“Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). In Deuteronomy, Divine Inspiration bolsters the idea that as God’s people, we should not “fear” others or give in to “them,” pagan gods, for our Lord, the true God, has our backs. One can easily assume that the wisest move any man can make would be to follow God because the true almighty God will not forsake those who follow Him. Beowulf understands this lesson and God in turn truly does not “forsake” him. Beowulf’s wise ways of worshiping God causes God to give Beowulf the mighty strength he has. The poet utilizes God as a way to give Beowulf strength in order to promote Christianity above paganism in …show more content…
The Poet asserts that worshiping God exemplifies wisdom, so worshiping God must make Beowulf wise. Before the introduction of Beowulf, the poet explains that “he who in time of trouble” and has “thrust his soul in the fire’s embrace, forfeiting help” curses himself, for “blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father’s embrace”(183-188). The poet claims that some Danes who find themselves “in time of trouble” when the misanthropic Grendel attacks give their soul to “the fire’s embrace,” pagan gods, therefore “forfeiting help” from God. However, the “blessed” Danes do not turn …show more content…
Beowulf first demonstrates his strength when Grendel “was overwhelmed, manacled tight by the man who of all men was foremost and strongest in the days of his life,” causing him to scream a scream described as “a God-cursed scream and strain of catastrophe, the howl of the loser, the lament of the hell-serf keening his wound”(785-789). The poet indicatively calls Beowulf the “strongest” and reiterates Beowulf’s strength with the juxtaposition of “hell-serf” to “catastrophe,” “loser,” and “keening.” This juxtaposition shows that Beowulf turns an inherently strong “hell-serf” into a “keening” “loser” suffering his own “catastrophe,” exemplifying the magnitude of strength Beowulf has. Later Beowulf’s demonstrates his strength again in the battle with the dragon when “the war-king threw his whole strength behind a sword-stroke and connected with the skull. And Naegling snapped… he wielded a sword, no matter how blooded and hard-edged the blade his hand was too strong, the stroke he dealt (I have heard) would ruin it” (2678-2680, 2685-2688). The poet juxtaposes the action of Beowulf using “his whole strength” in his attack, causing the sword to snap with the statement that Beowulf’s strength can break any sword, “no matter how blooded and hard-edged the blade.” This juxtaposition creates the notion that Beowulf’s strength reflects the supernatural as it has already broken a
With ancient understandings and tales in the early times, Beowulf sings of times long forgotten, the times where the only tombs men sought was the battlefield, and their legacies, glory from the most extraordinary of feats. Eras filled with monsters, demons and selfless devotion towards the Glory of God. Even the flamboyant stories from the early centuries, still ring with connections to our world today, that our
The author expressed that “past and present, God’s will always prevails,” and “Almighty God rules over mankind and always has.” Another revealing item that solidifies the evidence for the poet’s knowledge of God is how God is referenced in Beowulf. The author calls Him the “Lord of Life”, “Creator”, and “Head of the Heavens and High King of the World”. These names, along with certain passages, reveal the author’s belief that God rules over His creation and kingdom: the
Beowulf was invincible in his strength. He battles terrifying monster and risks his life. He showcases his heroic stoicism through his super-human physical strength. Grendel was a horrendous monster that was the incarnation of maleficence. Beowulf’s men had tried to use their weapons to fight, but Grendel “ blunted every mortal man 's blade” (Line 485).
All in all, throughout the story of “Beowulf” there are many beliefs that favor paganism and christianity both throughout the story. Both beliefs play a role in determining how effective the story is. This is a symbol of the time period in which religion was a key factor in determining how stories were expressed. The story is developed through thoughts that influence the story's meaning. This is why the beliefs that are chosen are crucial to the plot of the
Not only have we seen brute strength, honorable courage, and admirable loyalty shine through beowulf, Beowulf also possess a great trait not many others have; his will to fight to the death, or self sacrifice. Not once throughout the story did Beowulf ever turn down a battle. Not once did he fear or flee his enemy. Not once did he ever give up even if death had him by the throat causing his mind to flood nothing but fearful thoughts and feelings throughout his body. Every battle Beowulf fought, he fought as if it was his last and that is what truly makes him the great warrior he is.
