Jusmine May J.

Enano ENGSLAM
BSED-E/EJSE01 02/02/22

Beowulf: The Flawed Ideal Man, King, and Hero

It has been said that heroes aren't necessarily who we think they are. They have flaws,
and they make errors. Despite this, they are nonetheless regarded as heroes due to
certain attributes. Beowulf is one of the most well-known Anglo-Saxon epic heroes. This
paper will look at how an analysis of the Beowulf movie (2007) showed the character or
attributes of Beowulf as a hero. With the help of textual evidence, the analysis will show
that Beowulf is a hero of extraordinary physical power and a noble character.

The first monster, Grendel, is presented

at the start of the film, while King Hrothgar and
the warriors, along with a few women, are
having merriment in the mead hall. According to
Khalif (2021), the mead-hall was the most
significant structure to the king and his warriors.
Warriors swore their allegiance to the king here,
and he rewarded them with gifts, food, and
mead. Much of the warriors' entertainment took
place in the hall. Evenings were filled with
drinking matches, boasting, and a scop or a poet reciting poetry. While all the
aforementioned activities are happening, Grendel attacked them, killing lots of Danish
warriors present in Hereoth. The mead hall was the
setting where Beowulf killed Grendel with his bare
hands. That sequence in the movie supports the
claim that Beowulf has superior physical strength.
He took off his armor and let go of his sword as he
prepared for Grendel's arrival. He said to the
queen, Wealhtheow, “The creature has no sword,
no armor, and I have no weapon capable of slaying
a monster. We shall fight as equals and fate shall
decide.” (35:16) Apart from bravery, he was able to demonstrate his superiority by saying
that he will fight Grendel with fairness, as if telling Wealhtheow that he, too, is a monster,
capable of fighting Grendel with bare hands, without armor, but with a human-like quality
of thinking, defeating Grendel by simply observing its weakness, which is its ear, which
caused Grendel to shrink and become weaker. Grendel eventually died.
 Aside from killing Grendel, the movie includes
other scenes in which Beowulf defeats monsters
while competing in a swimming race. It was
when Unfero made fun of him for losing to
Brecca in a swimming competition. “I hacked
and I lashed at these foul beasts with my sword,
spilling their guts into the sea,” (25:52) Beowulf
explained, proving that he had lost the five-day
race for a purpose. Beowulf’s priority was to
save people from monsters. Killing the monsters
and sacrificing the win to the match was a decision. He made it right for what he did is
still an act of a victor. It’s not that he lost to Brecca. It’s just that he saved Brecca from
those monsters.

Beowulf was also able to demonstrate his

superior physical strength when he defeated his son,
the dragon. Beowulf lost his arm in the battle with the
dragon. Despite this, he was able to exploit the
dragon's flaw. His age and pain did not stop him from
being able to obtain its heart and kill it. To Beowulf,
the dragon was the result of treason and falsehoods
which happened a long time ago. Now, the
consequence of it
faced him to death. Beowulf's weakness and pitfall as
a hero who cannot avoid temptation and sometimes
makes mistakes with long-term consequences were
reflected in the dragon, who was his abandoned son.
He exhibited compassion to the dragon after killing it
by reaching his hands to its shoulder after it
transformed to a human form as if he believed of him
as his son before it vanished because he knew and
was sorry for abandoning him, even though he knew it was a result of a mistake.

One of the consequences of his treason and deceit was that he ascended to the
throne, as the Danes believed he had defeated not only Grendel but also his mother.
King Hrothgar declared him to be his heir and then committed suicide. After Hrothgar's
death, Beowulf was proclaimed king, and he was able to serve the Danes and Geats, his
people, with dignity. Beowulf’s nobility portrayed by courage and devotion to duty was
seen all throughout the movie, starting with his arrival to Denmark where he said: “If we
die, it’ll be for glory, not for gold.” (18:46) He is enthralled by the prospect of killing the
monster of the Danes' homeland, even though he is not obligated to do it. He is
unconcerned about the battle's outcome. As a result, whether he wins, loses, or dies has
no bearing on him. He is a gallant knight since he is adamant about confronting the
monsters at whatever costs.
 He puts his people's well-being ahead of his own. The movie confirms this when
Beowulf has traveled all the way to Denmark to save the Danes from the monster. It's
also visible during the time when they're sailing to Denmark and meet a storm. He said to
the Geats after hearing his men worry “The sea is my mother, she’ll never take me back
to her murky womb.” (16:05) “There’s no earthy storm that much is for sure, but this
demon’s tempest will not hold us out if we want in.” (16:37) In order to safeguard the
Danes, whom he considers his own people, he sacrifices not only his hours, energy, and
treasure, but also his life (Ivy Panda, 2020). He has the love and courage to save his
people from monsters, in addition to his excitement. He is dedicated and loyal to the
cause of defending humanity from monsters and battles. He once told Wiglaf: “This is not
battle Wiglaf, this is slaughter.” (1:09:48) and “We men are the monsters now.” (1:10:11)
The lines indicate that he does not support wars as a way of life. That warriors cease to
battle in order to be referred to as heroes. Since he went to Denmark to murder the
monsters, he has longed to bring peace to the land.

Beowulf's bravery adds to the nobleness of his character as a hero and a king. He
is so fearless that he is unafraid of death as long as it is for the honor. It was backed up
by a moment in the film where a Frisian attempted to slay Beowulf and Beowulf said:
“You know why you can’t kill me, my friend? Cause I died many, many years ago when I
was young.” (1:12:46) Despite the fact that it appeared to be a futile line in the film, it
demonstrated that he as a monarch only cared about his people's safety and that he
would willingly sacrifice his life again and over again to provide the peace that the people
desire. The statement "...I died many, many years ago when I was young." suggests that
he has previously been through a variety of conflicts, including some battles that he has
lost. What is nice about it is that he recognizes his flaws. As a hero and a king, it's critical
that you're constructively challenged, but it's much better if you're aware of your flaws so
you can solve them right away.

Furthermore, Beowulf spent some time with his

wife, Wealhtheow, before killing the dragon. He
said to her that he wanted to be remembered as
a man capable of making mistakes, not as a
king or a hero. “Keep a memory of me, not as a
king or a hero, but a man fallible and flawed.”
(1:26:25) Beowulf is a hero with exceptional
physical strength, courage, and a commitment
to duty, yet he recognizes that he is not flawless
and that he makes mistakes. He is defective,
but how he compensated for it, acted about it, and grew his character, as a result, is what
is important. They do their duty as a hero and a king, regardless of how they see
themselves. Despite their lies and weaknesses, their genuine nobility will be mirrored in
how they are valued by those closest to them, and by those who remain to tell his story.
He is hailed, and followed by people.
 Just like what Wiglaf and Wealhtheow said after Beowulf died: “He was the
bravest of us. He was the prince of all warriors. His name will live forever.”- Wiglaf the
King and “His song shall be sung forever.”- Queen

References:

Ivy Panda. (2020, July 1). Is Beowulf an Ideal Hero and King? Ideal in “Beowulf” [Essay].
Free Essays. Retrieved February 2, 2022, from
https://ivypanda.com/essays/beowulf-is-he-an-ideal-king-hero-or-both/

Khalif, M. (2021, April 15). Why was the mead hall important in Anglo Saxon society?
WikiLivres.org : Questions et réponses sur les livres, Romans, B.D, des auteurs et
Culture votre guide littérature #1. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from
https://wikilivre.org/culture/why-was-the-mead-hall-important-in-anglo-saxon-societ
y/