Name of the Student: Shweta Choudhury

UID – 0304190245
Roll No. 193733
Semester- Sem 1
Course- CC 1
Name of the mentor- Souraja Tagore
Title Of the Tutorial – Beowulf as an epic
 Beowulf as an Epic

The old English Beowulf holds a unique place as the oldest epic narrative in any modern
European tongue. Although, Beowulf is a primal , nothing is primitive about it. Like other
oral epic, Beowulf has a formulic character using words , ideas and other stylistic features.
The same formulic character can be found in the epics of Homer. But Beowulf has other
important epic qualities. Aristotle, who insisted on the principle of unity in epic, painted to
the Iliad as a perfect example of Poem, in which everything is subordinated to the central
action. Equally important for an epic is a unity of consciousness , a unity of ethos. Aristotle
emphasizes that the action of an epic should have its own logic and intrinsic significance.
Beowulf is inclusive because it comprehends life and death, peace and war, man and God. It
begins with the mysterious arrival of Scyld, the founder of the Danish dynasty and ends with
the death of Beowulf. The Poem shows not only life cycle of the hero, but also of the nations
like the Danish and the geats , Beowulf’s people. It presents human society at peace in
Hrothgar’s hall and at war in Sweden and elsewhere. As for men and Gods, Beowulf does
not keep its universe to the narrowly human level . Beowulf also has a unity of
Consciousness, which arises out its objective presentation of life in the heroic world.

The Picture of heroic society and its ideals and values portrayed by the eighth century English
poet is first century Roman Historian Tactics in his book Germania. Beowulf is about the
ancient Germanic society , whose comitatus system and loyalty to heroic values greatly
impressed the Roman historians. Another characteristic feature of epic is that its action should be
self evidently significant. The main story of Beowulf has been condemned as unworthy of an
epics by critics like W.P Ker and R.W Chambers. According to them, it celebrates not human
battles which are the subject of the greatest epics of Homer and Virgil, but silly nursery tale.
Typically epic heroes are honest , hard working, loyal, brave , of noble birth and probably good
looking too. Beowulf has all these qualities . The hero of Beowulf , Beowulf is a geatish warrior
loyal to his king, Hygelac. Beowulf’s father was the warrior Ecgtheow and his mother is the
sister of Hygelac. Despite his noble lineage, Beowulf was a bit of a Juvenile delinquent, and little
was expected of him. But he soon proved his doubters wrong and grew up to be a great warrior.
He has the strength of thirty men in his grasp, and rather remarkable swimming ability. In
addition to his great warrior skills, Beowulf eventually becomes a strong powerful and a
generous king.

Beowulf frequently references giving glory to “God” or the “ Lord” after a victory the
traditionally Pagan tale passed down orally was finally written by Christian monk. So, the faith
in God element was likely added as a means of spreading Christianity.

An epic hero is not thoroughly Perfect and immortal but certainly has a sort of super-human
caliber. He is larger than life. Beowulf at the end sacrifices him fighting with a dragon to protect
his kingdom. Beowulf as a remarkable leader with heroic feats arrests our mind.
 Bibliography
Publishing date- 2nd December, 2018
Publisher- Somnath Sarkar
Medium – Blog
Link – 1. https://www.eng-literature.com/2018/12/beowulf-as-epic-hero-or-character-
beowulf.html

2. https://freehelpstoenglishliterature.blogspot.com/2008/10/beowulf-as-epic.html

Accessed on date -19th October, 2019.