Fame, Kingship, Fate and God in Beowulf

The Anglo-Saxons were a people who lived in and ruled England from the fifth century AD until the Norman Conquest. They were a people who valued courage and leadership. They lived under kings who were "keepers of gold" and were guarded by their loyal thanes (knights). They were a Pagan culture until the Normandy conquistadors came. They believed in fate and believed the only way to live forever was if you had fame. In the Anglo-Saxon book, Beowulf, there was a combination of many different people. The characters in Beowulf are defined by their status. Their status was in form of their fame and accomplishments. Beowulf was a very famous warrior, who sails to the Danes to kill a monster who is murdering their people. Beowulf kills Grendal, Grendal's mother and a dragon throughout the entirety of the story. Every time he receives more fame and more glory. Beowulf became a king. He was a great king who received honor and loyalty from his men. Although, during the fight with the dragon Beowulf's men run away and as a result Beowulf dies. The book claims that Beowulf had fate against him in his last battle against the dragon, but also says that Beowulf had Christian morals. By having two conflicting religions (paganism and Christianity) it makes the story more interesting. This book is composed of four main characteristics: fame, kingship, fate, and God, which play very important roles throughout the book.

In Beowulf the Anglo-Saxons longed for fame. To them fame meant immortality. For example, the narrator says, "But Beowulf longing only for fame, leaped into battle" (Raffel 1529). To Beowulf the only reason to risk his life is a battle, is so he can have his moments of fame, hence immortality. Even if a character gains fame, they will always be fighting to receive more. After Beowulf becomes king one of his servants says, "Beloved Beowulf, remember how you boasted, once, that nothing in the world would ever destroy your fame: you fight to keep in now, be strong and brave, my noble king, protecting life and fame together" (2586). So even though Beowulf had fame, he had to keep fighting and being successful in order to protect and keep his fame. Once an Anglo-Saxon had enough fame his name was known throughout the world. The narrator explains this by saying, "Now the Lord of all life, Ruler of glory, blessed them with a prince, Beowulf, whose power and fame soon spread throughout the world" (16). Beowulf had accumulated so much fame that throughout the world people knew of him and his accomplishments. Fame was so very important to the Anglo-Saxon's that they would give up their lives and the lives of others if only to receive it for a minute.

In the times of the Anglo-Saxons, the quality of your king was the quality of your loyalty. A good king had knights (thanes) that would be loyal to him. The narrator describes a good king by saying, "He ruled lands on all sides: wherever the sea would take them his soldiers sailed, returned with tribute and obedience. There was a brave king!" (8-12). What the narrator is saying

is that a good king has thanes that would respect him (pay tribute) and obey him (obedience). The role of a king is to keep the warriors treasure. The treasure really belonged to the thanes; the king is to keep it for them and hand it out as they deserve it. In this book the Anglo-Saxon's described Beowulf, "...(he) could do no better, find no man better suited to be king, keeper of warriors and their treasures..." (1850-1854). Beowulf's job as a king was to "keep" the warriors and their treasure. Anglo-Saxon kings had hard times trying to be a "good" king. They speak about King Hermod whose "heart had been hollowed by sin" (915). Satan tempted many kings, and some like Hermod, could not resist his temptations. In the story Beowulf the Anglo-Saxon's beloved kings were praised and treated with respect, but their infamous kings were shunned.

The Anglo-Saxon's beliefs were Pagan. They didn't believe in a god, they thought when you die you are just dead. They believe that they cannot control their own destiny. In Beowulf they say, "Fate will unwind as it must" (455). Fate will go however it wants, if it is your fate to be eaten by a monster, then nothing you can do will change that. They believe that fate saves lives. Ongetho had been stabbed in the head, but "fate let him recover, live on" (2975-2977). Ongetho should have died right then, but fate had other plans for him. In this story the scop speaks of fate as a person or a thing. "Fate has swept our race away, taken warriors in their strength and led them to death that was waiting" (2184-2816). He spoke of fate as a noun, he says that fate is responsible for death.

