Beowulf: Identity Revealed

Beowulf: Identity Revealed

        The epic poem Beowulf is a story of heroism and strength on the surface. However, with a close examination of the literary aspects of the text, there is a continuation of Beowulf’s struggle to establish a sense of self. If the overarching theme throughout Beowulf is the importance of creating an identity, both as a king and a hero, then there is supporting evidence through the literary elements of conflict, plot, and foreshadowing.  These literary elements establish and uncover the theme of the crucialness of producing a powerful sense of self.

        While reading the poem it is evident that there was a conflict between man vs. supernatural. Beowulf slayed 3 monsters, as well as others that were alluded to within the text. The most important conflict however, is the conflict of man vs. self. Beowulf struggles throughout the entire poem trying to conquer his true identity. According to the book, Beowulf’s Last Triumph, each monster was less dangerous than the one before. His conflict with himself to protect his reputation is to blame for his death, not the wrath of the dragon. His death is ironic because he dies at the hands of a monster, which is what he had been chasing his entire life to prove he was a warrior. While he was fighting the dragon, he was still fighting within himself over whether he should hang on to his glory, as seen in lines 2677-2680. It states, “Inspired again, by the thought of glory, the war-king threw his whole strength behind a sword stroke and connected with the skull.” Beowulf’s true conflict was with himself, over attempting to figure out who he should be in the world. He struggled with the question of being a warrior for himself or the king that sacrifices for his people. He did not know who he was, which is the source of conflict. The conflict allows the audience to understand that while Beowulf was slaying the supernatural, he was also fighting to prove to himself that he was the best.

        Throughout the poem, the plot can be separated into two parts. When Beowulf is in his prime, versus when he is in his old age. Beowulf defeats the Grendel and its mother while he is a brave youth. During this time, he is trying to prove himself a fearless hero. An example of this is when he first meets Hrothgar in lines 419-426. He immediately begins to brag about his past adventures and victories in attempts to establish a credible reputation as a warrior. While Hrothgar would have let him attempt to slaughter the Grendel without hearing about his victories, it is crucial to the literary structure of Beowulf building himself a sense of identity as a ruthless warrior. The poem then fast forwards 50 years to when Beowulf is the King of the Geats. He is introduced to a new monster to defeat, yet this time its wreaking havoc on his own kingdom. Unlike Hrothgar, Beowulf took on the dragon himself instead of letting a warrior take care of the job, again trying to prove himself. Except this time, he is struggling with his kingship identity. Like Hrothgar, a king would normally have a warrior defeat the monster because the king plays such a vital role in the kingdoms survival, and they cannot take the risk. However, Beowulf wants to prove himself as a warrior, while still holding the responsibilities of being a king. In lines 2532- 2537, He continues to explain that no one can decide, but him, who will win the battle. He will either emerge with glory, or they will be without a king. It says “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.” Even though Beowulf is a king and has a duty to protect his people, he continues to fight to protect his reputation instead. Ultimately Beowulf got what he wanted, which was to die with glory and fulfill his sense of a heroic identity even if it meant leaving his kingdom in despair. The plot being split into two parts allows the reader to understand that Beowulf is trying to balance between his old reputation as a ruthless warrior, versus his honor as a king.

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