Answer TWO of the
following in a short paragraph each…
1. What general philosophy
of life does the poet seem to embody? Where in the text can you read or sense this? Is it explicit (does the poet come out and
say this), or is it more implicit, built into the story itself?
2. On page 87, when
everyone is celebrating the death of Grendel and the libration of Hrothgar’s
hall, the poet writes: “how could they know fate,/the grim shape of things to
come,/the threat looming over many thanes/as night approas moched and King Hrothgar
prepared/to retire to his quarters?”
Based on the logic of the poem (and the values of the poet’s day), why
does wyrd/fate continue to ‘punish’ the hall if God wanted Beowulf to destroy
Grendel? Why are they afflicted by
Grendel’s mother as well?
3. The only real
description we get of Grendel and his mother occurs on page 95, when Hrothgar
says “One of these things...looks like a woman; the other, warped/in the shape
of a man, moves beyond the pale/bigger than any man, an unnatural birth.” Though the poet often claims that they are
the spawn of Cain, evil incarnate, some critics suggest that the poet invests
them with a subversive humanity. Where
might we see this in the poem? How might
the poet make us question a strict good/evil reading of the poem?
4. Though Beowulf is quite a ‘manly’ poem, three
women appear briefly in its pages: Wealhtheow (Hrothgar’s wife), Hygd (wife of
Beowulf’s chief, Hygelac), and Modthryth (the ‘evil’ wife of Offa). Assuming that Beowulf is somewhat culturally accurate, what view of women does
the poem offer us? What was their role
in society? Related to this, what role
do they play in the poem? Given their
almost ‘walk-on’ roles, why include them at all?
3. Since Grendel and his mother were both descendants of Cain, they suffered the same fate, only they were turned into monsters. It's almost as if Grendel was jealous of the human race because he wanted to be accepted by them. Grendel didn't have a say so in his fate by God, and has to live in condemned torment for his whole existence. Because of his jealous, however, he wants vengeance for himself. It seems, in a sense, that Grendel wants to attest his own fate, but he does so by murdering those who God forbid him to live among. I'm not taking Grendel's side by any means, but the poet has a few passive lines that sort of make the readers feel sympathy towards them. When Grendel is defeated, there's a line that says (paraphrased) he hobbles back to the only thing that he knows, but the one thing that he knows can't help. Grendel and his mother were both abominations by God, but were only treated as such because of their lineage.
ReplyDelete4. According to the poet, women were "peace-keepers" (of which Modthryth definitely was not). Modthryth and Hygd were foils in the poem, so their behaviors were completely different. Women were to wait on men, which was typical during that time and for many years after. They did have some power, but only if they were queens. They weren't to, " . . . punish the innocent with loss of life for imagined insults," (much like Modthryth did). A good woman made good deeds and had unbreakable loyalty to her husband. She has good manners as well. I think the mention of the three queens were added to add emphasis on what a devout king was. After Hrothgar gives his speech to Beowulf about what it is to be a good king, the mention of the two queens, Modthryth and Hygd, follow. Out of amusement, I felt like the poet was saying, in modern terms, "Behind every great man, there's an even greater woman."
Yes, Grendel is doomed as an outsider both by God (if we believe the poet) and by the Danes. And yet, he attacks only because the Danes have invaded his land and make too damn much noise--he doesn't seem to do it entirely unprovoked. And his mother has even more humanity and follows very recognizable emotions such as loss, fear, and revenge. The poem is constantly making us question the nature of man and the nature of beasts, and whether the ancient heroes could rise about it--or perhaps, if only God can help us surmount our inner natures.
Delete2. If fate is active in dealing with death, what good would fate be if it didn’t place death on anyone? Everything fate does either shows someone death or prepares the way for someone to find it. Is fate truly punishing, or is it only fulfilling its purpose? With God in the picture, just because He wills something to happen doesn’t mean everything aligns to His will, but matters of will is a whole other discussion of its own. God is active to the Anglo-Saxons just as fate is – sometimes God is accredited to events that take place, and sometimes it is fate. I suppose it depends on the condition of the matter. God would obviously be attributed to happy times while fate is attributed to the opposite. In the case of why Grendel’s mother attacks the Danes, I can think of two possible reasons that share the common familial denominator. The first, Beowulf killed her son. What mother would not want to avenge the death of her child? Secondly, she, being descendent of Cain, is a descendent of evil. Cain was outcast. She is outcast. Cain was outcast by God. Grendel’s mother must feel some sort of animosity towards The Lord of all that is good and holy; therefore, she attacks the nation who at least seems to give glory to God.
