University:
Western Governors University
Course:
C456 | English Composition II
Academic year:

2020
Views:

446

Pages:

2
Author:

apallirasbnc4

Beowulf Lines “No weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me/ if face me he dares.” In this passage, Beowulf determines to face Grendel bare-handed, in a show of bravado which captures the historical social norms surrounding honor and bravery in the period in which Beowulf takes place. Beowulf makes the decision to go into this fight unarmed in order to reinforce his claim to honor and bravery in battle. Though Grendel is a monster with extraordinary strength and cruelty, Beowulf does not allow the possibility of defeat or the terror of Grendel’s actions to sway him into using a weapon, because a slight to his honor is worth more than danger to his life. The final line from this selection, “...if face me he dares,” reinforces this idea of the importance of honor in this society: Not only must Beowulf make the most brave decision to fight unarmed, he must also present an appearance devoid of fear or hesitancy. The fact that there will be no arms “...for either this night,” sets up a parallel between Grendel and Beowulf which will be important in the rest of the epic. While Grendel will fight unarmed because he is cruel, violent, and unnatural, Beowulf will match him hand-to-hand for honor and glory. Despite Beowulf’s seemingly higher-minded intentions, this obsession with appearance and honor pushes him into challenges for mainly selfish reasons, hinting at the possibility that Beowulf’s pride will eventually spur him into taking on a problem which he does not have the strength to solve. Here, Beowulf’s eagerness to prove himself to his fellows appears as a good deed, but the selfish motivations in fact connect Beowulf even further to the monster which he aims to destroy. Grendel acts out of selfish desire to inflict violence, which is demonized by their connection with the monster. Beowulf acts out of selfish desire to maintain appearances and prove his worth, but in this dangerous proposal to fight Grendel unarmed, these traits are taken to the point of foolishness by today’s standards. This description of Beowulf’s decision to fight Grendel unarmed highlights the tradition of honor and bravery which was held in the highest importance in the society in which Beowulf is set, as well as underlines a key character flaw which may lead Beowulf to his destruction in battle.