Ítalo Esteves Coutinho

2016041611
Poetry In English 2018/1

There has been in Western Literature many a character who, in the face of danger,
thwarted impossible odds through awe-inspiring exploits. Medieval warriors, invariably, did so
in pursuing the heroic ideal, that is, rising to fame and having their names live on after breathing
their last. In ‘Beowulf’, the oldest surviving poem in Old English, such heroic ethos is embodied
by an eponymous hero who takes it upon himself to rid the Danish Kind Hrothgar’s mead-hall,
Heorot, of a troll-like monster named Grendel.
At the beginning of the poem, Beowulf’s willingness to set off to Danish lands from
Sweden is, in itself, very telling of what his real motives are. Though acutely conscious of his
mortality, the Geat chooses to behave as though he were immortal, knowingly exposing himself
to perils most people would sooner avoid, namely, battling a monster which had already been
plaguing Heorot for twelve years. It would seem that the only thing a hero does fear is appearing
unheroic and hence disgraced, which drives him to unswervingly carry out dangerous
undertakings so as to rule out any possible criticism on the grounds of lack of bravery as is stated
in line 92: “And Beowulf gained the glory of battle”. Indeed, Beowulf’s pursuit of glory is such
that he decides to fight the frightening monster barehanded. Ironically, the choice to eschew
weapons winds up helping Beowulf because Grendel is protected from them by a magic charm as
is stated in lines 78–80: “… could work no harm to the hideous foe / On every sword he had laid
a spell / On every blade; …”. At the very end of the poem, when Beowulf passes and is mourned,
his demeanour and ultimate goal are restated: “mildest, most gentle, most eager for fame” (335).
After having engaged in the internecine strife, we are reminded of how remarkable a fight
it was by means of a reference to the King’s embattled keep, which though shaken, did not
collapse: “… the lofty wine-hall / Withstood the struggle, nor crashed to earth” (48–49). The
notion of Beowulf being a force to be reckoned with is further strengthened by numerous passages
in which the “the peerless prince’s” (72) unparalleled skill, vigour and sense of duty are
highlighted. The latter, for instance, is quintessentially illustrated by lines 67–70, in which we
learn that though the Geatish hero is cognizant of his mortality, his wish to do away with all evil
speaks louder: “He [Grendel] was fast in the grip of the man who was greatest / Of mortal men in
the strength of his might, / Who would never rest while the wretch was living”. It would thus
seem reasonable to argue that Beowulf sacrifices himself in the name of glory for he many a time
chooses to charge rather than retreat as he “was mindful of honour” (128).
Within this world of heroic struggle, what is said of a hero and of his deeds aids to
establish his reputation and to secure that tales of his great works be told by minstrels in mead
halls; lines 182–185 provide a striking example of how a hero’s feats are to outlive their mortal
life and to be recounted for generations to come even if he might not have succeed: “And the grey,
old spearman spoke of the hero, Having no hope he would ever return / Crowned with triumph
and cheered with spoil”. Ultimately, the dragon episode further illustrates this notion through
Beowulf’s departure, which takes its toll on his warriors. They, having been left with a great sense
of loss, utter a desolate elegy at their hero’s burial mound, “a dirge for the death of their lord; /
They sang their dirge and spoke of the hero / Vaunting his valour and venturous deeds” (331–
334). Such a closure stands as a testimony to Beowulf’s greatness and achievement of fame and
recognition.
Beowulf stands, unlike the Greek hero Achilles, as a paragon of unfaltering bravery in
the name of glory. While the latter sensibly withdraws from the fighting, the Hygelac’s prince
would rather “die the death” than not be remembered at all.