Comparing Wyrd In Macbeth And Beowulf

“Wyrd often spares a warrior, who is not ripe for death, if his courage is strong.” (Iliásics 10). This quote from “Beowulf” describes something called “Wyrd” which is a concept of fate that has many different positive and negative facets. In Macbeth, the term “Wyrd” is never directly used, but its concepts are found throughout the play. Macbeth and Beowulf, though both affected by fate, or Wyrd, were actually in control of their own destinies and were capable of changing what happened to them.
In Macbeth and “Beowulf” destiny is displayed by the concept of Wyrd, which has both unpleasant and favorable effects on the outcomes of the characters’ actions. “Wyrd” is an idea of fate that manifests as a hero’s willingness to fight heavy odds courageously,

The three witches of Macbeth are most likely an allusion to the three Norns, or the Norse Fates, which are Wyrd, Verthrandi, and Skuld (Columbia). This shows that Shakespeare connected the concept of Wyrd to Macbeth, which further means that some of the aspects of Wyrd are also carried over from “Beowulf”. Fate in Macbeth is similar to Wyrd, however, fate in Macbeth is much more broad than simply one’s fated death like Wyrd is. Macbeth also laments to God about his predestination, showing that as in “Beowulf”, fate is ultimately controlled by God. Macbeth is astonished when he hears the weird sisters’ prophecy stating that he will become king, suggesting that he is amazed because this prophecy aligns with his desires (Nuttall 19). Banquo, Macbeth’s friend, is shocked at Macbeth starting, in which he detects fear and horror, Shakespeare does this to show Macbeth is not simply surprised (19). The thought that went through his head must have been, “How can they know I have been thinking of this?” (19). The only trigger Macbeth needed to seriously consider regicide to become king was three random women saying he would be the king (18). The desires of Macbeth, and the predictions of his prophecy were in alignment. “Shakespeare harnesses the latent desires of Macbeth and sets them in sinister alliance with the forces of prophecy” (18). Macbeth clearly is willing to go along with

Beowulf was a brave warrior, who had decided that he would go to fight a monster that was terrorizing the hall of a king. “In his far off home Beowulf… greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world heard how Grendel filled nights with horror… would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now when help was needed” (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 16). Beowulf knows that going to fight the monster might mean that he will die because of Wyrd, but he goes to fight anyways. He even tells the king that “...if he (the monster) wins. And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Higlad, return the inheritance I had from Hrethel, and he from Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must” (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 18). He does this because he knows that God is above Wyrd, and so, “God must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip” (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 18). Beowulf knows that God can overturn his fate if he fights against Wyrd, he does so and manages to kill the monster that he was fighting (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 25). It was even stated that Beowulf would have died in his battle against the monster without God overturning Wyrd (16). He even claimed to everyone in the king’s hall that “I already knew that all my purpose was this: to win the good will of your people or die in battle, pressed in Grendel’s fierce grip” (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 22). He already was aware that either he