The time that this story was originally told was of the Anglo-Saxons, who didn't believe in God. However the original author of this book was Christian and lent many of his Christian thoughts to this book. For example the books says about Grendal, "By God punished forever for crime for Abel's death" (107). The author is referring to a part in the Christian's bible where Cain had killed his brother Abel. Even Beowulf, who was supposed to be a pagan, had Christian morals. The scop says, "Beowulf's sorrow beat at his heart; he accused himself of breaking God's law" (2327-2329). Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon pagan, so why would it matter to him what "God's laws" were? This book has conflicting beliefs, at one point they say fate is in control of everything and in another, God is in control.

The book Beowulf is composed of four main character traits: fame, kingship, fate and God. The characters are based on their ratio of these four traits. Fame was highly desired for the need of the Anglo-Saxon's want to live forever. Kingship was the bases of your community, if you had a terrible king you will have terrible living conditions. Fate played a role in everything the AngloSaxons ever did, be it a battle or what they were going to have for dinner. Christianity was what the characters in this story based their morals on, even though the original story had nothing to do with God. Our society today still lives on most of these same characteristics. In our society today fame is the highest of goals, we as a society put fame and being known above decency and morals. Our king (president) is usually looked upon to give out rewards and orders as the kings in the time of the Anglo-Saxons. Our country is also divided up between atheist (modern day

pagans) and Christians. We have become a country whose heroes are no longer the people who are courageous or even a decent person. Our heroes have become the people who have achieved fame and even fortune. Our heroes no longer have to make a difference in our world. Our heroes only have to act in a few movies or play a good game of football or baseball. Your Name Instructor 09.15.09 Beowulf Fame and Glory Everlasting How is one remembered after death? In Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, it is believed that the only way for a warrior to be remembered after death is by the achievement of fame and glory, and for the tales of his great works to be told by bards in mead halls. The ultimate goal is for the stories of ones fame and success to be told for generations to come. This belief is a common theme within Beowulf and is reflected all throughout the Anglo-Saxon epic by Beowulfs general demeanor toward people, the way he seems to try to make everything he does appear to be outstanding to those around him, and by his grand burial place. Beowulfs demeanor is one of greatness, arrogance, and confidence. When Beowulf and his fine team of Geats arrive at their destination, the first thing that the watchman notices is the greatness and boldness of the men that have sailed to his land, especially Beowulf. The watchman states, Nor have I ever seen, Out of all the men on the earth, one greater than has come with you as he examines Beowulf and his team (161-163). The watchman is clearly baffled as to why the Geats walk his land so openly and without secret, and even thinks their greatness is a faade made so that he may let them venture further into his land as spies. Beowulf, however, is prepared for this opposition, and he answers his questions like a born leader, proclaiming, We are Geats. Men who follow Higlac as part of a grand speech he gives to the watchman, which results in his team being able to press on into the land (173-174). LastName 2 Beowulf makes sure that everything he does will only aid him in obtaining fame and glory. This is seen clearly whenever Beowulf fights Grendel. Before the fight, Beowulf explains, My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to which shows that he indeed cares about peoples thoughts of him (264-266). From this excerpt of text, it is clear that Beowulf does not want to carry weapons simply because it will give people something to talk about. It would have been much easier to use weapons against Grendel, but he had to make sure that the battle would be remembered for ages. Beowulf also does another thing that may ensure his glory. He states to Hrothgar, And if your enemy should end my life then be, O generous prince, forever the father and protector of all whom I leave as he prepares to jump into the lake (452-454). By telling Hrothgar to keep his people if he dies, he is making sure that word cannot travel back to his homeland about his death. His fate will be unknown, but at least he will not be known as a failure. That means there is still a chance of his name being spread, even after his death. The most concrete and absolute way that Beowulf ensures his stories to be told after his death lies in his burial place. Upon being mortally wounded by the dragon, Beowulf instructs Wiglaf to build a tower, explaining to, build it here, at the waters edge, high on this spit of land, so sailors can see this tower, and remember my name, and call it Beowulfs tower as his last

