Three speeches in Beowulf

Hrothgar, ll. 1764-1784

Beowulf, ll. 2510-2537

Wiglaf, ll. 2632-2668

Hrothgar’s speech ll. 1724-1784

• Invocations of almighty God with overlays of the Christian God

• Beowulf will not always by in his prime and should be aware of the toll of age

• Inevitability of death which makes earthly pleasures and possessions unimportant

• Warns of the dangers of pride at l. 1760• Hrothgar’s reference to hard reversal

foreshadows Beowulf’s own with the dragon

Beowulf’s Speech ll. 2510-2537

• Although he is a king, he reverts back to his heroic quest for glory at ll. 2513-2516

• He acknowledges the influence of fate on a man’s life and death at l. 2527-2528

• He also refers to the fact that he will win gold from the dragon which will help quantify his heroism at ll. 2535-2538

Beowulf’s PrideGood or Bad?

Heroes• Have only a

personal responsibility to self and glory

• Use pride as a motivator to perform dangerous deeds to earn honor

Kings• Have a

responsibility to protect people

• Should balance pride against need to preserve social stability

Wiglaf’s Speech

• Wiglaf acknowledges that Beowulf’s responsibilities have changed and might be understood as a subtle criticism of Beowulf’s decision to fight the dragon

• Wiglaf also states that the fighter cannot fight alone

• Wiglaf emphasizes that humans must demonstrate loyalty to their lord

What does the dragon symbolize?

• Pride and greed

• Temptation of humans

• The serpent in the Garden of Life who tempted Adam and Eve to eat through pride

• Sin