. A problem that he must find a solution to or else he dies. On the other hand, if he is to remain alive, he is supposed to overcome the particular obstacle. For example: hostility shows all too well when Beowulf announces: "I have heard moreover that the monster scorns/ in his reckless way to use weapons/ therefore, to heighten Hygelacs fame/ and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce/ sword and the shelter of the broad shield/ the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand/ is how it will be, a life-and-death/ fight with the fiend" (433-440). In this verse, Beowulf makes it known to man that he is a real hero. He plans to go on a hand-to-hand combat against Grendel. Rather than just going in and defeating the monster with ease, he wants to make things a bit more challenging. This shows that unlike his fellowmen, he is scared of nothing, thus true heroism erupts. The victory over Grendel brings fame and fortune to Beowulf, but above all, it earns recognition of handling the monster like a real man. This relates back to Tolkien’s message because no one else would have the guts to go hand-to-hand combat with Grendel. Proving that alienation is all around during his time. Hence the reason Beowulf is like no other man as he does things his very own way, the way a hero should do things. Lastly, Beowulf is the man of his day and age with all of the power. Throughout the poem, it is not hard to tell that Beowulf is seen as the most powerful individual of his time. There was no challenge too big or too small for him. Whatever the task at hand was, Beowulf would accept the challenge. More importantly, despite being alone, he would always find a solution to the problem. For instance: “Meanwhile the sword/ began to wilt into gory icicles/ to slather and thaw. It was a wonderful thing/ the way it all melted as ice melts/ when the Father eases the fetters off the frost/ and unravels the water-ropes. He who wields power/ over time and tide: He is the true Lord” (1605-1611). In these lines, the blood of Grendels mothers is on the sword that Beowulf used to behead her. The blood completely melts the sword. The narrator portrays the having being capable of melting anything, like lava, and still Beowulf was not afraid of rising to the challenge. Again, this shows that the hero is alienated as he fights the monster all by himself. By the end of the poem, Beowulf eventually dies from the dragon he battles as he was fatally wounded. To put it briefly, everyone faces a struggle that breaks them eventually. For Beowulf, the dragon he fought was his ultimate downfall as he was severely wounded mid-fight. It is said that unity is strength, but in the case of Beowulf, it just took the union of his mind and body to help him win all his fights. Finally, Even when his fellow warriors leave him and run away when they see the dragon, Beowulf does not get scared and faces the monster all by himself, with a little support from Wiglaf. But in the end, he cannot escape death, as death is assigned to everyone, a person who is born is destined to die. People say that one comes alone in the world and leaves the world alone too, but in case of heroes like Beowulf, they are isolated throughout their lives, fighting all the evil in the hostile world, despite being fully aware that they are on a never ending struggle, which would eventually kill them. Read More