Beowulf and its literary significance

Beowulf

An Archetypal Approach to Beowulf

The great Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, synthesizes in its structure a wide range of symbols, mythical elements and archetypes. Scholarship differs substantially in the interpretation it gives to the poem from a symbolic point-of-view. Thus, according to some critics, the poem is essentially pagan, despite the fact that it is pervaded by Christian symbolism. Arguably, Beowulf is an adventurous, heroic epic which resembles the classical mythological tales. On the other hand however, the ultimate meaning of the poem seems to be Christian rather than pagan, since the main theme of the text is the fight of good against evil, which is represented here by the conflict between Beowulf and the monster Grendel. Therefore, it can be stated that the text of Beowulf is actually a confluence of both pagan and Christian elements, significant for the historical period to which it belongs. The theme of the poem, the archetypal fight of good against evil is therefore represented through contrastive and even opposing patterns and symbols, both pagan and Christian.

The 'pagan' archetypes identifiable in the text are thus related to the main attributes of the epic hero and also to the battle between order and chaos, the mythological correspondences of good and evil. Beowulf focuses on the life and the heroic deeds of the valiant hero that gives the name of the poem, and that will be crowned as the king of the Geats later on in the epic. The most remarkable feats of Beowulf are a proof of his great courage and his great physical force. He delivers the Danish land from the terrible monster Grendel, then he also vanquishes Grendel's mother, and when he is king, he fights a great dragon. All these valiant acts clearly point to the ideal male hero, undaunted and extremely powerful, that is sent to fight the evil forces, represented by the monsters that are his enemies. The main characteristics of Beowulf indicate that he a typical epic hero, endowed with the main outstanding qualities: physical strength, bravery, pride and a high morality. Seen from this perspective, Beowulf is rather the prototypical mythological hero than the Christian missionary. Although he is an instrument for fighting evil and sustaining the order of God's creation upon earth, Beowulf does not appear to fit into the frame of the Christian hero who has a pure heart and an infinite longing for the eternal union with the divinity. Beowulf's singularity, his physical strength, his vanity and his desire for fame indicate that he is in search of earthly although superhuman values, rather than universal and divine ones. Despite the fact that he saves people from terrible monsters, Beowulf seems to pursue a personal goal also in his desire for acknowledgement. As many critics have observed, he is rather too proud and boastful, giving in to one of the greatest sins according to the Christian doctrine: vanity. Beowulf's speeches are probably the most obvious indicators of his pride and boastfulness: "But the truth / Is simple: no man swims in the sea / as I can, no strength is a match for mine."(Beowulf, 40) Moreover, his desire for "greatness" and his preferment of death in the absence of fame are typical attributes of the epic hero:"When we crossed the sea, my comrades / and I, I already knew that all / My purpose was this: to win the good will / of your people or die in battle, pressed / in Grendel's fierce grip. Let me live in greatness / and courage, or here in this hall welcome / My death!"(Beowulf, 43) Critic Charles Moorman pointed out that despite the wealth of Christian symbolism in the poem, the overall tone and meaning of the text is "pessimistic in its view of life and history"(Moorman, 5), and therefore not Christian. According to Moorman, we cannot trace any direct allusion to Christ and the New Testament in the poem and there is no emphasis on salvation. Likewise, Ramond grant argues that the main theme of the text should rather be interpreted as the mythological fight between order and chaos. In this context, Beowulf is indeed the preserver of order against the darkness and anarchy brought by the violent, evil forces: "The circle of light that is human life is constantly under attack by the powers of Chaos and darkness, and the hero fends them off as well as he can, purging Heorot and Grendel's mere, fighting monsters in the waters, harrowing Hell in order that God's light may shine the more clearly upon His creation."(Grant, 51) However, as Grant indicates, Beowulf's story is interpretable as the archetypical conflict between light and darkness, rather than that between good and evil in a Christian or moral sense.

However, there are arguments in favor of a Christian interpretation of the text as well. While the poem evidently blends Christian and pagan symbols, it can be said that the anonymous author may have intended a moral interpretation of a pagan legend. In this case, the main theme is the archetypal battle between good and evil, with the ultimate triumph of evil. Another recognizable religious archetype here is that of Cain, the first murderer, who brought violence and hatred in the human world. Cain typifies the perpetrator who murders his kin and thus brings suffering to the innocent. Grendel, as the text indicates, is the image of Cain: "Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend / Grendel who haunted the moors, the wild/Marshes, and made his home in a hell./Not hell but hell on earth. He was spawned in that slime/of Cain, murderous creatures banished / by God, punished forever for the crime / of Abel's death."(Beowulf, 26) the monster symbolizes 'hell on earth', the ultimate evil that threatens God's creation. Critic Margaret Goldsmith indicates that the unknown author of Beowulf may have pieced the Germanic legend together with the intention of pointing to the moral lesson which can be derived from the hero's deeds: "He has treated the story of heathen Beowulf as an exegete might have treated, say, the story of Samson, by drawing a moral lesson from the hero's deeds."(Goldsmith, 100) in this sense, Beowulf's 'less Christian' features, his pride and his desire for wealth and fame can be interpreted as signals or warnings given by the author. Also, despite the fact that Beowulf dies somehow ingloriously in the end, wounded by the dragon and tempted by the treasure that the monster holds, it can be said that he finds redemption through Wiglaf's selfless gesture which has true Christian value: