An Archetypal Approach to Beowulf

Paper Summary:

This paper examines and analyzes the poem, "Beowulf" and describes it as an adventurous, heroic epic which resembles the classical mythological tales. The writer postulates that the ultimate meaning of the poem seems to be Christian rather than pagan, since the main theme of the text is the fight of good against evil. The writer examines the poem and by analyzing the contrastive and opposing patterns and symbols expressed in the work, both Christian and Pagan, and attempts to validate his statement that the poem is, ultuimately, one with a Christian message.

From the Paper:

"The 'pagan' archetypes identifiable in the text are thus related to the main attributes of the epic hero and also to the battle between order and chaos, the mythological correspondences of good and evil. Beowulf focuses on the life and the heroic deeds of the valiant hero that gives the name of the poem, and that will be crowned as the king of the Geats later on in the epic. The most remarkable feats of Beowulf are a proof of his great courage and his great physical force. He delivers the Danish land from the terrible monster Grendel, then he also vanquishes Grendel's mother, and when he is king, he fights a great dragon. All these valiant acts clearly point to the ideal male hero, undaunted and extremely powerful, that is sent to fight the evil forces, represented by the monsters that are his enemies. The main characteristics of Beowulf indicate that he a typical epic hero, endowed with the main outstanding qualities: physical strength, bravery, pride and a high morality. Seen from this perspective, Beowulf is rather the prototypical mythological hero than the Christian missionary. Although he is an instrument for fighting evil and sustaining the order of God's creation upon earth, Beowulf does not appear to fit into the frame of the Christian hero who has a pure heart and an infinite longing for the eternal union with the divinity. Beowulf's singularity, his physical strength, his vanity and his desire for fame indicate that he is in search of earthly although superhuman values, rather than universal and divine ones. Despite the fact that he saves people from terrible monsters, Beowulf seems to pursue a personal goal also in his desire for acknowledgement."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Beowulf trans. by Edward L. Risden. Troy: Whitston Publishing, 1994
• Goldsmith, Margaret E. The Christian Theme of Beowulf, in Medium Aevum, Vol. XXIX, No. 2, 1960, pp. 81-101
• Grant, Ramond J.S. "Beowulf and the World of Heroic Elegy," in Leeds Studies in English, Vol. 8, 1975, pp. 45-75.
• Moorman, Charles. "The Essential Paganism of Beowulf," in Modern Language Quarterly, Vol. XXVIII, No. 1, March, 1967, pp. 3-18.

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