Beowulf Case

Beowulf is believed to be an essential balance states J.R.R. Tolkein. The opposing ends would fall under youth and becoming elderly. These two vast times hold a lot of growth and achievement at hand for Beowulf. Even at his death Beowulf died an honorable death with even more remarkable reputation. He lost only his life, through the people of his kingdom he continued to receive respect as well as gratitude for all he had done.

An illustration of this would be the life of Beowulf. When he and his army come to Hrothgar's kingdom, the hero is quite a young man. I feel Beowulf takes great pride in who he is. His goal is to build a reputation for his name. As the guard addresses the Geats, he asks about Beowulf's family history. Beowulf then speaks of his father's accomplishments and outstanding reputation. He speaks very well of his king, Hygelac, along with his people, the Geats. Beowulf once killed a tribe of giants and in the past has protected his home front from the enemy. He already has an impeccable reputation, but he is anxious for attaining missions that will add to his good name. In the day and time of Beowulf, a man's good name is his door to eternal life. It is all that remains in the after life.

The true cause for coming to Hrothgar's kingdom is correlated to a family debt. Hrothgar sheltered Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, from a dangerous battle many years ago. He then purchased a settlement of this battle with the Geat's enemies. This process is called wergild basically "a price set upon a person's life on the basis of rank and paid as compensation by the family of a slayer to the kindred or lord of a slain person to free the culprit of further punishment or obligation and to prevent a blood feud." Beowulf has come to repay Hrothgar's generosity in his fathers honor.

At a banquet in the Geats' honor on the first day of their visit, a drunken, jealous Dane named Unferth reduces Beowulf's reputation. When Beowulf was a child, he participated in a swimming match with another boy, from the tribe named Breca. Unferth implies that Beowulf was vain and foolish to enter such a risky contest and that Breca showed they were stronger, defeating young Beowulf in seven nights. Unferth's point that he is trying to make it as if the Geat could not win that swimming match, he definitely is no match for Grendel.