'A close reading of Beowulf Essay\r'

'The epic poem Beowulf contains contradictions well-nigh the heroic character of the protagonist Beowulf. Two sure public lifes in Beowulf, whiz at the beginning of the school text and one near the end, offer evidence of inconsistencies deep down Beowulf’s character. We must(prenominal) ask one suspense of the poem’s protagonist: Is he rightfully the hero he claims to be? Certain aspects of Beowulf’s integrity, mainly his comprises some large number’s perceptions of him, contradict the conventional classification of a hero.\r\nThe legend of Beowulf begins with office Hrothgar, who is in a dilemma because Grendel, an evil monster, has been unremittingly fight Heorot for twelve years. Beowulf, a warrior and thane of the Geat King Hygelac, hears of this and decides that he must go to Heorot to abet Hrothgar, for he is the alone one who can accomplish this ample feat:\r\n;He announced his plan:\r\nto sail the swan’s road and seek out th at king,\r\nthat famous prince who require defenders.\r\nNobody tried to keep him from going,\r\nNo old denied him, dear as he was to them.\r\nInstead they inspected omens and spurred\r\nHis ambition to go […] (200-209).\r\nThis passage is one of the initiative introductions to Beowulf as a character. The sentence â€Å"…prince who need defenders” portrays Beowulf as a appalling warrior, well respected at home. He would â€Å"seek out that king,” the king who necessary Beowulf the great warrior. Here, the poet’s word choice implies that Beowulf is fearless. Beowulf hunch forwards that he is the only one who can help Hrothgar, the â€Å"famous prince who needed defenders.” But Hrothgar had other warriors who helped to defend Heorot from Grendel, â€Å"…powerful counselors, the utmostest in the land, would lend advice, plotting how best the bold defenders might scorn and beat off sudden attacks” (171-74). Here, it is eviden t that Beowulf has told a lie. It is non true that Hrothgar needed defenders. Although Hrothgar had defenders that whitethorn need been unsuccessful in the slaying of the monster, that does not impeach that he needed defenders, or more specifically, Beowulf himself.\r\nA different version of how the elders viewed Beowulf becomes app arent after his rejoicing conquers of both Grendel and his mother. Beowulf returns home to be greeted with this speech from Hygelac:\r\nâ€Å"How did you grapple on your foreign voyage,\r\ndear Beowulf, when you abruptly pertinacious\r\nto sail away across the salt weewee\r\nand fight at Heorot? Did you help Hrothgar\r\n ofttimes in the end? […] (1987-1991).\r\nApparently, Hygelac did not fully support Beowulf’s ambitions to rescue Heorot. It is obvious Hygelac views Beowulf’s undertaking as childish and quite impulsive, which is made clear by his using of the word â€Å"abruptly.” When Hygelac says â€Å"did you help Hrothgar much in the end?” he doubts Beowulf’s ability to subdue Grendel. It is obvious that he did not think he would see Beowulf alive again. This feeling is reinforced a few lines later when Hygelac says, â€Å"I dreaded the publication of your expedition […]” (1993-94).\r\nThe sudden apprehensiveness on Hygelac’s part creates a sharp contrast to the first introduction to Beowulf, where he is seemingly the Geat’s fall warrior, who could not be defeated; â€Å"he was the mightiest gentleman on earth” (197). This poses the question; are we to mean boththing Beowulf has said so far in telling to his heroic accomplishments? Does this contradiction make him a prevaricator? If he is a liar, does it diminish the feats he has achieved, such(prenominal) as the slaying of Grendel and Grendel’s mother?\r\nanother(prenominal) one of Beowulf’s contradictory lies can be found within these passages. The first passage states t hat â€Å"… no elder denied him,” while in the second passage the poet’s words, such as when Hygelac asks Beowulf if he â€Å"helped Hrothgar much in the end,” imply that the Geats were less than thrilled about Beowulf’s conclusiveness to go to Heorot. It is obvious that Hygelac’s words are contemptuous and that he is not asking Beowulf what happened at Heorot because he truly wants to know if Heorot is saved. Hygelac is asking Beowulf in a mocking expressive style because the elders did indeed deny Beowulf in his endeavor to help Heorot.\r\nEvidence of the true sentiments toward Beowulf from his kin can be seen when the poet writes â€Å"he had been poorly regarded for a long time, was interpreted by the Geats for less than he was worth: and their passkey too had never much esteemed him in the mead-hall”(2183-2186). This sentence explains that Beowulf was not held in such high esteem as he would have liked. His decision to go to He orot is an attempt to assert his worth to his family and people because they â€Å"firmly believed he lacked force, that the prince was a weakling […]”(2187-88). Beowulf, who holds Hygelac in high regard, wants to defeat Grendel to make Hygelac proud.\r\nIf Beowulf is a weakling, how is it that he was the only one able to fight and defeat the indestructible Grendel? Beowulf somehow knows that it is his destiny to defeat Grendel, which may be the true reason for â€Å"abruptly” decision making to travel to Heorot. For twelve years, no one in Heorot could stop Grendel. They tried time and again to eliminate him by using any kind of munition they could forge. How is it that a newly arrived foreigner defeat Grendel without any armor or weapons? It must be because immortal had helped the â€Å"hero.” This is apparent in Beowulf’s many references to immortal: â€Å"Whichever one death fells must deem it a just judgment by God” (440-41) and â⠂¬Å"the Geat place complete trust in his strength of subdivision in the Lord’s favor” (669-670).\r\nThe Oxford slope dictionary defines a hero as â€Å"a man distinguished by extraordinary chivalry and martial achievements; one who does sunny or noble deeds; an illustrious warrior.” Valor, braveness and nobility are not characteristics usually found in people who are liars. Noble warriors do not have to lie to assert their worth, their actions speak for themselves. Brave warriors do not lie because they are courageous and do not fear anything, especially the truth. Because one cannot be brave and noble while also beingness a liar, and because being brave and noble are characteristics of being a hero, it is clear that Beowulf cannot be called a hero.\r\n'