Examples Of Glory In Beowulf

Glory exists today as a more muted idea, something usually not strived for but gained along with winning and success. However, in Anglo-Saxon culture many centuries ago, glory to them was a concept that was a bigger-than-life sort of deal. Glory today is not often something many people die for, though the same could not have been said for the Anglo-Saxons. For some warriors, it was the sheer force of glory that acted as the core of their determination, their reason for existing; their motivations lingering around the idea of existing even in death, as their name would live on. In the poem Beowulf, a warrior had the opportunity to gain the utmost of glory. His strength and willpower assisted him on the journey to make a name for himself even when he is dead.

Beowulf had done the unthinkable—he had killed a demon that no warrior of Denmark could have done. This opened several new doors for Beowulf, including one that promised of honor, glory, and riches. Beowulf had achieved his goal of fame, a goal which had created a poem of a hero that birthed and shaped a story to be told even years later. Furthermore, Beowulf’s fame was set in stone by Hrothgar, the king who owed Beowulf his everything, including his thanks. After giving Beowulf the speech to further glorify his prominence, Hrothgar declares, “Glory is now yours/ Forever and ever; your courage has earned it,/ And your strength” (953-956). Beowulf’s life had been remolded by his victory, building a story beyond his