Examples Of Boasting In Beowulf

In present-day literature, boasting is often seen in one of two lights. Either it foreshadows a character’s impending doom by means of being ironic, or it is used as proof that a character is an egomaniac. However, in older literature, boasting is not the same. In the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, there are numerous formal boasts delivered by Beowulf himself, and the purpose of these boasts is not the same as the purpose of many boasts in contemporary literature. Beowulf does not die because he is too proud, nor is he painted to be a very narcissistic warrior. In fact, Beowulf can be considered quite humble. He attributes many of his grandiose victories to the fact that the Lord was on his side. In Anglo-Saxon literature, the formal boast has numerous

Similar to a modern-day coach’s pep talk, Beowulf also gives these formal boasts as a means of assuaging the fears of men and women prior to his encounters with these terrible monsters. One of the first examples of this is in Hrothgar’s mead-hall, when the queen Wealhtheow is in the room. He assures that he sailed to Hrothgar’s kingdom with the sole purpose of killing Grendel and that he “shall fulfill that purpose” (ln. 636). He even assures everyone that he is not like the many Danes that Grendel has already killed because Grendel “will find me different” (ln. 601). His boast is well-received by his company as well, who are now less on edge about the impending Grendel attack and are able to relax, as they eat and drink in the mead-hall joyously, with “proud talk and the people happy, / loud and excited” (ln. 643-644). It is clear the Beowulf’s boast regarding how he will definitely kill Grendel continues to lift the spirits of the men in the mead-hall so that their pre-battle celebration was as lively as ever. Additionally, Beowulf’s formal boast is another source of comfort again when it is revealed that Aeschere has been taken by Grendel’s vengeful mother. As King Hrothgar mourns for his lost advisor, Beowulf is sure to include in his formal boast to Hrothgar that “it is always better / to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (ln. 1385-1386).

To achieve this goal, formal boasts serve different, smaller roles, based on the different situations. From proving worth and reputation to pacifying a worried party and steeling oneself mentally, the formal boasts found in Anglo-Saxon literature are there to prove that the speaker is a hero. Unlike many modern-day heroes who are often humble, and therefore very impervious to giving long, winding speeches about how great they are, Anglo-Saxon heroes are very prone to these speeches, and for good reason. In the older literature, these speeches established in a character the traits of their classic hero – a man who is loyal to his lord and honorable as well as being someone who will more likely than not die during battle. And so, it is important to keep this in mind whenever one reads Anglo-Saxon literature because it is easy to mistake a character’s formal boast as an impressive display of testosterone with the need to dominate over the other characters in the setting. Whereas in reality, it is very possible that this long monologue about how amazing a person is, is actually the trait of a