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Fiona Cheng

Mrs. Dill

British Literature

3 March 2020

Beowulf: Teach What You Preach

One of England’s earliest settlers were the Anglo-Saxons, who shared and preserved their

culture through literature. During this time, the composition of literature was socially equivalent

to hunting, fighting, loving, and farming; therefore, people often looked to these works as

valuable lessons (Leeming 13). By composing these early works, the Anglo-Saxons created a

precedent for future literature, spreading admirable mannerisms from their culture throughout the

world. An example of an early Anglo-Saxon work is Beowulf, an epic poem written by

Anonymous. The epic poem tells of a hero, named Beowulf, on a quest to vanquish a distant land

of a monster, Grendel. Throughout the poem, there are many displays of admired Anglo-Saxon

mannerisms and virtues. Some of the celebrated virtues in Beowulf include bravery and courage,

loyalty, and generosity. Beowulf is an educational tool used to teach Anglo-Saxon values and

beliefs by presenting morals that demonstrate and accentuate their ideologies.

Bravery and courage are two characteristics that our society has admired for ages in many

different forms. In the Anglo-Saxon society, bravery and courage are attributes essential to a

successful hero, which is evident in Beowulf’s battles. For instance, Beowulf travels far to aid

Hrothgar in ending Grendel’s reign of terror. The prince of the Geats willingly chooses to battle

Grendel and voluntarily risking his life, all while knowing little of man kind’s enemy. In Canto

4, he recalls, “Now Grendel’s/ Name has echoed in our land: Sailors/ Have brought us stories of

Herot” (ll. 143-145). Beowulf has merely heard of rumors regarding Grendel’s wrath, yet he

demonstrates great courage to carry out his duties regardless of the rumors. In contrast, many

failed to accomplish what Beowulf was able to do simply due to giving in to cowardice and fear.

If there were an instance where Beowulf gave into any hesitation or fear, there is a high
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possibility of costing his life or possibly the lives of others. To demonstrate, when Beowulf

returns to slay Grendel’s mother, he obliges, despite knowing that the she-wolf lives at the

bottom of a lake associated with death itself. Even knowing this, it is not enough to stop Beowulf

as “he leaped into the lake” (l. 570). Unlike the other Danes, Beowulf can stare fear in the face

and conquer it rather than give in to it. Ultimately, his bravery and courage allow him to become

the great hero that he is by overcoming fear to execute the task at hand.

Akin to courage and bravery, loyalty is also an important aspect to the Anglo-Saxons,

often requiring absolute devotion and promise of commitment to a leader. However, rather than

simply providing the reader with a story of undying devotion and commitment, the epic poem

displays an example that is offensive to Anglo-Saxon values. After Grendel first attacks Herot,

an omnipresent fear of Grendel plagues the people. The pervasive distress consumes the people

of Herot as they realize that “distance was safety; the only survivors/ were those who fled him”

(ll. 57-58). In this case, the people of Herot flee and they give into Grendel’s twelve winters of

grief, relinquishing the loyalty in the bond between them and Hrothgar. Furthermore, this

exemplifies how everything begins to fall apart after the loyalty and trust breaks between the

subject and leader. In another instance, many years later, Beowulf finds himself in the position of

leader while bringing eleven men with him into battle. In Canto 14, the text reveals, “And he

suffered, wrapped around in swirling/ Flames–a king, before, but now/ A beaten warrior. None

of his comrades/ Came to him” (ll. 744-747). Beowulf, abandoned by his men during his most

crucial times in need, caused him to become vulnerable to the dragon’s relentless attacks.

Moreover, the strength, bravery, and courage a hero encompass mean nothing without the

presence of loyalty to a leader.

Generosity is a mannerism often taught but occasionally implemented per one's own

moral compass. The characteristic of generosity featured in Anglo-Saxon works to showcase its

importance in maintaining bonds between people. To begin with, the repayment of a warrior’s

efforts exist through wealth shared between lord and thane. Before Beowulf set out to slay the
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water-witch, a “heaped up ancient treasure” motivates him (l. 568). The promise of a reward in

treasure acts as an incentive for Beowulf to continue to battle for and carry out his duty for

whomever he is working under. Likewise, the system shows effectiveness in maintaining loyalty

between lords and thanes and supports the idea of repaying good deeds. Additionally, Beowulf

demonstrates this in Canto 16, which shows, “What I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people,/ Help them;

my time is gone” (ll. 808-809). With this Beowulf is demonstrating that bravery, loyalty, and

hard work can be rewarding, as he gives a hero the throne for his deeds. In brief, generosity is the

foundation between strong bonds and rewarding good deeds.

In the end, the culmination of all Anglo-Saxon virtues creates the ideal epic hero.

Beowulf exemplifies the bravery and courage, loyalty, and generosity it takes to become the

great warrior and leader. As a consequence, the tale of such a great hero is inspiring to those who

read the work. Readers will idolize the accomplishments of Beowulf and possibly instill some of

the Anglo-Saxon values into their own lives. The many battles endured by the great warrior show

that a successful fighter must be brave to take on great obstacles. To elaborate, without courage

and bravery, a hero will find difficulty in overcoming conflicts, and ,in turn, slow the progression

or growth of the hero. Strong bonds between people can also overcome obstacles; however, this

trust and devotion could become one’s downfall if broken. As demonstrated in the text, the

fleeing of loyal subjects foreseeably induced the ruin of communities. Loyalty, reinforced

through the generosity of a leader, creates a motive for a subject to stay devoted and carry out

duties. For these reasons, Beowulf is an excellent literary work for spreading Anglo-Saxon

ideologies and accentuating their beliefs.