A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF BEOWULF’S FIRST AND THE LAST FIGHTING AGAINST TWO MONSTERS
Salma Haque
Assistant Professor
Tahmina Akhter
Lecturer
Department of English Language and Literature
International Islamic University Chittagong
Female Campus, Bahaddarhat, opposite Zia Smriti Park
Chittagong,Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
Beowulf, the epic, is a literary wonder of its time and the story of youth and old age of a monster-slaying hero Beowulf who fights three battles,with three monsters in three different purposes and strategies. These three battles are: his fighting against Grendel, his mother and the Dragon. The monsters are important to reveal the difference between youth and old age, the inevitable truth that man is mortal and the limitations of the hero. The objective of this paper is to show through the contrast of the first and the last fighting of Beowulf that the last fighting is a reckless decision of the hero as it is more dangerous than the first onefor the fire-breathing Dragon is more precarious than the first fiend Grendel. Moreover, as a king he cannot undertake risk because the Dragon’s death is the triumph over evil but his death symbolizes huge difference between hero and the king. At the same time we observe that hero or ruler can overcome monsters but cannot death.
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Key words:Grendel, Dragon, youth, old age, Beowulf the hero, and as a king
[1]
Beowulf, the most precious relic of Old English is a long record of terror,blood,glory,and death. In it “…monsters are closely associated with the slaying of friends and kinsmen”(Leyerle,37).The epicbegins with the story of king Hrothgar of Denmark. Throughout the poem the narrator paints a picture of the perfect hero in the form of the protagonist,Beowulf. During his life, he was considered as a great warrior, not only to his kingdom, but throughout the world. In fact, it is about man and demons and narrates the rise and fall of the superhuman hero through his three fightings. As critic Brodeur suggests: “The poet carefully reinforces and points his opposition of ends and beginnings . . .” (Brodeur, 74).According to some critics this poem is divided between his fighting with Grendel and with the unnamed Dragon. This view of the structure as two-parts has generally prevailed since its inception in J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics’ in Proceedings of the British Academy. All through the poemthe hero is occupied in killing monsters and the three chief episodes are well-diversified.
InBeowulf monster fightings draw readers’ attention greatly. Each fight of Beowulf with them shows an important part of his character. Actually, Beowulf’s first encounter, the climax of the epic, reveals him as the strongest warrior around but the last one, the anti-climax of the poem,shows his helplessness in the hands of old age and death. In fact there is a change of temper between the wrestling with Grendel in the night at Heorotwhile the sentiment of the dragon is different.Each monster represents specific thing as it is never used in the great work meaninglessly.They play major antagonistic rolesand appear as symbols of evils to God, man and beasts. The two monsters have something in common. Yet there is a strong contrast between them and the two fightings.
The first menaceGrendel receives little description. It appears to be a giant and is a descendent of Cain embodyingresentment and malice.The Dragon, however, is not presented in such a fashion. It is plainly not human, creating a stark contrast to the other two antagonists. It is slippery, fire-breathing and fiercer than the first demon. It attacks human beings out of revenge for his stolen treasure and devastatesthe land quickly; whereas Grendel ravaged the hall for its loneliness and jealousy over the Danes for twelve years:
Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark
nursed a hard grievance.It harrowed himto hear the din of the loud banquetevery day in the hall…………….. (ll-84-7)
The first fight was fought when Beowulf was not a ruler but he fights against the Dragon as a king of the Geats. Grendel was not his responsibility but he rescued the people of his neighbouring kingdom for various reasons.He was inspired by glory and personal quest. Healso traveled great distances to prove his strength at impossible odds against such supernatural demon for his knowledge about the vulnerability of Hrothgar, the Danish king, who was unable to win over it for his old age. Hence, Beowulf undertook a huge joball alone.However, his confrontation with the Dragon has one reason-to protect his people and he plans his revenge.
