Boasting In Beowulf

Jane Austin, an extremely talented British author, once claimed, “Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.” The bookshelves built today hold many brilliants works of old, new, foreign, and native, some even introducing debatable theories and ideas for their readers to contemplate, such as the possible existence of Beowulf’s pride and boasting in the great work, Beowulf. The question begins to form when Beowulf introduces himself to Hrothgar, describing to the troubled king, his reason for coming and the tales of his many successes and triumphs in battle. While many have deduced this seemingly boastful passage as conceit and arrogance, many have

Chaucer’s gift, The Canterbury Tales continues to give and the reader can derive different ideas and responses, and details for each creative character within the brilliantly raveled and thought out tale. One of Chaucer’s characters The Pardoner possibly holds the most detail and material in his appearance and actions which the reader can easily extract from and respond too which possibly holds importance as they tell the reader certain things about the character. The author’s illustration of The Pardoner begins with the description of his hair from behind as a yellow wax like color, falling in “driblets” behind his back, “Thinly they fell, like rat-tails, on by one” (21). He rode on his mount with his wallet before him and a pillow case crammed with relics such as, The Virgin’s veil, bones of saints, and pieces of The Holy Cross, all tricks and no truth in their supposed identity. This deceiver made more than a parson would from the poor and innocent who fell prey to the con, and “made monkeys of the priest and congregation” (22). Within his sermons, he taught firmly against all that he remained a guilty victim of and well he knew it but felt no shame only pride in his craftiness. Throughout these brilliant details and depictions of this man, the reader can assume much and learn much beginning with the narrator within the tale taking his description from behind, possibly meaning that the pardoner has still much hidden from the front and only shows himself from behind, a narrow and limited view. The pardoner’s hair has the comparison to rat’s tail, a deceiving and evil creature, with dark eyes and a quick painful bite. However his appearance does not hold the only signs of warning, but he reveals himself the falsity within his relics, trade, and teachings and still feels no