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Masculinity In Beowulf

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Beowulf the Artificial Man Over the course of history, the righteous identity of masculinity has been tainted by the stereotypical profile that is governed by machoism. These stereotypes eliminate any emotions, activities, and beliefs that exhibit weakness. These stereotypes cause men to seek unrelenting physical strength, a mind of iron, and isolation. However, these are only stereotypes; a man is something much more than attempting to live their life as a masquerade. A perfect example of a man following this mockery of masculinity is the title character hailing from the epic Beowulf. Beowulf is an overwhelmingly powerful individual who boasts of his valor, honor, and strength. In the epic, he takes on tremendous challenges that he brought upon himself through his vainglorious personality. In the epic, Beowulf fits all of the classic stereotypes associated with men in modern society; however, the topic regarding Beowulf’s masculinity is highly controversial. Stereotypical traits should not govern masculinity. Therefore, Beowulf is in fact not a real man; utilizing a poem written by Rudyard Kipling and a Ted talk presented by Connor Beaton, Beowulf's manhood will be unveiled and shattered in a new light.
In Kipling's poem “If”, he portrays the true essence of a man as someone who is modest. Being a man is not as …show more content…

A man embodies the value of modesty and is sincere to himself. Consequently, Beowulf abandons his manhood through his vainglorious personality and his desire to be a lone wolf. As a result of Beowulf seeking to fulfill the stereotypes of what a man is, his foolhardy attempt of being a man spearheads him directly to his demise. Thus, Beowulf will be forever marked down in history as a sure-shot example of the masquerade of masculinity rather than a real

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