Beowulf shares the same traits with as many other heroes I know about. For example, Beowulf 's willpower can be compared with Henry Cavill 's Superman (Man of Steel). In Beowulf: "The Battle with the Dragon", Beowulf battled the dragon and he noticed that his weapons started to fail him and that he was weakened by his age. In spite of that, Beowulf 's willpower enabled him to continue fighting the dreadful beast. Eventually, after his ally Wiglaf provided Beowulf with some assistance, he was able to break through and deliver the killing blow to the dragon.
This shows that God was willing to protect Beowulf to win battles, but he could also choose when his time to go was. Beowulf truly believed this because before his final battle he said he would let God choose if he should live or die. Not only did God protect Beowulf, he also protected Herot from Grendel. Grendel was not able to terrorize Herot because Hrothgar was protected by God. This is where the elements of good and evil come into play.
Two very important ideas in Pagan belief are Loyalty and Faith. Beowulf is very loyal to his comitatus and is also very loyal to Hrothgar. He would give his life for the safety of his brothers and would never stab them in the back. He also always had faith in himself and God. He trusted that he would be victorious over his enemies with God having his back.
Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights three different monsters and in each of these situations he chooses to begin the fight without their help. He enters into combat with his men by his side, but when the actual fighting begins he defeats the monsters with very little help from them. Beowulf’s strength and physical prowess was unlike any other man in comparison to his height and incredible grip. Furthermore, Beowulf can be categorized as an outcast based on his personality traits. The main character is set apart from the other warriors because of his courage and humility.
Thesis: The role of the Anglo-Saxon Hero in Beowulf represents and defines the values of strength, intelligence, selfness, and courage. Beowulf himself models the culture of the Anglo-Saxon hero, as he is willing to face any odds, and fight to the death for their glory and people I. Strength and physical appearance A. Strength is clearly an important characteristic of heroes in Anglo-Saxon culture and heroic code. 1. The beginning of the story Beowulf is described as having the strength of "thirty men" in just one of his arms. 2.
He knew what they had tholed, the long times and troubles they'd come through without a leader; so the Lord of Life, the glorious Almighty, made this man renowned." This quote describes how God played a large role in the success of Beowulf. Assuming that all acts of heroism proven successful are really acts of God. Thus, leaving you thinking success must be a form of divine assistance, in the hands of God. The poem takes on both beliefs of Paganism and Christianity.
Beowulf manifests the features of a literary epic by reflecting the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture from which it came from, and containing great, descriptive language and plots that include great battles and conflicts. The warrior culture is evident from the explanation of the story in Journeys where Beowulf, along with his group of warriors, sails to Denmark, ready to defeat Grendel to the very end of the excerpt where defeating Grendel brings Beowulf honor, pride, and glory. “He was happy with his / nightwork / and the courage he had shown” (826-828). Great battle and conflict, as well as descriptive detail, can be seen in this line from Beowulf and Grendel’s battle, “Every bone in his body [Grendel’s] / quailed and recoiled, but he could not
The Pagan soul is truly underscored when Grendel's mother ascents as another adversary. Ruler Hrothgar is significantly discouraged by the end of Aeschere, his comrade. Beowulf responds saying, “Grieve not wise king…Each of us must come to the end of his life;/ let him who may win fame before death./ that is the best/ memorial for a man after he is gone”(Greenbalt). This citation demonstrates Beowulf's hypothesis of the world; the objective is to gather however much individual popularity as could reasonably be expected. He is broadly respected for this perfect as it is a focal inhabitant of Paganism, to battle for natural brilliance, not a higher being.
Further, it is later implied that though Beowulf is an instrument of God in doing this deed, “he is not entitled to enjoy Christian salvation,” since he was motivated by revenge and not salvation, as the former was what drove many non-Christian Scandinavians (Cain). Cain also remarked that the coming of Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons in the
God and fate are mentioned throughout the epic poem “Beowulf,” and in multiple ways, Beowulf himself is a God/Christ-like figure. There are many times you can draw comparisons between the story of “Beowulf” and the Bible. BACKGROUND There are three main points that display Beowulf as unearthly: when he arrives in Heorot, his God-given powers and qualities, and his generosity and humility..THESIS Beowulf is treated like a god when arriving in Heorot. Upon his arrival, Beowulf's worth is not questioned when he arrives in Heorot, and he is instantly respected by the coast guard (Beowulf 14-16).