Virtue and Community in Beowulf Case

Virtue and Community in Beowulf

Erika Whitacre

ENG493

Stephen Mendonca

February 23, 2015

Virtue and Community in Beowulf

        The epic poem Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon expression of medieval warrior civilization within the European borders. Beowulf was written between the 8th and 11th century in the Anglo-Saxon dialect and is acknowledged as “the foundational epic of English and British culture” (Shmoop, 2015. para. 3). The poem pushes the boundaries of epic standards and encourages readers to think about the dynamic of the belief system.

        The character Beowulf is instantly portrayed as a courageous solider with superhuman strength. His power coupled with his valiant endeavors paints the picture of an outwardly immortal individual, on the verge of godliness. Beowulf is depicted as an assertive and brave leader with the ability to achieve any mission.

        The epic poem illustrates an indication of the Germanic code. A reflection of their belief system, the code details the values expected from each caste. The regulations of the system entail particular demeanor for each social class. For instance, a warrior is expected to be brave, tough, and reliable while kings are obligated to display wise political discernment, as well as a gracious hospitality and generosity.

        In the beginning of the poem, King Hrothgar is worried about Grendel, an adversary of his kingdom Heorot. Grendel has plagued the land by attacking Heorot Hall, the mead-hall and massacring numerous warriors. Beowulf travels from his land to declare his desire to challenge Grendel to repay a kindness King Hrothgar paid to his father. The king readily agrees, given that he is no longer able to battle himself.

        Beowulf chose to battle Grendel by hand-to-hand combat and was laying in wait at Heorot Hall. Beowulf defeats Grendel by grappling him to the ground and ultimately rips his arm off, at the shoulder, mortally wounding him. Grendel escapes back into the woods where he dies. King Hrothgar has a party to celebrate Beowulf’s victory and bombarded him with gifts and riches.

One value Beowulf directly incorporates into his behavior is boasting. In today’s society boasting is usually considered rude. It is seen as an inflated sense of self-worth; an element of smugness that others interpret as distasteful and obnoxious. However, in the early medieval period boasting was widely accepted and encouraged and practically essential to an individual’s status and credibility amongst peers. One of the earliest and most prominent boasts by Beowulf is to the Danes regarding Grendel. Claiming that he can slay Grendel without hesitation, Gwara notes that Beowulf “does not know for certain” what Grendel is like, since he has never seen him first hand. In actuality, Beowulf is oblivious to the fact that Grendel cannot be cut by swords, indicating that his bare-handed; amour less encounter seems even more reckless. Since Beowulf does not know anything about Grendel’s physicality, his boast comes off as arrogant and offensive. Regardless, by his own admission, Beowulf has confronted monsters before. It is from this experience that he is in fact quite possibly qualified to fight Grendel after all. These points are all legitimate argumentative material presented by Gwara as a unique alternative perspective on how Beowulf - although ignorant of his match - comes out victorious and, as a result, is respected immensely for achieving success from such a demanding task.