Brianna LoBue English IV Honors Beowulf Essay Period 3 Be not as Hermod once was to my people, too proud to care

what their hearts hid, bringing them only destruction and slaughterIn the end he was alone, knew none of the joys of life with other men, a famous ruler granted greater strength than anyone alive in his day but dark and bloodthirsty in spirit. (1710-1719) The speech of Hrothgar encapsulates one major theme of the epic poem Beowulf. His powerful words come back to haunt the hero more than once. Beowulf was a braggart; he defeats Grendel with his bare hands and Grendels mother afterwards, then gets praised for it. He is proud, and nothing seems to change his outlook until after reminiscing the words of this speech. Beowulf is the story of a dual ordeal; an external battle with vicious opponents and an internal battle with human tendencies of pride, greed, cowardice, betrayal, and self-satisfaction. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is undoubtedly the hero, and he knows it. He faces numerous obstacles throughout his journey, and one could argue that he is successful even in his last battle because he dies honorably. In his first battle against Grendel, Beowulf is victorious. He grabbed Grendels claw, and ripped it from his shoulder socket. Grendel flees and is left to die, and Beowulf shows off his victory by hanging the claw under the roof of the meadhall. I twisted my fingers around his claw, ripped and tore at it as hard as I could: I meant to kill him right there, hold him so tightly that his heart would stop, would break, his life spill on the floor. (964-967) Was Beowulf trying to serve the

king Hrothgar and protect his people, or was he looking for praise due to his greed for satisfaction? Similarly, Beowulf is successful in his battle against Grendels Mother when she comes seeking revenge for her sons death. Hrothgar promises Beowulf that he will gain more fame and rewards for this, so the decision for him was easy. Another possible theme of fate is exuded in this battle when Unferths sword would not cut Grendels Mother, but a huge sword made by giants is sitting there for Beowulf to use. To add, a slight sense of betrayal is shown here when the Danes return to Herot thinking that Beowulf was defeated. Beowulf then returns to Herot with Grendels Mothers Head, yet another trophy for his victories. This is more satisfying to Beowulf and more valuable to him than the riches that he might have retrieved from the cave of the ogres, because of the important achievement that it symbolizes. He presents both this and the strange gold hilt (1677) of the sword to Hrothgar, and this notes the change in Hrothgars attitude from extreme appreciation, to warning Beowulf of his excessive amounts of pride. And then pride grows in his heart, planted quietly but flourishingNo honor, no glory in giving golden rings, how he forgot the future glory God gave him at his birth, and forgetting did not careIt will come, death comes faster than you think, no one can flee it. (1740-1768) A turn-around in Beowulfs manner begins here. After Hrothgars sermon, everything that Beowulf does must be thought of within the context of his wise old kings message. For instance, Beowulf presents the Dane ship guard with his sword so beautifully decorated in gold, rather than keeping it as another reminder of his victory. Even more, he does not embellish the stories of his journey when speaking to his King and Queen back home. Beowulf gives in-depth details, even the ones

that make him seem vulnerable, so that his King Higlac sees loyalty in him, and knows he is trustworthy: both great attributes of a possible King. He also presents Higd with the gold necklace that Wealthow gave to him. Higlac, in return, honors Beowulf with land and golden sword. To continue, after Higlac dies, and Beowulf eventually becomes King, the changes in Beowulf become even more evident. When he hears of a fire-breathing dragon attacking the people of Herot, interestingly enough, Beowulfs initial reaction comes from guilt. He believes that he mustve done something to offend God, and this is his punishment. Because of this, he decides to fight the dragon alone. He is now an old man and decides that he does not want to put his people in danger, and doesnt want them dying at his hand. Eleven of his best men go with him, and betrayal and cowardice is seen again when Beowulf is at his dying point, and all men but one leave him to die. I swear that nothing [Beowulf] ever did deserved an end like this, dying miserably and alone, butchered by this savage beast: we swore that these swords and armor were each for us all! (2657-2661) These words were spoken by Wiglaf as he ran to help his king Beowulf. Death was inevitable, and for the first time, Beowulf feels that he will lose a fight and be forced to give up loaned time (2590) Wiglaf says to him Beloved Beowulf, remember how you boasted, once, that nothing in the world would ever destroy your fame (2663) This quote refers to Beowulfs pride as being something so far in his past. It exemplifies the new man Beowulf became over the years, and that he no longer is prideful, but is a true hero inside and out. For these reasons, it is clear that Beowulf changed as a hero. He starts off with such pride, such conceit that Hrothgar had to give him an entire sermon about it. After those

words, though, we see that Beowulf respected Hrothgar so much as both a friend and King, because not only does he listen, but he reflects back on these words all throughout the poem. Beowulf goes from being a self-satisfied warrior, to a loved and respected King, and will be remembered for it. He starts off as an adolescent, and ends a wise old man with much experience. After battling with pride, greed, cowardice and self-satisfaction, he wins once again by throwing them all away, and dies honorably for his people.