In fact Beowulf makes a foolish decision to fight against the Dragon without speculating on the outcome of such a fight which is more dangerous than Grendel-fight. Furthermore, this task belongs to heroes. Hrothgar, the Danish king, exemplified this statement who sought protection for his people rather than fighting for them as he was old when his kingdom was attacked by Grendel for twelve years. He also knew that the duty of the king differed from the duty of a hero or warrior. As a result, he was not blamed anywhere for not facing Grendel in battle as his death could have been unsafe for his people. He also knew that a king’s most important duty was to his people, and his survival was necessary for maintaining social stability,however, Beowulf forgets it in his old age and immediately decides to attack the fiend forgetting his limitations and the differences between youth and old age.So the last combat is inconsiderate but the first decision was rational. Even he did not take any warrior with him due to his over-confidence, pride and glory though fourteen well-chosen warriors accompanied him for Denmark for killing the first monster.The greatest battle in life lies within each man in the struggle to overcome personal vanity and pride. He is oblivious of this truth. Being over confident of his prowess, he is unwilling to share praise for his success with the retainers:
Yet the prince of the ring was too proudto line up with a large armyagainst the sky-plague. (ll-2845-7)
The setting of the first fighting was realistic as it took place at the magnificent hall of a foreign land of king Hrothgar. Contradictorilyto fight against the Dragon, Beowulf follows it in its lair of his kingdom:
Hard by the rock face that hale veteran,A good man who had gone repeatedly into combat and danger and come through,saw a stone arch and a gushing streamthat burst from the barrow, blazing and waftinga deadly heat. (ll-2542-7)
The nature of the evils also differ greatly. Grendel was hungry for soul and it was treasure destroying.AccordinglyHrothgarfailed to buy Grendel off with gold as it had no use of it.On the other hand, the Dragon is treasure –guarding.
The way the hero comes to know about the demonic attacks is also different.Beowulf found out the nightly assail of the bloodthirstyevil Grendel by a scop who sang a poem about Hrothgar’s misfortunebut Beowulf’s own people give him the bad news about the Dragon’s raid. Even no song is composed on it.Therefore, the news of his misfortune does not reach any outsider and nobody comes forward to rescue him and their people from grief. KingHrothgar also borrowed advice but Beowulf does not.
Grendel had human emotions and was an outcast.However, the Dragon is without such emotions as Grendel is semi-human and the later is a complete demon. Thus Grendel symbolizes malice and the Dragon epitomizes evil and corruption. Grendel also lacked dragon traits such as a connection to venom or fire.
At the first combat Beowulf was brave, charismatic, well-respected unanimously. Due to his decreasing military skill, old age and fears of death he cannot be the saviour of his distressed people during the last battle.In contrast, in the first fighting he was immensely hopeful about his success and there was prior jubilation at the prospect of his victory over the fiend. King Hrothgar and his queen thanked him for assuring them of hope andthere was festive cheers :
. . . the laughter started, the din got louder and the crowd was happy
(ll- 611-2)
The first victory was not only celebrated by a great feast and lavish gifts but also a bard sang his story to honour him; whereas after the last fight there is no celebration,rather the lamenting people prepare the funeral for their hero:
The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf,Stacked and decked it until it stood foursquareHung with helmets, heavy shieldsAnd shining armor,just as he had ordered.
(ll-3136-9)
Despite being confident in the first fight,Beowulf is aware of mortality from the beginning and we find him sad, restless and frightened of his impending death as the nature of the two fightings is strikingly dissimilar:
…I shall win the gold
By my courage, or else mortal combat,
Doom of battle will bear your lord away.
(ll-2535-7)
Hrothgar thought the monster’s attack was due to his pride of wealth.But after the attack of the Dragon Beowulf gets confused.He has always considered him to be a God-chosen protector of his people and-has also thought that God’s grace will never end for him. When suddenly the fire-dragon terrorizes him he realizes that God has withdrawn His blessings from him. Now he must face it alone either for reward or for punishment:
His mind was in turmoil Unaccustomed anxiety and gloom
Confused his brain………………..
(ll- 2329-31).
Thus Beowulf’s first expedition combined strength, God’s grace and virtues and during the last fight he loses some of his virtues and the blessings of God.
In the first battle which symbolizes the clash of good and evil,Beowulf insisted Hrothgar earnestly to accept his proposal to fight with the monster because as a hero he wanted to seek glory in his youth. Moreover, God gifted thirty men’s power in his single grip and so it was possible for him to use it against Grendel, but forthe exceptionality of the Dragon he cannot apply his extraordinary power against it. So, we get a frustrating tone in his last fight.Though like Hrothgar he does not remain idle, he knows he is going to face molten venom from which he must get a fatal blow as the last one is the conflict between life and death.
