Beowulf - Essential #1

1. What are the social obligations of a hero?

• The social obligations of a hero are mainly associated with two things: the loyalty to their lineage and the honor to protect their people from fiends. This epic poem has extensive descriptions of the royal lineages of the Danes, the Swedes, and the Geats, which emphasizes the importance of royal birth - people of nobility are born to be noble. Therefore, as a kind of noblesse oblige, heroes like Beowulf have to be the kind of person they are expected to be - fearless warriors who are willing to fight for their people. In order to fulfill the heroic destiny, a hero is obliged to "expect neither comfort nor change. He will be damned forever. Joy shall be his who, when he dies, may stand before the Lord, seek peace in the embrace of our Father" (185-188).
  

2. Is Beowulf aware of his deification process?

• Although Beowulf is admired by almost everyone around him, he is not yet awared of his deification process. It is true that people adore him and respect him because "he was the strongest man alive, princely and powerful"; even "wise men admired his spirit of adventure" (197-122) - he is being deified. However, none of these praises come from the mouth of Beowulf, all he wants to do is to "overcome the fiend" (275) "with most honorable intentions" (265). However, we can see the hidden pride and overconfidence through his words; therefore, it is almost an certainty that Beowulf will be awared of his deification process sooner of later. The time when he begin to realize that he is gradually being deified, would also be the time when his pride grows and ambition increases.