In the world of Beowulf, a man's good name is his key to immortality. He already has a favorable reputation, but he is eager for more achievements that will add to his good name. To King Hrothgar (418 ff.), he properly reveals more: Beowulf once killed a tribe of giants and has driven enemies from his homeland. Beowulf mentions his father's accomplishments and reputation as well as his king, Hygelac, and his people, the Geats. As the coastal guard first approaches the Geats, he asks about Beowulf's lineage (251). Reputation is a key theme of the poem and of central importance to Beowulf. He is out to establish a name for himself. When he arrives in Hrothgar's kingdom, the hero of the epic is still a very young man. The most dominating example of this is the life of Beowulf himself. Tolkien (" Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," Proceedings of the British Academy, XXII, 245-95) argues that the central structural motif of Beowulf is the balance between beginnings and endings, of youth and age. In a seminal lecture, often anthologized (see CliffsNotes Resource Center), English novelist and scholar J. He has arrived to help the Scyldings for 12 years, a mighty man-like ogre named Grendel has menaced Hrothgar's great mead-hall, Heorot, terrorizing and devouring the Danes. Just as important is the way that the young warrior (not much more than 20 years of age) carries himself the Geat has the bearing of a noble leader, a champion, perhaps a prince. We are soon told that he has the strength of 30 men in his hand-grip. The Scylding coastal guard points out that he has never seen "a mightier noble, / a larger man" (247-48) even though he has held this office and served his king, Hrothgar, for many years, watching all kinds of warriors come and go. The reader is first introduced to Beowulf as he disembarks from his ship, having just arrived in the land of the Danes (Scyldings) from his home in Geatland.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |