Gold And Gold In Beowulf Essay

The dragon had been hoarding gold for centuries, and the intruder’s miserly view of treasure has sharp contrast to the liberal meaning at the beginning of the poem. Beowulf does eventually win the gold hoard after killing the dragon, but it is a somewhat hollow victory. While he is glad to leave such a legacy for his people, Beowulf looks at it sadly, no doubt wondering whether his sacrifice was worth the reward. This time, the gold gifts do not bring him the same kind of honor. They are not given as a gift or as a reward; instead they are the spoils of a battle to the death, which is why the treasure was buried around him at his funeral pyre, so no one could gain the treasure that lead to the death of their

Anglo-Saxons, the clans that ran Old England and led Britain, used bards and Scops to tell their stories. These bards and Scops, honored members of society, passed their oral traditions down the generations. A well-known epic poem told by the Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf, about an epic hero, who leads the Geats in many well-known victories, demonstrates various beliefs that the Anglo-Saxons had. Throughout time, the epic became continuously passed down was changed and evolved into the version that exists today. Which was written into text by Christian Monks, who added here and there parts of their own religion to the epic, leading to the well-known epic today. Moreover, through Beowulf, the reader has the ability to take some of their values and apply them to their life, and the overall human condition. These values and traits include, Honor, Bravery, and Loyalty, which considering their time they have become some of the most valuable traits in a person, and even a valiant warrior.

That guerdon is best For the noble man when his name survives him.” (Lines 898-900)  Beowulf wants to be remember for something heroic, so he fights Grendel’s Mom. He fights for fame and

Throughout the story of Beowulf, the titular warrior develops from a nameless heir into a beloved king through his heroic feats and honorable features. His tale to and from nobility is both unique in its individual steps and normal in its incarnation of cyclical nobility. This theme of nobility is introduced in the opening passage of Beowulf through an analysis of Shield Sheafson's sources of nobility and legacy of power which are demonstrated from an account of his life and a detail of his elaborate funeral.

Furthermore, Beowulf’s death and the downfall of his people highlight the destruction caused by excessive pride. After defeating Grendel and his mother, Beowulf , the warrior, earns a name for himself and eventually rules as the warrior king of the Geats for 50 years. Yet at the end of the poem, Beowulf, similarly to Grendel, lets his insatiable greed consume him. His self-centered desire to gain and maintain fame and glory overrides his duties as a leader of his people, the Geats, and causes him to become irrational. He irrationally decides to battle with the dragon that was causing mayhem in his kingdom alone.

Beowulf attempted to comfort Hrothgar and the warriors by exclaiming, “Let your sorrow end! It is better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever”. He then aims to convince Hrothgar that “for the glory of his name, fame after death is the noblest of goals”. Beowulf believes it is worth dying for a good

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/

Anglo-Saxon is a culture that has a lot of belief in fate, treasure is their success, and where loyalty to a leader is crucial. The excerpt identifies all these qualities of Anglo-Saxon because Beowulf says that “the woven war-garment, adorned with gold covered my breast... Fate will often spare an undoomed man, if his courage is good... But soon, quite soon, I shall show him the strength, the spirit and skill of the Geats" (470-471, 490-491, 518-520). The gold on his chest represents the treasure and success, he also mentions fate when he speaks, and his loyalty to King Hrothgar promising that he will defeat Grendel with his warriors.

Now if he were the hubris, self concerned king that we thought he was he would’ve ignored or just thrown some of his men at it. Or he may have helped but then he would’ve done it for all the riches the dragon has kept in it's lair, but instead he took up his sword and made it his duty to take care of the dragon. Now when he went to fight the dragon the first time his sword failed against it and that is when he knew he needed help. He then found Wiglaf who stayed when everyone else ran, but when they went to fight the dragon again Beowulf was mortally wounded as he was struck in the neck by the dragon's poisonous bite. As he was living his final minutes Wiglaf saw the true hero in Beowulf as he saw the way he was looking at the gold in such a selfless way.

Beowulf is willing to risk his life by battling battles to protect the people. There are three main battles. The first battled Beowulf had to fight was against Grendel. The second battle, Beowulf had to fight was against Grendel's mother. The third battle, Beowulf fight was against a dragon. Tangible riches are things that are able to be touched or felt. Gold is an example of tangible riches. Intangible glory is something that is unable to be touched, but it is unable to be felt. Love is an example of intangible glory.

In particular, Beowulf’s action of traveling to the land of the Danes to save them from Grendel and his mother is a noble act. However, the motive of this decision is fueled by the hero’s desire for greed, fame, and power. After returning from his quest, Beowulf informs his king, Hygelac, “‘Thus the king acted with due custom. I was paid and recompensed completely, given full measure and the freedom to choose from Hrothgar's treasures by Hrothgar himself’” (Heaney 2144-2149).

Though it is fiction, readers can comprehend Anglo-Saxon thoughts and their concepts of heroism, life and death. Anglo-Saxon culture valued strength, honor, courage, loyalty, and fearlessness. Beowulf was a hero because he was strong, loyal, brave, honorable, and fearless. He wanted to be remembered beyond the years of his life. These values in heroes has not disappeared like its culture.

He was only trying to help out King Hrothgar and wanted to fight. Although defeating Grendel was not enough Grendel 's mother had to be defeated to for trying to kill people in the town. Beowulf took the challenge. When Beowulf goes to her he feels as if though he is going to die. She takes him to her lair Beowulf fears for his life until they get inside the lair.

With knowledge from his previous fight, Beowulf realizes that he must wear armor and have a weapon in order to have a fair fight against the beast’s mother. Hrothgar’s wife, Wealhtheow, supplies the hero with chain mail armor. The armor signifies the Danes’ belief in Beowulf’s victory. “The mesh of the chain-mail/saved him on the outside,” or else the monster’s claws would have killed him instantly (1503-1504). Beowulf then obtains the sword Hrunting from a coward named Unferth.

Unquestionably, Beowulf is a hero, so in this case, his pride is more acceptable and respectable. Although haughty at first glance, this tremendous conqueror reflects certain keenness for integrity, distinction, and exaltation without necessarily gloating. He performs a selfless act when he 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” (Beowulf 2532-2537). Not only does the noble hero express self-sacrifice for his people at this instant, but he also contradicts this act by having prideful means in his decision to fight the dragon.