Beowulf Attacks the Dragon Essays - 1576 Words

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon. Beowulf makes his final boast. He says that, even though he is old, he shall â€Å"still seek battle, perform a deed of fame† by killing the dragon. (Norton59) He doesnt know how to grapple with the dragon, like he did with Grendel, so he will use a sword and shield. He tells his men that the outcome will be â€Å"with us at the wall as fate allots, the ruler of every man.† (59) He tells them to let him fight the monster alone, â€Å"By my courage I will get gold, or war will take your king, dire life-evil.† (60) *These three quotations indicate pagan elements of glory, not Christian.* eowulf approaches the barrow. From the stone arch, he feels the dragon’s fire emanating from within. He shouts at the†¦show more content†¦Wiglaf’s â€Å"heart’s courage did not slacken, nor did the heirloom of his kinsman fail him.† (61) Miglaf gives a speech reminding his companions about their duty which includes the only Christian reference in the passage. He says, â€Å"God knows of me that I should rather that the flame enfold my body with my gold-giver. It does not seem right to me for us to bear our shields home again unless we can first fell the foe, defend the life of the prince of the Weather-Geats.† (61) *Another curious mixture of pagan and Christian ideas* The passage ends with Wiglaf wading through the smoke to join Beowulf, who is encircled in the dragons flames. Themes: Beowulf is a poem with pagan origins, yet it has many Christian elements. Indeed, the second quotation we are given from this passage assigns fate as the ruler of every man. A true Christian poet would never assign rule over man to any other than the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Additionally, the gaining of earthly treasures or, specifically the taking of treasure from a defeated enemy, is not an activity that is heroic in the Christian sense. Christians champion the cultivation of spiritual rather than worldly treasure. Beowulf seeks fame by killing the dragon, not salvation through belief in theShow MoreRelated Epic of Beowulf Essay996 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf The epic poem Beowulf is a story of heroes and monsters, good and evil. The poem tells about the accomplishments and deeds of a legendary Geatish hero who first rids the Danish kingdom of Hrothgar of two demonic monsters: Grendel and Grendels mother. Later in the story, Beowulf meets a dragon, kills it with the help of Wiglaf, but dies of wounds. No one knows who wrote Beowulf. It was not really written in the way that literature is written now. It is an epic poem, meant toRead MoreBeowulf, Grendel s Mother, And A Dragon878 Words   |  4 Pagesstory Beowulf fights three monsters; Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Beowulf fights the creatures for reasons that are different, but share common ground. Beowulf leaves his homeland and travels to Herot because he heard of the nightly attacks the Danes were suffering at the hands of Grendel. 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