Beowulf’s Motivations

 

The epic of Beowulf has survived over many centuries as the first (and one of the greatest) poems written in the English language. The subject seems simple, and is repeated many times over the centuries: a man, considered to be a great hero, faces trials, defeats great monsters, displaying qualities that were considered important in the culture concerned. Beowulf’s role in this story is that of the warrior/defender/protector. But why? in order to be believable, and to have any sort of influence over the audience, he had to have some personal reason for what he did. Beowulf’s motivation for fighting throughout the poem is threefold: he fought for monetary gain, for personal glory, and because it was his duty to face the three monsters.

 

The most evident of Beowulf’s motivations has to be his own honor and glory. When he first arrives at Herot, he makes a formal boast in front of King Hrothgar, saying: “…I meant to perform to the uttermost/what your people wanted, or perish in the attempt, /in the fiend’s clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose,/prove myself with a proud deed/or meet my death here in the mead-hall.” (Heaney 45) Later, his boasts get more fantastic - that he will kill Grendel with his bare hands, with neither armor, nor shield, because Grendel fights with none (47). Like calling which pocket before shooting the eight-ball, Beowulf’s boasts serve to make his victories all the more fantastic and praise-worthy. He knew he would be victorious, he said he would be victorious, then he was victorious. Then, in the lair of Grendel’s mother, Beowulf’ sword broke without harming the monster, but he “…kept thinking about/his name and fame: he never lost heart.” (65) And then proceeded to battle her barehanded as before, and ended up killing her with a magic sword he found amongst her treasure. When all looked hopeless, his one thought that gave him strength was his own reputation. Even when he was battling the dragon at the end of his life, the thought of glory inspires him to take one last swing at the creature before it killed him (89) Of course, the thought of the dragon’s treasure was a help as well.           

 

That was his second reason for fighting: the thought of monetary gain. Grendel’s mother had a fantastic trove of riches in her cave, out of which Beowulf took the jeweled hilt of the magical sword he had used to kill her - the blade had melted in her blood (67). The dragon also had a lair full of treasure, even greater than Grendel’s mother’s. As he lays dieing, Beowulf asks his friend Wiglaf to go down into the lair and bring up some of the treasure. “I want to examine that ancient gold,” he says, “gaze my fill/on those garnered jewels; my going will be easier/for having seen the treasure…” (91) He knew he would not survive much longer, and that the gold would not be of much use to him, personally, but he knew also that his people would benefit greatly from the gold and jewels that the dragon had stolen from them over the years.

 

As king, at the end of the poem, it had been his duty to dispatch the dragon that had been plaguing his people; duty being his third reason for fighting. In those days, war and feuding were very much commonplace; and it was customary for northern-European cultures (usually, although misleadingly, known as “Viking” peoples) at that time to accomplish this by way of raiding and looting party. Young men with no attachments would go out “a-viking”, ie: join one of these raiding parties. Now, it was the job of the king, clan chieftain, etc. to see that the common folk were protected. One was a good king not only if one’s “folk” were safe, but if ones warriors or “thanes” were well reimbursed for their efforts with the spoils of war. Grendel had proven too powerful for Hrothgar and his thanes, so Beowulf came in and took over the job of protector, because he was able to do so.   When he first gets to Herot, in the beginning, he states that the entire reason for leaving his king was to purge the evil that was Grendel from Hrothgar’s mead-hall (45). Then, after Grendel is slain, as per custom, the only surviving kin (his mother) comes to avenge his death, by killing more of Hrothgar’s men. So it becomes Beowulf’s job to end the blood-feud, because he was the one that started it (62). Then, later in his life, when he becomes king of his own people, it becomes his job to protect his people from the dragon. It was also the duty of his thanes to stand with him in the battle, but the only one that does turns out to be Wiglaf (who ends up slaying the dragon himself).

 

The purpose of the poet is simple: Beowulf is meant to be an example of the virtuous warrior, even if his motives seem selfish to us. In the Scandinavian cultures of the time, Beowulf displays ideal character traits, both in his actions, and motivations. For one, every warrior needed to perform heroic deeds in battle to pad his reputation, because the better his reputation, the more gifts he would receive from his liege-lord for himself or to redistribute among his underlings (if he had any). Also… every culture needs heroes and people to look up to. This poem is meant as a celebration of just that. Beowulf is set up on a pedestal for admiration and so his life could be used as a guide for future generations, so they would know how to behave as honorable warriors.