Naomi Danielle Hipwood 10/20/11 1st

Beowulf: a Journey of Wisdom

Beowulf, an Anglo Saxon poem of an epic hero, is a traditional story of loyalty, courage and strength. The poem depicts a man staying true to himself through all the hardships he and his men endure. He continually shows us what it means to be a hero while still dealing with the consequences of good and evil. Beowulf is an excellent example of a man's journey from adolescence to old age, a growth in wisdom about one's self, and the world gained through the pain and triumph of experience. One of the more prominent aspects that the poem introduces to us is its portrayal of mans journey. The journey that the characters go through is not only geographical but also physical. Both Beowulf and Grendel demonstrate this. "He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born of cain." (p. 21, lines 19-21) Grendel's birth was the beginning of his development as a character and a monster. Another illsutration of the physical journey in the poem is when Beowulf is first introduced to us. His first appearance is when he is a young man, hungry for battle and victory. After his defeat of Grendel, he stays and enjoys the luxuries that Herot, the city the poem takes place in, has to offer. Later in life, Beowulf, now the king of Herot, is a much older man. He is attempting to thwart the dragon from destroying his kingdom and in doing so, is killed. "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. I shall win the gold by my courage, or else

mortal combat, doom of battle, will bear your lord away." (p. 43-44, lines 682-87) He knew that in taking on the dragon by himself, he would be destroyed. his courage and strength of his sacrifice is admirable, and shows that he has in fact grown wiser as well as older. Mans emotional and physical journey through life is one of the many things learnt in Beowulf, but it is not the most important. Another theme of Beowulf is the growth of wisdom about one's self. Unferth and Beowulf both show wisdom in one's self. "As boys, Brecca and I had boasted we were both too young to know better." (p. 27, lines 268-69). Beowulf reflected back, where as Unferth shows wisdom in himself to stop talking when Beowulf makes a point. Also, Beowulf shows more wisdom in his older years when he fights the dragon. Beowulf realizes he is dying after slaying the dragon and asks to see what he will be leaving his kingdom with which shows huge loyalty to his kingdom. "... I give thanks that I behold this treasure here in front of me, that I have been thus allowed to leave my people so well endowed on the day I die." (p. 47, lines 803-06) Beowulf's loyalty to his kingdom shows great wisdom and growth before his untimely death. His life experiences of the world helped in that growth. The final theme seen throughout this poem is the world gained through pain, triumph and experience. There are quite a few examples of this throughout Beowulf. First, when he defeated Grendel and took his arm, "The victory, for the proof, hanging high from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monsters arm, claw and shoulder and all." (p. 34, lines 515-17). When Beowulf went to kill both Grendel and Grendel's mother he decapitated both of them to show his triumph and experience in defeating them. The pain that was shown appeared when he understood that he couldn't slay the

dragon without dying himself. "Beowulf fought and fate denied him glory in battle." (p. 45, lines 724-25) Beowulf endured a lot of life experiences all of which made him a stronger, wiser person. The poem is still read to this day because it shows the growth of knowledge and sense through experiences. Beowulf is an excellent example of a man's journey from adolescence to old age, a growth in wisdom about one's self, and the world gained through the pain and triumph of experience. It's hard to think of one person going through so much but in the end, it made him a better person. The reason that this poem is so relatable, even if the context is a little outlandish, is because people of every kind experience their own evils and need to overcome them by some means. There may not be dragons, or hideous creatures with protective crazy parents, but everyone has their own type of monsters to deal with. Our world is built around experiences of gains and losses. People do grow older and wiser and lose and gaint hings in their life as they attempt to conquer their fears.