And so we have reached the end,
Beowulf too for that matter. As I read the final lines of the poem, I had mixed
feelings. I found the way the story was told to be interesting and exciting,
but the events anticlimactic. Pretty much Beowulf attempts to kill a dragon,
but cannot really do it on his own, but refuses to let his men help him.
I am seeing that Beowulf is like
the sword itself. When battling the dragon, Beowulf attempts to slay the dragon
with his sword, and instead it “shattered…the [sword] weakened at battle, /
ancient and gray” (2680-2682). By this point, Beowulf himself has aged and is
no longer the strong, valiant man he makes himself out to be. Earlier in the
poem, the sword is said to ‘had never failed / any man who grasped it” and that
“it was not the first time / that it had to perform a work of high courage”
(1460-1464). In his prime, Beowulf was described in similar words. Follow me a
little on this…. A sword is only as good as its wielder, and a soldier/king,
what have you, is only as good as his men/comrades in battle. So ultimately,
Beowulf’s pride leads to his demise. This is made evident when Wiglaf is
addressing the men, he states that Beowulf was “intended to perform / this act
of courage all alone, / because he has gained the most glory among men” (2643-2645).
This points how Beowulf truly needed the help of his men, and instead refused
it. This point is further underscored when it is Wiglaf who delivers the fatal
blow to the dragon. The lines here are quite powerful, “they felled their foe-
their force too his life- / and they both together had brought him down” (2706-2707).
Sometimes you just need a little help from your friends!
On a side note, Wiglaf’s courage
and loyalty was giving me major Beowulf vibes.
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| Wiglaf killing the dragon |
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| Beowulf killing Grendel |
No doubt Beowulf's demise came when he refused help from any of his men, and as you mentioned, we finally see him crumble here at the end. I wonder, though, is Wiglaf similar to Beowulf in every form, or does he just remind you of Beowulf at the end when he is the one to finally kill the dragon? While it is difficult to tell, it doesn't seem like Wiglaf would falter as much as Beowulf did in this conclusion. Of course, I don't think many of us really saw Beowulf's demise coming either though.
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