commandment while he is alive (825-829). By having a tower built in his honor, Beowulf is certain that people for years to come will see his tower and will think about the story of the mighty Beowulf. To conclude, it is clearly evident that Beowulf does many things throughout the story to make sure that he obtains fame and glory as to be remembered after death. With his arrogant and confident personality, his determination to become famous, and his everlasting name among his LastName 3 people as represented by his tower, it is indisputable whether or not the achievement of fame and glory was an important theme within Beowulf, and thusly an important belief among the AngloSaxons. Beowulf will most certainly live on in memory. Glory and Treasure The characters in Beowulf, and its original audience, wanted glory, the immortality of good fame, to remain alive in human memory across time and space. Glory in Beowulf is usually connected with heroism in battle or with generosity. Treasure was the outward manifestation of glory. Men were anxious to receive gifts of fine weapons, armor, and jewelleryand, much as today's athletes look on their salaries relative to those of other athletes, warriors compared their gifts with those given to others. Such visible wealth advertised a warrior's worth and a people's strength. Devout Christians, however, would have tried to seek the glory which God gave to those who did his will, the imperishable treasure laid up in the heaven of the Gospels. They would seek to do their duty, and more than their duty, purely for the love of God and neighbor rather than for earthly fame. Earthly treasure was to be used to do good, not as a display. The narrator's and the characters' view of glory is a point of contention among critics. Some commentators think that lofgeornost, "most desirous of praise," the poem's last word, which is applied to Beowulf, as well as Beowulf s own words to Hrothgar "Let him who can, gain good repute before death that it is the finest thing afterwards for the lifeless man" (lines 1384-89) reflect badly on Beowulf. It may not be so simple. In the last lines of the poem (3180-82) the qualities for which Beowulf's people praise him are not a warrior's, but those of a kindly friend. He is, they say, "of all the kings of the world, the gentlest of men, the kindest and gentlest to his people, the most eager for glory." Because of the qualities the Geats link with Beowulf's eagerness for glory and fame, some readers believe that lofgeornost is specifically divine and not human. Loyalty, Vengeance, and Feud Loyalty is one of the greatest virtues in the world depicted in Beowulf. It is the glue holding Anglo-Saxon Society together, but it brought with it the darker duties of vengeance and feud.

Today injustice and victimization are often presented as lesser evils than "taking the law into your own hands," but in Anglo-Saxon society order was maintained by just that, the concept that all free men had a duty to see justice done. It was a duty to punish the murderer of family, friends, lord, or servant. One deposed West Saxon king was killed by a swineherd in retribution for the king's murder of his lord. It was possible to accept one's guilt and pay compensation, the wergild, or "man-price." The guilty person's family or lord had a duty to see that it was paid. Christians were encouraged to offer and accept these fines, but no one was forced to. In some circumstances it was considered dishonorable to acceptif the killing was generally considered justified, for example. Feuds were often the result of tit-for-tat vengeance. The feud is a constant unspoken theme in Beowulf since Anglo-Saxons understood conflict generally in terms of the feud. In Beowulf Grendel is said to be feuding with God and with the Danes. To stress Grendel's alienation from human society the poet writes that the Danes could not expect a "wergild" from him (lines 154- 58). When Grendel is killed, his mother comes to avenge his death. Hrethel, Beowulf's grandfather, grieves bitterly because he cannot seek vengance for his eldest son's accidental death. The presentation of the wars between the Geats and Swedes stress elements which recall the feud, particularly the killing of kings. The pursuit of fame and glory is another, related theme in Beowulf. The poem closes with an optimistic statement that Beowulf was, among other things, keenest to win fame. This is stated among other positive, honorable attributes as a testament to his goodness as a ruler. However, with fame and glory inevitably comes the opportunity for pride. After all, pride is certainly fueled by ones accomplishments and his sense of self-worth. What more effective accelerant is there to the flames of pride than that of fame? In contrast to selfish fame, the poem often associates honorable fame with generosity. A ringgiver is known to be a good king. A greedy king on the other hand is assuredly a bad one. Unfortunately, pride and greed often nest and breed alongside one another. Knowing this, Hrothgar cautions Beowulf, Do not give way to pride". He is wisely warning against the potential for pride to consume ones ego with selfishness and self-adoration. Such a state would cause Beowulf to lose his focus on his people, their needs, and the sort of altruistic attitude that a king should posses. Ones quest for fame can end up driving them to obtain greatness at all costs. Instead of being a generous sort of fame focused on the community, it becomes a selfish lust for glory consumed with greed and pride. The example of a past king, Heremod, is given as someone who brought little joyonly death and destruction and grew bloodthirsty, gave no more rings. A few lines later, however, Hrothgar refers to pride in a different light, saying Take your place, with pride and pleasure, and move to the feast

Beowulfand His Quest for Glory: An Analysis

In Selfish Pursuit

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FlagPost a comment For the characters in the tale of Beowulf, what one does in life most certainly echoes in eternity, and the lives of the warriors and kings whose stories fill the lines are spent in the pursuit of glory. To his followers and his kin, Beowulf is a god amongst men, and he embodies the traits of a perfect hero through his demonstrations of impressive strength, courage, loyalty, and desire to crush all that is evil. But when one envisions the qualities of a hero, selfishness and greed are not usually characteristics which accompany the definition. While on the surface, the daunting tasks which Beowulf dutifully performs appear to be in the name of protecting the innocent, it seems debatable that this is the only motive driving him to use his inhuman strength and abilities. In examining the tale closer, Beowulf's selfish pursuit of glory exposes itself in his words and deeds, and suddenly the man who was believed to be the perfect hero is not so perfect after all. The world in which Beowulf lives is inhabited by two contradicting systems of values, paganism and Christianity, both of which have different ideas about the attainment of glory. Paganism encourages the pursuit of glory during one's life because, "Whoever remains / for long here in this earthly life / will enjoy and endure more than enough" (1059-1061). Christianity, on the other hand, encourages the pursuit of eternal glory in the afterlife. The earthly life to Christians is but a fleeting moment and one must live piously while on earth in order to attain glory after death. When these two systems collide, the emerging trend seems to be the pursuit of worldly success in order to ensure eternal glory and immortalization. Beowulf asserts his theory of glory when he assures Hrothgar before pursuing Grendel's mother that For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark. (1386-89) Beowulf's statement clearly illustrates this combined pagan-Christian theory on the pursuit of glory: in order to be remembered after death, the warrior must achieve glory in life, because once he has died his actions in life will be the only hope to bolster his chances of greatness in eternity. Arguably, Beowulf's quest for glory begins to shift from a quest to assist his fellow kin in a time of desperation to a quest for personal glorification.

Beowulf is not only lauded for his accomplishments, he is materially rewarded as well, and in great amounts. This material wealth, which Beowulf collects upon the completion of his heroic tasks, is perhaps the most blinding factor for Beowulf, skewing his true intentions of pursuing glory. Beowulf is not only, "known to all men / far and near, now and forever," (1221-22) he has also acquires a substantial amount of gold and other precious objects. In the world of Beowulf, glory is not only transmitted through words and praises, but through the acquisition of material wealth as well. After Beowulf's melee with both Grendel and his mother, the poet spends a significant portion of time describing how Beowulf is materially compensated for his troubles. Beowulf's focus on the physical payment is so narrow that he has the audacity to ask Hrothgar before he battles Grendel's mother, "to send Hygelac the treasures [he] received. / Let the lord of the Geats gaze on that gold" (1483-84) even if he fails. After the defeat of Grendel's mother and another showering of gifts and praises, Beowulf tells Hrothgar that if there is anything he can do, "that would merit [Hrothgar's] affections more, / I shall act, my lord, with alacrity" (1824-25), always willing to accept another chance to be heftily rewarded. Beowulf's focus on selfglorification through the acquisition of material wealth only narrows with age. When the Dragon begins to terrorize his country, Beowulf's focus is not on the havoc the dragon wrecks on his people, but on the treasure which the dragon guards. When Beowulf receives his fatal wound, his last wish is to examine: That ancient gold, gaze my fill On those garnered jewels; my going will be easier For having seen the treasure. (2777-79) The acquisition of this great treasure was how Beowulf justified his actions and defined his glory, not the safety of his people which he had secured from the dangerous beast. Nowhere does Beowulf mention his concern for the safety of the Danes or the Geats, leaving room to question whether or not he is truly concerned about their safety and well-being at all. Beowulf's pursuit of glory is not only tainted by his greed for material wealth, but his arrogance as well, preventing Beowulf from shifting his role from a good hero and warrior to that of a good king. In his role as a fearless warrior during his youth, Beowulf has no doubt in his physical prowess, bragging that he is as, "dangerous any day as Grendel" (688) and he vows and succeeds at fighting Grendel weaponless. This arrogance carries on into Beowulf's old age when he faces the dragon. Before heading into the barrow, Beowulf boasts I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning

(2511-14) Beowulf, ignoring the warnings of Hrothgar who warned him, "Do not give way to pride," (1760), selfishly orders his men to remain on the barrow because This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth. (2532-2535) It is this selfish arrogance which leads Beowulf to receive his fatal wound, and leave his people kingless. A king in his old age should no longer be concerned with preserving his glory by demonstrating his physical prowess, he should be concerned with the protection of his people, and passing on his glory for a new generation to uphold. The latter proves problematic for Beowulf though; in his haste to maintain his status as a revered warrior, he has failed to produce an heir to, "bestow [his] armor on," and for Beowulf's glory to, "live on in his flesh" (2730, 2732). In Beowulf's arrogance and haste, he leaves his people kingless and in grave danger of being overthrown. In Beowulf's pursuit of the dragon's treasure he not only sacrifices himself, but the safety of his people as well. While Beowulf embraces his role as a good warrior and hero, Hrothgar embraces his role as a good king, and serves as an excellent foil to Beowulf, highlighting his shortcomings as king. In Hrothgar's old age, his concerns have shifted from the pursuit of glory to the protection of his people and the passing on of the glory he has attained already. Hrothgar's sermon after the defeat of Grendel's mother serves as a stern warning to Beowulf, and a foreshadowing of what lurks in Beowulf's future. Hrothgar pleads Beowulf to, "Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, / eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride" (1759-60) and he reminds him that, "for a brief while your strength is in bloom / but it fades quickly" (1761-62). Beowulf disregards Hrothgar's warnings, and the consequences of his arrogance in the pursuit of his own glorification are spelled out for him long before they ever occur. Had Beowulf heeded Hrothgar's warning, perhaps he would have selected someone else to fight the dragon for him, like Hrothgar had done in his conflict with Grendel. Hrothgar knew he was incapable of defeating Grendel on his own, and while his waiting twelve years for Beowulf's arrival may be questionable, he did not allow arrogance to blind him into fighting Grendel on his own. By handing the fate of Heorot over to Beowulf, Hrothgar is passing the torch on to a new generation, allowing for the story to be continued by someone else. It seems odd that after such a strong warning, Beowulf chooses not to heed this advice, and instead allows his arrogance to blind him. Beowulf's arrogance not only costs him his life, but the vitality and safety of his people as well, and as he burns upon his funeral pyre, "heaven [swallows] the smoke," of Beowulf and the Geatish people.

After a deeper investigation, it is evident that Beowulf's pursuit of glory is not as well intentioned as the poem portrays. His motives are plagued by conflicting systems of values, greed, and arrogance, blinding Beowulf from the well seasoned advice of a king who has hoped to bestow not only his gratitude and material wealth, but also the knowledge that all who wax, must also wane. In order for one's quest for glory to be fruitful, the torch must be passed on to a new bearer. Beowulf is unwilling to surrender his grip on the torch of glory, and in his old age he stumbles and falls, extinguishing the flame and casting a shadow not only over himself, but over the Geatish people as well.
An Analysis of Beowulf as an Epic Hero Is fame or glory the only significance in life? During the Anglo-Saxon period, it is common to seek fame because it is alleged to be the utmost accomplishment possible for someone. Fame means that immortality could be attained and that is extremely important. In the poem Beowulf, the character Beowulf illustrates an ideal example of the desire to achieve fame. Beowulf is a young adventurer eager for fame and is also classified as an epic hero. An epic hero is someone who is on a quest, risks his or her life for glory or fame, and embodies the ideals or values of his or her culture. Clearly Beowulf possesses all of these essentials of an epic hero throughout the poem.

The story of Beowulf takes place in a time when

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The story of Beowulf takes place in a time when Christianity was beginning to spread to early Danish pagan societies which valued heroic deeds and bravery above all else. The creatures that Beowulf kills with his superhuman strengths make the story an epic which celebrates the life of a great hero. Among Beowulf's triumphs against the three great monsters, many Christian virtues also come to light. The virtues of loyalty and sacrifice for the good of others, as well as the negative consequences from greed and excessive pride are woven into the story. The characters of Grendel, his mother, and the dragon are devices used by the author to teach these values, and also tell an entertaining adventure story of an epic hero. Grendel's character helps paint the image of Beowulf who contrasts as a great hero. Grendel is first described as "the creature of evil, grim and fierce, and was quickly ready, savage and cruel, and seized from the first thirty thanes." [Heaney, 5] There is a strong Christian influence as well

because Grendel is a descendent of Cain and is therefore rejected by God, damned to live in eternal suffering. When Grendel appears, he is "wearing God's anger" which is the opposite of the Danes who celebrate God's grace in their victory feasts at Heorot. [Heaney, 15] Grendel is described as an "unhappy creature" while the Danes are regarded as living in "joy and blessed." [Heaney, 5] After a long reign of terror, Beowulf eventually kills Grendel by ripping off his arm. The arm is a symbol of Beowulf's strength since it is from his hand to hand battle with Grendel. Beowulf is depicted as the great hero who gains victory over a supernatural being, which no other man could defeat. When the arm is hung up in Heorot, Beowulf's bravery is celebrated and it is obvious that bravery is a virtue that is highly respected among the Danes. Beowulf's actions could be seen as a quest for glory and fame, but his bravery can also be interpreted as the ultimate sacrifice. Time after time Beowulf puts his life in the hands of fate to help others. Another Christian virtue is self-sacrifice for the good of others. Beowulf risks his life when he fights Grendel and later on, Grendels mother at the bottom of the lake. His trip down to the bottom of the lake is similar to a journey to hell. He travels downwards and on his way "many monsters attacked him in the water, many a sea-beast tore at his mail shirt with war tusks, strange creatures afflicted him." [Heaney, 29] Beowulf kills Grendel's mother even though the odds are stacked against him since he is not in his own element. Beowulf is in the lair as a "blaze brightened, light shone within just as from the sky heaven's candle shine's clear" appears to Beowulf as Grendel's mother falls dead. [Heaney, 30] This is a testament to the pure evil in the lake which was lifted at the moment of Grendels mothers death. Pagan influence is seen as well in this passage in the sword which was used by Beowulf. Giants, supernatural beings, made the sword and its hilt is "twisted and ornamented by snakes." [Heaney, 32] It is ironic that the sword is that was supposedly crafted by Giants who were eventually wiped out by humans, now saves Beowulfs life who is a human and not Grendels mother. Grendel's mother and the dragon help to express another important virtue of loyalty. For instance, when Beowulf is in the lake, after nine hours Hrothgar's men give up on Beowulf, but his men remain steadfast even though they "are sick at heart." [Heaney, 30] Loyalty is seen again when all of Beowulf's men flee during the battle with the dragon except for Wiglaf. Even though he is afraid, Wiglaf understands self-sacrifice and loyalty, so he willingly risks his life to save Beowulf's. After the other men, "crept to the wood, protected their lives," Wiglaf remained with a "heart surged with sorrows: nothing can ever set aside kinship in him who means well." [Heaney, 46)] Wiglafs values are rewarded in the end when Beowulf chooses him to be the successor to his kingdom. While virtues are rewarded, punishments are also given for those who are not virtuous. For example, greed is considered a punishable sin. Beowulf resists greed when he chooses to bring Grendel's head back from the lake with him instead of all of the treasure. This is also another example of Beowulfs superhuman strength because it took four regular men to carry the head while Beowulf was able to swim with it to the top of the lake with it. However, fame and success is valued more than wealth in their society. When Beowulf is chosen king, it is for his heroism and loyalty to the previous king, not his wealth. Greed is punished when the dragon that has spent his entire life guarding treasure, and attacks Beowulfs land over treasure, is killed.

