Beowulf Values

The poem Beowulf is heavily influenced by traditions and societal rules of the tenth century, which helps readers better connect to the various characters and the poem itself.
For Beowulf’s world, values and societal norms are imperative. It is how everyone earns respect and stature- by obliging to the laws of their land. It is their method of climbing the hierarchical ladder. During this time, one’s family, wealth, and courage determined their future. For example, when Beowulf was persuading Hrothgar to let him fight against the demon Grendel, Beowulf claimed that he saw this challenge as “ the privilege of purifying Heorot,” (Beowulf 431) and that he would keep fighting until “Whichever one death fells must deem in a just judgement by God”

For example, young Beowulf’s priority was to earn personal glory. Beowulf believes the purpose of the life of a warrior is very simple: “Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark” (Beowulf 1386-1389). Beowulf claims that there is nothing more important than earning honor, not even more important than one’s life. On the other hand, King Hrothgar has much more to lose than Beowulf. The main goal of a king is to protect their kingdom from harm at all costs. The people refer to Hrothgar as “their homeland guardian” (Beowulf 616) and when Grendel first attacked, Hrothgar “sat stricken and helpless, humiliated by the loss of his guard, bewildered and stunned, staring aghast at the demon’s trail, in deep distress” (Beowulf 130-133). Unlike Beowulf, King Hrothgar could not just impulsively go to war with Grendel since he knew it would not just cost his life, but the life of his people’s protector, the one thing they had left to rely on. While Hrothgar was similar to Beowulf at one point in life, his priorities changed as his roles changed from warrior to king. The same is true for Beowulf when he too became king. Beowulf’s last fight was against another monster attacking his kingdom- a dragon. At this time, Beowulf had aged and could not fight like he once use too. However, as society dictates, there is nothing more

This took place in tenth century, a time foreign and unfathomable. Our world now and the world back then are dissimilar in every way possible. One example is the role women play today and what their role was back then. In today’s world, women have a voice. They have the ability to fight for their rights and be seen as equal to men. Even Wealhtheow, Hrothgar’s queen, was treated as a servant when “she graciously saluted the men in the hall” and “then handed the cup first to Hrothgar” (Beowulf 612-616). Moreover, “the Helming woman went on her rounds, queenly and dignified, decked out in rings, offering the goblet to all ranks, treating the household and the assembled troop” (Beowulf 620-623). Back then, even queens were ordered to be servants to men and tend to their needs. Another difference between the culture now and the culture back then is the tendency of people in the tenth century to boast. Today, people respect modesty and humility. It is considered rude to gloat about one’s own accomplishments to others. We believe in the saying that actions speak for themselves. However, the exact opposite is true for customs and etiquette back then. When Beowulf was convincing Hrothgar that he could defeat Grendel, Beowulf claimed that others supported his “resolve to come here to” “King Hrothgar, because all knew of my awesome strength, They had seen me boltered