King Hrothgar showed his patience against the attack of Grendel as he wisely thought it would be a complete suicide if he faced the monster in his old age.He waited fortwelve winters. Beowulf is totally opposite. He decideshurriedlyand never wants to rely on anyone except himselffor his great success in vanquishing Grendel forgetting the difference between youth and old age. He desires to be a sacrificial figure for hispeople in the laststruggle which leads to his death and the insecurity of his people:
This fight is not yours;
Nor is it up to any man except meTo measure his strength against the monster…
(ll-2532-5)
During the first fightBeowulf got every opportunity todetect the loophole and weaknesses of Grendel which was a well- known figure to all as many sad lays were sung on this curse of God. For twelve years he ravished the mead-hall –it is a long time to know the extra-ordinary strength, attacking style and physical features of a monster. The hero also carefully watched its technique of attack. Whereas the Dragon is a sudden infliction. That is why, Beowulf cannot measure its power or technique of fighting against human beings.
Fate favouredBeowulf in the first encounter but not in the last one. In the first struggle his target was mostly revenge.Therefore,“ Although Grendel’s cave is rich in treasure, Beowulf takes away only a golden hilt and the severed head of Grendel; his object is to gain revenge not treasure”(Leyerle,12).While in the last fighting he seeks treasure:
. . . I give thanks
That I behold this treasure here in front of me,
That I have been allowed to leave my people
So well endowed on the day I die.
(ll-2795-2800)
To Beowulf the first fight was an adventure, but the second one is a necessity for his
subjects.After the settlement as a king, Beowulf gets fiftylong years to build up a
nation. But he is too self- dependent and never thinks of collaborative work. So his
nation remains cowards and frightened. If we compare him with Hygelac,the king and
his uncle, we find the uncle more successful than Beowulf.. Hygelac had hero like
warriors who were ready to protect his people.Beowulf has no such fightersto
guarding safe his people:
Then Beowulf was given bad news,
the hard truth: his own home ,
the best of buildings, had been burned to a cinder,
the throne room of the Geats.
(ll-2325-30)
As the narration progresses, Beowulf learned the techniques as well as limitations
of Grendel andwaited for its unvarying arrival time which was also known to
all;whereas he is unaware about the Dragon’s way of fighting, its strength and
weaknesses.It also remains a mystery even after its destruction. As the Geats are
terrified of it, they do not dare to bring its lifeless body with them as a sign of booty
which Beowulf did with Grendel’s head after his successful killing of it. In one sense
the hero is very helpless since Grendel targeted only the mead- hall. It came to the hall
to pass the night. If it did not find anybody inside, left the place empty-handed and its
power was limited to the vacant hall only. But the Dragon is quick, rough and
vindictive and the whole nation havecome under its power. Unferth, one of the Danish
thanes questioned him about his ability to win before Beowulf’s conflict with Grendel.
Surprisingly nobody doubts his strength in his last fighting though he is very old.
In contrast to Grendel’s sharply focused attacks, the Dragon attacks widely and indiscriminately. Its awful and immeasurable anger is not directed at any person or object but to a large degree. Beowulf’s hall is burnt not because it has a special significance for the attackers as Heorot did for Grendel, but simply because it happens to be in the Dragon’s path.The Dragon’s power cannot easily be measured by human standards and its aim is truly chilling in its scope; it does not seek control of one hall during the night but in the countryside surrounding its barrow. Unlike his earlier battle against Grendel, in his battle with the Dragon he receives serious neck injuries for his inability to differentiate his former and present strength. For this reason he cannot return from a situation where he is unable to gain victory over the monster as it is more dangerous than Grendel. Thus, Grendel taught him the truth of bravery and the value of everything. On the other hand, the Dragon’s lesson is that nothing is important and all things go back to be nothing in the end. “. . . some commentators view it as an essentially irresponsible act. . . ”(Bloom, 20). But his killing of Grendel is praised as an act of heroism, prudence, generosity and tact.
The first battle was relatively easy for Beowulf; whereas during the last battle he needs
weapons for getting victory for his weakness as a warrior. In the first
combat Beowulf was unarmed but won as he was unstoppable, nevertheless
in the last one despite usingwar -harness he does not win over the demon to give
the message that “ . . .man is mortal himself”(Kaske,14).
Sometimes it is needed to break an old code only to set a new one. Beowulf was
afraid of breaking the heroic code of single effort. Against the Dragon a
combined effort was necessary which Beowulf failed to attain though he had
all opportunity to establish a new example by taking the help from others as a king,
Although in his youth he was modest and mild, repeatedly thanked God, he loses
some of his humblenesswith the passage of time. His grand victories make the
veteran king show his pride against which king Hrothgar warned him years before
immediately afterhis success in Grendel killing:
Yet the prince of the rings was too proud
To line up with a large army
Against the sky plague.
(ll-2345-8)
Hence he begins to think that all conquests and the exceptional power of thirty men
in one grip are his own attainments not the credit of God and considers him to