The dragon is depicted as a terrible creature, even worse than Grendel and his mother who at least had some human qualities. The dragon is described as "the evil spirit" who "began to vomit flames, burn bright dwellings; blaze of fire rose to the horror of the men, the deadly flying thing would leave nothing alive." [Heaney, 43] Pagan influence is also seen in the dragon. The dragon is an infamous mythical creature that is too strong for even Beowulf to slay alone. The dragon is used to show Beowulfs weakness which is excessive pride. Beowulfs great deeds as a hero eventually earn him a throne but in the end when he is forced to choose between being a hero or a king, he chooses to try to be a hero again. Hrothgar, a wise king, warned Beowulf that his pride would get in the way in the future, but Beowulf forgets this advice when the dragon attacks. Hrothgar told Beowulf many years before, "Have no care for pride, great warrior. Now for a time there is glory in your might; yet is soon shall be sickness or sword that with diminish your strength then shall be that death will overcome you, warrior." [Heaney, 33] Beowulf does not take this advice. Beowulf leaves his kingdom to battle the dragon instead of remaining with his kingdom in their greatest time of need. This time, instead of risking his life as a self sacrifice like he did against Grendel and his mother, a real sacrifice would have been for him to stay in his kingdom instead of trying to be the courageous hero once again. However, Beowulf chooses the heros path and in the end, he has a heros death. Beowulfs decision to fight the dragon can be looked at as a form of greed in its own right. In the end, Beowulfs pride as a hero triumphs over the virtues of loyalty and sacrifice for the good of others.
The Pride of the Geats. SONNET CLV - 09/16/2003 - 19:26

I'm fond of pointing out that Beowulf does deeds in order to assure himself fame, but he never does anything foolhardy or meaningless. What he does he does to help people. He's not like Evil Knieval who leaps over the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle just to get his name in the Guiness Book of Records. Beowulf would consider that action one of simple stupidity since it accomplishes no good that will help his society. Fame is important to Beowulf, an epic world man, because it is the closest thing there is to immortality (a basic human craving). Beowulf's culture, as Rothgar so well points out, was one that valued fame and legends, and the greatest accomplishment of a man was to become a legend as a doer of good deeds. The Geats would not write poems about Evil Knieval. They did write poems about Beowulf. They recognize the [i]value[/i] of his deeds, and they give him his well deserved praise ... and fame. Blood-Feuds Although Beowulf is in some respects a Christian poem, its social code emphasizes justice rather than mercy. The code of the warrior society is a simple but harsh one. It is blood for blood. If there is killing, the clan that has suffered must exact revenge. Since feuds between different clans break out regularly, the effect is to create a never-ending process of retaliation. It is this, just as much as the presence of the monsters, that gives the poem its dark atmosphere. The awareness

that a feud is about to reopen supplies much of the foreboding that is apparent at the end of the poem, for example. With Beowulf their protector gone, the Geats fear that old feuds with the Swedes will be resumed, and they will be the worse for it. Various blood-feuds in the past are alluded to many times in the poem. The most vivid description is contained in the long section (lines 1070-1157) in which the minstrel sings of the saga of Finn and his sons, which is about a feud between the Frisians and the Danes. There was one other way of settling disputes in these societies, and that was through the payment of compensation in gold. This was literally the "death-price," an agreed upon price that the dead man was considered to be worth. This practice is alluded to in the lines about Grendel, who would not stop his killing, nor pay the death-price. No counsellor could ever expect fair reparation from those rabid hands. (lines 156-58) Another example is when Hrothgar pays compensation in gold to the Geats for the loss of the Geat warrior to Grendel. The Anglo-Saxon people, who ruled England up until the Norman conquest, were composed of warlike Nordic and Germanic peoples. They descended from the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They valued courage, strength and desire for fame and glory and commitment to obtaining it (similar to the ideals regarding fame and honor espoused by Homers Achilles). They also valued generosity and the protection of others. The first value, courage, is constantly put to the test in the dark and dangerous world of Beowulf. This world was filled with monsters and obstacles to slay or overcome. Beowulf himself is said to be the strongest man on earth at that time, and the way he wrestled Grendel almost effortlessly, while so many others had failed, proved that he had a kind of superhuman physical strength. His desire for fame and his commitment to obtaining it was also very strong, he had an enormous amount of willpower and was determined to win himself a name. Even after he was famous throughout the known world for his deeds, he still was not yet satisfied. After he had fought in many battles and saved the Danes from Grendel and Grendel's mother he was still not content. He battled the dragon, which was his greatest accomplishment, and proof of his courage and sheer heroism. Although it can be interpreted as a proof of courage, one could also look at it as foolishness, a man's selfish desire to gain glory, even after he has been saturated with it. However, the Anglo-Saxon concept of selfishness was far less abstruse than our own. Their idea of generosity was helping friends and allies, especially in form of gifts for chivalric acts. He did slay the dragon and Grendel partially because he wanted to protect the Danes and his own people from these two atrocities, but he was also motivated by a desire for glory. Beowulf himself was apathetic to the notion of death, he stated it many times throughout the poem, a fine example is his speech prior to fighting Grendel.

Reputation

Another motivating factor for Beowulf and a central theme in the epic is reputation. From the beginning, Beowulf is rightly concerned about how the rest of the world will see him. He introduces himself to the Scyldings by citing achievements that gained honor for him and his king. When a drunken Unferth verbally assaults Beowulf at the first banquet, at issue is the hero's reputation. Unferth's slur is the worst kind of insult for Beowulf because his reputation is his most valuable possession. Reputation is also the single quality that endures after death, his one key to immortality. That's why Beowulf later leaves the gold in the cave beneath the mere, after defeating the mother, preferring to return with Grendel's head and the magic sword's hilt rather than treasure. He has and continues to amass treasures; his intent now is in building his fame. Unferth's slur accuses Beowulf of foolishly engaging in a seven-day swimming contest on the open sea, as a youth, and losing. If Beowulf can't win a match like that, Unferth asserts, he surely can't defeat Grendel. Beowulf defends his reputation with such grace and persuasion that he wins the confidence of King Hrothgar and the rest of the Danes. He points out that he swam with Breca for five nights, not wanting to abandon the weaker boy. Rough seas then drove them apart, and Beowulf had to kill nine sea monsters before going ashore in the morning. His reputation intact, Beowulf prepares to meet Grendel and further enhance his fame. As he discusses Beowulf's later years, the poet lists the virtues (2177 ff.) leading to the great man's fine reputation. Beowulf is courageous and famous for his performance in battle but equally well known for his good deeds. Although aggressive in war, Beowulf has "no savage mind" (2180) and never kills his comrades when drinking, an important quality in the heroic world of the mead-hall. Beowulf respects the gifts of strength and leadership that he possesses. As he prepares to meet the dragon, near the end of the poem, now King Beowulf again considers his reputation. He insists on facing the dragon alone despite the fact that his death will leave his people in jeopardy. Hrothgar's Sermon warned Beowulf of the dangers of pride, and some critics have accused the great warrior of excessive pride (hubris) in the defense of his reputation. A more considerate judgment might be that Beowulf is an old man with little time left and deserves the right to die as a warrior. The final words of the poem, stating that Beowulf was "most eager for fame' (3182), might be best understood by a modern audience by remembering that, in Beowulf's world, fame is synonymous with reputation.
Reputation and Beowulf Reputation is, quite simply, what other people think that you are like based on your actions. Positive reputation can be achieved by performing good deeds or actions that have a positive effect on those around you. But a negative reputation is when your actions have a negative effect on those around you, and they will not like you. Reputation proves that your actions truly do shape who you are in other people's eyes. Beowulf has a positive reputation with those around him because of his heroic actions and his likeable nature. He would bravely hunt after monsters like Grendal with fearlessness and come out victorious. And after his victory against evil, he would celebrate with those who idolize him as a true savior and hero. Beowulf is a true example of someone with a good reputation.

Reputation was important then, just as it is important now. People want to be your friend, spouse, business partner, servant, and fight in battles and wars with those of high reputation. Stellar reputation in Beowulf's time made the man into a celebrity of sort and allowed him to choose his mate and gave him an elevated stature in the community. However, with that reputation came the quasi-responsibility to maintain it and led to his death when he chose to fight the monster when it came around the second time even though he was an old man at that time There is no doubt whatsoever that Beowulf was a man whowanted to achieve lasting fame. The last four words validated that.Beowulf not only wanted that fame but he ensured it to be theadulatory kind. These are among the values of the erstwhile Anglo-Saxon society. Fame is paramount and could be achieved only throughextraordinary feats of daring in combat and other heroic deeds. This isnot purely a selfish and egoistic drive since the warriorsaccomplishment spreads over his clan, king, and family. Honor or

fame was not the only reward to successfulwarriors, the beneficence of the superior is also expected. Perhaps thematerial rewards were of less importance than fame since fame islasting and one is ensured of being sang about by minstrels in the farcorners of the known world. It would be common then for young mento eagerly prove themselves in battle. One has to excel as is today toreally become relevant. Fame was central in young mens efforts likeBeowulf.