Analyzing The Value Of Reputation English Literature Essay
In “ Beowulf ” , repute was the leg that people stood on so to talk. If a individual did n’t hold a strong repute they did n’t acquire much regard. In the book repute comes up multiple times. The first clip the reader realizes the of import of it, is when Beowulf arrives at Herot hall and speaks with Unferth. It is interesting to see that when Beowulf arrives he does n’t merely advert his name and where he came from. Beowulf gives a list of his feats and how he is traveling to kill Grendel. “ I battled and bound five animals, I raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea slaughtered sea-brutes ” . “ I have suffered extremes and avenged the Geats ” . Beowulf is taking pride in his achievements and his position as a powerful warrior. But when Unferth hears Beowulf ‘s achievements and sees how he is adored, he inquiries his repute. He asks him “ are you the Beowulf who took on Breca in a swimming lucifer on the unfastened sea ” , and did n’t “ he [ outswim ] you ” . The reader can see that Beowulf is offended by Unferth ‘s remark about his repute. Beowulf ‘s repute proves that he is such a great warrior. When Unferth questioned Beowulf ‘s repute, he questioned Beowulf illustriousness. Beowulf has to instantly explicate what truly happened, otherwise his repute will plump. Beowulf has to put the narrative directly. Beowulf explains that he “ clip and clip once more ” was “ attacked ” by “ sea monsters ” . He tells everyone that he killed “ seven sea monsters ” and because of that the competition was delayed. He says to the people that if the sea monsters had n’t attacked him. He would hold certainly won. Beowulf ‘s account of his feats at sea headlines his aptitude to contend monsters and win. It besides shows how of import a repute is in the Anglo Saxon civilization.
Besides this writer found it interesting that Beowulf fought Grendel without the usage of arms. Beowulf was constructing his repute when he did this. Before this minute the people at that place had non seen Beowulf in action, they merely knew what he had told them. The writer besides believes that Beowulf when he was contending Grendel, ripped Grendel ‘s arm off non because he had to but because he wanted to keep his repute. He wanted to demo the male monarch that he was everything that he said he was. Not to advert, when Beowulf was contending Grendel ‘s female parent, there was no demand for him to take her caput back with him. But he took her caput with him anyhow. This was done non merely to turn out that Grendel was dead, but besides to derive more regard from the people. The civilization during this clip did n’t esteem a individual unless they had a good image. This would explicate why in the book, Beowulf goes above and beyond in every undertaking he is given. For case, Beowulf was asked to kill Grendel. Alternatively of merely killing him, he humiliated and so killed him. A powerful animal that no adult male could kill is defeated in manus to manus combat. Beowulf wholly humiliated Grendel. Besides with respect to his female parent, Hrothgar merely wanted Grendel ‘s female parent dead. He would hold been happy if Beowulf merely took a blade and threw it and killed her. But alternatively, he dove into the H2O and chopped off her caput. At first this writer was confused as to why Beowulf would take such hazards in combat. Then this writer understood that Beowulf did this to keep his repute as a powerful warrior.
In decision, repute is a really of import portion of Anglo Saxon civilization. A individual ‘s repute defined who they were and what they would carry through. Beowulf went to extremes to keep and construct the image people had of him. This writer believes that if Beowulf had allowed himself to “ retire ” so to talk. He would n’t hold had to decease in the book. Even in the terminal, when confronting the firedrake, Beowulf took a batch of hazard. Since he was the male monarch, he could hold taken an ground forces to murder the animal. But alternatively he took merely a few of his comrades. Reputation created Beowulf a topographic point in the universe, but his desire to keep it is what killed him.