ReplyDelete4. Every woman mentioned up to this point in the poem seem to be held in a high regard. Wealhtheow sits among men in the mead-hall and is allowed to speak triumphantly before the gathering. Hygd is considered thoughtful and generous. Modthryth, though initially evil, marries and her character was brightened by her husband as well as her father as she was known for her good deeds. Women were also considered care-takers. On page 133, the poet states, “A queen should weave peace…” and are not all women queen of their homes? Though Wealhtheow was honored by the men, she was still responsible for dealing out food and drink to the warriors. Women in this age were meant to be servants, thoughtful, strong, and the image of love. A good reason to include them in the story is to show both sides of humanity. Apart from the roles of the women, all the reader gathers from the poem is rage, battle, and destruction. The women remind the reader that peace is alive. Men fight for their homes and the women keep them with stout minds and radiant hearts.
Great responses--we didn't get time to talk about the women, but you'll notice that the women are indeed "peace weavers," and they are the only ones who seem to think about the future and lay plans for it. Wealhtheow makes sure Beowulf protects her sons and makes him pledge on it, so that there will be a continuation of their clan. Beowful, himself, never seems to think of this--to his people's peril.
Delete3. Lines 1345-1361 fully enforce my belief that critic suggestions directly correlate with the poet’s claims—Grendel and his mother are spawns of Cain and, therefore, are representations of perverted humanity. Human beings are not perfect. The allusion to Cain means the audience should assume Grendel and his mother have human attributes, even if they are unsavory. “One of these things...looks like a woman; the other, warped in the shape of a man,” (lines 1349-1352). As the passage continues, the poet says Grendel and his mother come from an “unnatural birth” and “are fatherless creatures.” These characteristics allude to Cain himself. Cain was the son of Adam—the first man created by God (according to Christianity). Cain’s parents were the ones that brought sin into the world. Because sin was not a part of God’s plan, Cain’s actions were as unnatural as Grendel’s warped appearance. Cain represented the darkest part of humanity. He murdered his own brother and was banished for it. However, his actions prove just how human he is. I believe that Grendel and his mother, descendants of Cain, were meant to represent the worst side of humanity. I also believe that this is why Beowulf could only rely on his strength to defeat them. Though Grendel and his mother are definitely antagonists in this story, you can’t strictly call them “evil” without first claiming to be perfect.
ReplyDelete4. Including women in Beowulf further validates the idea that men were meant to be served. Men were meant to serve their kings, and women were meant to serve men. The description of women in this story shows that this culture believed women should be well mannered, thoughtful, loving, and peaceful caregivers. Fortunately, men did not appear to blatantly disrespect their women (though they may invalidate their actions and behavior occasionally). You can tell women are important in this culture so long as they fit into the two dimensional roles given to them. If you were to step out of bounds, like Modthryth, they would most definitely not approve of your actions regardless of how beautiful you are. “Even a queen outstanding in beauty must not overstep like that. A queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent with loss of life for imagined insults,” (lines 1940-1943). In Beowulf, women give supportive speeches and take care of men. Haereth’s daughter did her duty by walking around with a mead-jug during the feast on page 135 and making sure the entire company had full cups. According to this culture, actions like that are what represent true womanhood.
Yes, he introduces us to "monsters," tells us they're monsters, and then slowly shows us passages that slightly contradict it. And then the heroes act a bit monstrous themselves at times. In a very modern fashion, the poet can't help showing the monster as a mother, and someone who fights with the outside world very unwillingly and then only for revenge. We also learn that Grendel only attacked the hall because it was so damn noisy and he felt it was invading his turf. Does mankind do any less?
Delete1. I would say that the poet’s philosophy is that of a Christian view point. While Beowulf is the main character, he isn’t the best and most direct gauge of the poet’s views, rather he is the example of a person who may be struggling to live according to these views. If anything Beowulf tends to play the role of the tragic-epic hero in this story because his life could depend on the decisions that he makes. Which plays into the Christian belief in that humans are given free will by God and they can decide if they will follow towards the path of righteousness or follow their own selfish worldly desires, and that, in the end, they will either be rewarded or punished accordingly. This is evident in the story told by Hrothgar on page 117 and 119 about King Heremond. Hrothgar says “…even though Almighty God had made him eminent and powerful and marked him from the start for a happy life. But a change happened, he grew bloodthirsty… He suffered in the end… his life lost happiness” (p. 119, lines 1716 to 1722). Beowulf has had a few chances in the story to have been selfish and act only according to his name and pride’s sake, but he also has opportunities to be generous and humble. I believe that Beowulf, after his fight with Grendel’s mother, may be shifting more towards a mindset that believes in God more than fate. For example, in page 115 lines 1656-1660, Beowulf mentions that only by the grace of God he was saved from death in that battle. Beowulf also mentioned that while Hrunting, the sword, was “hard-edged”, he couldn’t make it properly function while he was battling Grendel’s mother, instead he ended up having to use ancient sword that he believes God led him to. Which could symbolize the shift from Beowulf’s belief in superstition to the belief in the strength and power of God.
ReplyDelete3. I think my answer to this question will, somewhat, go back to my previous answer. I believe that the poet’s tale of Beowulf isn’t so much only a fight between good/evil. But the plight that humans have to choose between living the life God has planned and the life that Satan will tempt us with. Maybe Grendel and his mother are not literally the “spawn of Cain” but maybe that saying is a Kenning referring to the fact that they both come from, or fell into, the same sin and darkness that Cain fell into. Maybe Grendel and his mother are the demons and monsters that “spawn” from the evil and sinful acts of humans, meaning that in turn they would take a monstrous form of a human.
Yes, Beowulf is the main character in a sense, but definitely not a proponent of the poet's world view. Indeed, he uses Beowulf as a way of showing what was good about the old world and also why it died out. A man who has to die in glory cannot be the best leader--ultimately, he will make a selfish choice and abandon his people. This is more or less what happens with the dragon, and with Beowulf's refusal to provide an heir (or so we have to assume, since it should have been easy enough to have a son in 60 years!). The poet shows us his own values shining through the glory of the past, which he admires, but also feels regret for, since they didn't lead to a golden age but more destruction and warfare.
Delete2. This question I believe does not have simply one answer; the variation of the answer will be based on the viewpoints on who or what the “Catalyst” of the story is. If one was looking and saying that “Fate” is altogether on the side of Beowulf and producing the outcome, it could be the case that Fate merely allowed Grendel to come forth so that Beowulf could rise to fame as a great warrior. However, if God is both in charged and supposed to be the only God being served, as previously said in class discussion, then it could be the case that God is punishing them through horrific, yet embarrassing means by the descendants of Cain for their worship of pagan idols and has now brought someone to save them, after disciplining them for a season as seen in the Bible. This idea of helping is not an uncharacterized thought because individuals can look throughout the Bible and see God delivering his people from different things; eventually from their sins forever with Jesus coming down to earth and dying on the cross for the sins of humanity if they would attempt him. During the battle with Grendel’s mother, the writer does allude to God being in control by stating, “Holy God decided the victory” in line 1553.
ReplyDelete3. Why does any writer take the time to describe a character in detail? As previously seen within the reading, we known that both Grendel and his mother have the sure force and ability to wreak havoc upon their prey and this could be enough to sustain the reader. However, once we know that there is more than one of them and they are male and female, we learn their description. I think the author does this to show that they represent humanity. It says the mother of Grendel “sailed forth on a savage journey, grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge” line 1276. Though she was going about to destroy, we get a glimpse as to why she did it. If not carefully read, one could easily pass the word “grief-racked,” something that anyone to whom lost a loved one, even in this time, could relate to. To answer the previously stated question, I think the author waited to shed light on the characters resenting mankind until readers could create bonds with them. As a result of the attacks, readers could often reflect upon the actions of the poem and ask if all characters (including monsters), were acting upon a sense of duty, as we humans do.
Great responses...I think the poet believes that God is behind everything, and always was, but also shows us characters who don't necessarily believe that, and follow different rules. So he can see both in operation, and wants us to see them, too.
Delete1- I can't recall any specific passage where the author explicitly states their personal beliefs, however, I feel that their beliefs are manifested within the characters. I feel that the author may have felt conflicted about what exactly he/she should believe. Much like Beowulf, the author probably believed in an odd mix of paganism and Christianity. Beowulf had a "glory or die" mentality, and thus it could be assumed that the author felt the same way. The only problem with that assumption is that we have no way of knowing if the author lived a simple, passive life and wrote about the ideals of the day, or was a warrior that wrote about what he felt on a personal level. The "Glory or die" mentality is very apparent during the moments before Beowulf fights Grendel's mother.
ReplyDelete3- I think that the fact that Grendel and his mother resemble a human makes the reader question the plausibility of their evil nature. If Grendel was a completely unrecognizable non-humanoid creature, it would be easy to dismiss them as evil creature that have no motive behind their actions. However, the human features of the monsters make them feel slightly relatable. This makes me think that they may have a hidden motive that will be discovered later in the story.
1- I can't recall any specific passage where the author explicitly states their personal beliefs, however, I feel that their beliefs are manifested within the characters. I feel that the author may have felt conflicted about what exactly he/she should believe. Much like Beowulf, the author probably believed in an odd mix of paganism and Christianity. Beowulf had a "glory or die" mentality, and thus it could be assumed that the author felt the same way. The only problem with that assumption is that we have no way of knowing if the author lived a simple, passive life and wrote about the ideals of the day, or was a warrior that wrote about what he felt on a personal level. The "Glory or die" mentality is very apparent during the moments before Beowulf fights Grendel's mother.
ReplyDelete3- I think that the fact that Grendel and his mother resemble a human makes the reader question the plausibility of their evil nature. If Grendel was a completely unrecognizable non-humanoid creature, it would be easy to dismiss them as evil creature that have no motive behind their actions. However, the human features of the monsters make them feel slightly relatable. This makes me think that they may have a hidden motive that will be discovered later in the story.
Great response: I think the poet probably admired the old ways/views, but was also critical of them. That is, he saw where such ideals led--to destruction. So he admired the people who lived this way, but as a 'modern' Christian, realized that it was a dead end. So the book both extols and condemns it, I think.
Delete1. I think the poet's philosophy of life stands with God. He has Christian traits that give examples of his faith. He uses God quite often throughout Beowulf. I also think that his view on life is optimistic. He values life and what it has to offer. But we see that the narrator differs from Beowulf. They contradict each other! Beowulf comes in the story with his mind set on glory and fame forever. He wants his name to live on. And he essentially got it because we still talk about him in the year 2016. The narrator seems to want to tap Beowulf on the shoulder and say, "Hey Beowulf? Shouldn't you be thinking about after you die? Don't you want to be less prideful and find an eternal focus?"
ReplyDelete3. Before our discussion in class today, I was against thinking about Grendel and his mom as humane. It was an absolute no no in my book. But you can't deny what the writer puts down. He made Grendel and his mom to obtain human form. We tend to think of monsters as weird inhumane shapes and alien (different than human) features. Doesn't that make Grendel and his mom less scary now that they have something in common with us? Also we discussed the motherly nature of his mom when Grendel was left for dead. She wanted to avenge her son and she mourned for him. Wouldn't any mother do that? So now she posses these emotions that make her less ruthless. We also talked about the situation of the mom and son. They might have had no choice on how they looked. Maybe nobody gave them a chance to be something other than creatures who harbored the rage, disgust, and hatred from other people towards them. I'm not saying they should be praised or welcomed into the family, but it's interesting to look at. Would they be somebody else if they had a chance?
Great responses; it's fun to think of the monsters as human and some of the humans as monsters. The poet certainly encourages us to see it this way at times. It makes this a more complex--and interesting--work of art.
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