Beowulf Essay In Anglo-Saxon time, fame and reputation played a huge role Throughout Beowulf, Beowulf brags about himself, and you can tell that the main thing he cares about is his fame and reputation. In their time, you were represented by your fame and reputation. There are many specific examples that can be found throughout the book that shows the Anglo-Saxon values being reflected in Beowulf. The first example is when Beowulf arrives and Unferth and Beowulf get into a confrontation, Unferth says “You’ve been lucky in your battles, Beowulf, but I think your luck may change if you challenge Grendle.” (Beowulf 27.) Beowulf then retorts with, “And I had chosen to remain close to his side, I remained near him for five long nights.” (Beowulf 28.) This whole confrontation is based off there fame and reputation. Unferth calls Beowulf a wimp, and Beowulf retorts with saying that he stayed by Brecca’s side and protected him. They both threaten each other, and protect their own reputations from the others lies. In Anglo-Saxon culture, this was a daily occurrence because everyone wants to have a good reputation, and leave the world with fame, because that was what they believed in. The second example of fame and reputation is when Beowulf is telling his story about Brecca. He claims that during the swimming contest, him and Brecca got …show more content…
In the fight, Beowulf is the only person who doesn’t use weapons, and he is the sole person who is able to slay Grendle (Beowulf 34.) When Beowulf doesn’t use his weapon, it does not mean much to us, but it is a huge thing to the Anglo-Saxons. Beowulf not using his weapon is a sign of reputation. A warrior killing a monster with a sword is not a big deal, but a warrior slaying a monster with his hands? Beowulf being able to slay Grendle with his hands brought him huge fame and reputation, which is what his goal