Through the poems progression one
can see how in the three separate battles Beowulf, who originally embodied the ideal
hero, begins to become weaker.
In the first battle with Grendel,
Beowulf choses not to use any weapons, thus conducting a “fair” fight, which
reinforces his sense of heroism and Christianity. However, after killing
Grendel, the “hell-bride” appears and Beowulf is forced to battle another
opponent. Feeling as though this battle will be slightly more difficult,
Beowulf decides to utilize a weapon and armor in order to be victorious.
Although this battle is more demanding and not as easy to win, Beowulf is able
to kill Grendel’s mother and resurfaces with riches. By not following the rules
associated with battle, Beowulf is beginning to drift from the rules of war at
the time as well as the true heroic mode. In the final battle Beowulf has aged
quite a bit and he goes to battle the dragon that has been wreaking havoc on
his, and nearby, lands. Beowulf brings with him eleven soldiers to fight;
however, only one of them stays by his side. Unlike in his youth, fewer man
stand by and support Beowulf, thus he is killed by the dragon’s venom.
By the end of Beowulf’s life he has
gone from a man supported by virtually everyone as a hero and a leader to a man
that is weak and aided by few in his final battle.
Questions:
1.
Why do you think the ten soldiers abandoned
their king?
2.
Do you think that Beowulf embodied the heroic
mode throughout the entire poem?
I think these are great observations Anna and definitely something we will discuss today in class. In suture posts remember to try and incorporate something specific from the text like a passage (using line numbers) or a simple quote. These will give your discussion specificity, which is key. These battles all definitely have their own flavor and Beo changes with each one. Beo though seems to constantly declare that he will fight alone, which ends up being his downfall.
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