Beowulf

Beowulf | Character Analysis

Beowulf
The protagonist of this epic Old English poem is at times sketched in the broad strokes you might expect in a seminal tale about heroes, monsters, battle, revenge, honor and God. But Beowulf is no cartoon character. Rather, this Geatish warrior from southern Sweden is defined by three principal traits: his desire to demonstrate his valor in defense ofothers, his concern for his lineage and oaths of loyalty, and his religious faith.

The first thing we learn about Beowulf is that he promptly responds when he hears of trouble among the Danes. The poet points to no soul-searching on Beowulf's part about whether Grendel's attacks upon Heorot, the mead hall of King Hrothgar, ought to be dissuaded through diplomatic means or even by waiting for somedivine intervention to defeat the monster. Rather, Beowulf acts decisively, gathering his companions and setting sail for Denmark. In this choice, we already see into Beowulf's essence.

But Beowulf does not merely seek the spotlight, flexing his muscles and making fine speeches. He shows his concern for others upon arrival in Denmark, telling the leader of the watchmen: "I can show the wiseHrothgar a way to defeat his enemy. . . . I can calm the turmoil and terror in his mind." It is apparent that Beowulf's assisting Hrothgar will aid the Danes at large, for the security of the king is inextricably tied to the welfare of his subjects in this concept of a monarchical society.

Similarly, Beowulf is well aware of his own position in this world, and he demonstrates this by repeatedlyreferring to his lord Hygelac and his now-deceased father Edgetho. Beowulf has a special motivation for helping Hrothgar: the king of the Danes was once gracious enough to intervene and settle a feud that Edgetho had ignited by slaying a member of a rival tribe called the Wulfings. Therefore, Beowulf's actions stem from bonds of blood and bonds of loyalty.

When Beowulf duels verbally with Unferth,the courtier of Hrothgar who accuses him of cowardice in a swimming match with Breca, he essentially states in rebuttal: "I could have won that race if I hadn't been attacked by sea monsters. Besides, Breca wasn't much of a warrior and neither were you, considering what a poor job you have done of defending Heorot from Grendel." This smacks of pure Nordic bravado. The words could come from themouth of any testosterone-laden berserker.

But Beowulf's religious faith also shines through when he girds himself for the battle with Grendel: "May the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side he sees fit." And after Beowulf's mighty severing of Grendel's shoulder and arm has backed up his vow to slay the evil monster, the hero says, "The Lord allowed it," and addsthat Grendel "must await the mighty judgment of God in majesty."

He demonstrates the same religious convictions in the aftermath of his bloody battle with Grendel's mother, whose attempt to seek revenge for the death of her son is terminated when Beowulf chops off her head. Though fighting hard for glory like a typical Nordic warrior, he asserts: "If God had not helped me, the outcome wouldhave been quick and fatal." Beowulf adds that the "Lord of Men" was the one who "allowed him to behold" the sword on the wall which he seized as the instrument of his salvation.

Beowulf's valor, hereditary pride and faith are not restricted to the days of his youth. When a fearsome dragon begins to ravage the land of his fellow Geats, he embraces his opportunity to confront this final foe. Despitebeing some fifty years older, Beowulf gives his own life in Christlike manner to save his people, and he has no regrets: "Because of my right ways, the Ruler of mankind need never blame me when the breath leaves my body." After killing the dragon, Beowulf earns a magnificent funeral and numerous physical and verbal tributes from his subjects. That ending marks the culmination of a heroic life...