Wiglaf Vs Beowulf Research Paper

When he struggles and struggles finally Beowulf strength is too much and Grendel’s arm is ripped from its socket. He knows his horrible fate which is to bleed to death in the horrid fen.Although soon after the She demon, Grendel's mother comes back for revenge. Beowulf is prepared and more ready then he’ll ever be.He defeats the She demon triumphantly and comes home strong with pride. Soon Beowulf becomes homesick and returns to his homeland of the Geats, he fights strongly with his uncle until he dies, Beowulf is asked to be the king of the Geats but kindly declines. It is only when Heardred, Beowulf cousin dies that he accepts the position of king and rules wisely. Beowulf grows old and creates the golden age for the land but when the fire drake an evil monster who guards treasure burns down most of the land, Beowulf is ready for one last fight. Using the bees to sting it to death Beowulf and his companion Wiglaf face the beast and kill it. Beowulf's last battle is one to remember and shortly after Beowulf dies of old age but everyone knows that his spirit will live on and create peace for the land of the

Seemingly minor character Wiglaf plays a central role in the conclusion of Beowulf. A young knight who has never before seen battle, Wiglaf steps forward to help his lord, hero, and cousin Beowulf in a time of peril. With his failure in battle and resulting death, the narrator shows that Beowulf is, after all, a prideful and mortal being; thus begins the transfer of heroic status from the old king to the young knight. The narrator argues that Wiglaf is worthy of his abruptly acquired status even though his intentions may seem questionable. The end of the poem devotes a significant amount of lines to dialogue spoken by Wiglaf, signifying his newly crucial role in his kingdom and in the story.

In the literary work of Beowulf, it is imperative to analyze the relationships between characters and how those relationships function to create new meaning or a better understanding of the literature as a whole. In Beowulf, it can be said that the characters of Beowulf and Wiglaf share parallels that serve to show Wiglaf as becoming the next king, and not only the successor of the throne, but a sign of hope for the doomed society of the Geats. These similarities can be recognized especially well through the Anglo Saxon beliefs of what makes an exceptional warrior, as well as certain language chosen when describing the two characters. Furthermore, the two characters mirror each other in motifs of the story such as the father and son

    Wiglaf was the last of Beowulf’s family and was the only person who helped him in the battle that took his life, the only one to witness Beowulf’s death after a grueling battle with a fire breathing behemoth who hoarded treasure like there was a sale on food and there was a

The most heroic of traits within Beowulf is that he is not afraid to die. He always explains his death wishes before going into battle and requests to have any assets delivered to his people. “…and if death takes me…send to Hyglac the best of war clothes that protects my breasts, finest of male shirts. It is a legacy of Hrethel, the works of Weland. Fate always goes as it must.” He is aware of the heroic paradox; he will be glorified in life or death for his actions. He knows that when he fights an enemy like Grendel or Grendel’s mother he will achieve immortality as the victor or the loser. “I resolved when I sat down in the sea-boat with my men, that I should fulfill the will of your people or else fall in slaughter. I shall achieve a dead of manly

However, Beowulf shows his loyalty by turning down her offer. He becomes king when Heardred dies. After ruling the Geats for 50 years, Beowulf decides to fight the terrible dragon. He brings eleven warriors with him. While Beowulf struggles fighting the dragon, his warriors hide except for one loyal thane named Wiglaf. Wiglaf tells Beowulf, “’Now, great spirited noble, brave of deeds, you must protect your life with all your might, I shall help you’”(47). He has remained loyal to his king so Beowulf decides to make Wiglaf the king. This gesture again shows how the value of loyalty to one’s king and kingdom will benefit and reward those who are loyal and give them better reputations.

Courage is also a theme seen throughout the whole poem and specifically in this extract through Wiglauf’s speech, action and also Beowulf’s action. The speech as a whole shows that Wiglauf is willing to courageously fight with Beowulf even if it meant he would die. The line ‘I shall stand by you’ in line 2668 not only displays Wiglauf’s loyalty towards Beowulf but also the courage bestowed upon Wiglauf. The contrast between Beowulf’s companions leaving and Wiglauf staying to fight with Beowulf also presents to us the loyalty and bravery Wiglauf has in his character. During the fight, Wiglaf’s body armor was ‘useless to him’ as the fire from the dragon was too powerful, nevertheless, Wiglaf did not retreat. Instead, it is seen in line 2675 that ‘Wiglaf did well under the wide rim’ showing that even though the body armor that protects Wiglaf from harm’s way wasn’t up to par, he did not cower, rather fought bravely side by side with Beowulf to defeat the dragon.

Beowulf would be king, and reign for fifty long years over Geatland. A dragon would soon begin to menace King Beowulf’s kingdom. As an old man, Beowulf would have to suit up once again to slay the monster. Beowulf would not fight alone as Wiglaf and his men would join the king in battle. Beowulf and Wiglaf would slay the mighty dragon, a dagger to its fiery heart would end its life. Even though the mighty dragon had been slain, the same fate to came for old Beowulf. As he lies there, in the last minutes of his life he asks Wiglaf to bring the dragon’s riches to him. As Beowulf passed he asked Wiglaf to build him a tower. A tower to remember his greatness, his courage, and his fame. The task would be completed. A mighty tower would be built, filled with the dragon’s riches along with his other possessions.

After the first victory, Beowulf’s “comrades willingly go with him because of their confidence in his ability to lead them and to achieve their objectives” (Loughman). Beowulf becomes a role model not only for his thanes, but for the Danes of Heorot as well. Following defeat of Grendel’s mother, Hrothgar gives a sermon before the celebration honoring Beowulf begins. Hrothgar says “Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far and wide, you are known everywhere….forever you will be your people’s mainstay and your own warriors’ helping hand” (McArthur). King Hrothgar informs Beowulf of his significance to the Danes and how he serves as the backbone of his group of warriors.

Beowulf and Gawain are shown as great leaders. Sir Gawain is liked by most people he has met. Beowulf has many loyal followers by his side. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both brave and loyal. They attempt to honor their kings and kingdoms. Those are all

After fifty years of what seems to be peace, the dragon appears to reign terror on Beowulf’s kingdom that he has taken power of. A robber had taken the dragon’s treasure that it was peacefully protecting prior to its terror. By this time, Beowulf is around ninety years of age. He knows it will be a tough fight, and therefore brings warriors along with him. After he calls the fierce dragon out of its cave, all but one of the warriors flee the scene. It is only Beowulf and a man named Wiglaf “Watching Beowulf, he could see How his king was suffering, burning. Remembering Everything his lord and cousin had given him,Armor and gold and the great estates Wexstan’s family enjoyed, Wiglaf’s Mind was made up”(Beowulf 107). Together, they slay the dragon, but Beowulf dies at the end too, making Wiglaf the king. The dragon was protecting the treasure and the thief did not steal for his own desire, it was for his masters in which he was beaten by “But the thief had not come to steal; he stole, And roused the dragon, not from desire But need, He was someone’s slave, had

Vices and virtues. Beowulf is full of dichotomies Pride vs. Humility being an important one. Grendel standing for pride, Wiglaf for humility, and Beowulf as a mix of the two.

King Arthur and Beowulf are both heroes in their stories which causes them to have many similarities in their traits but, they have differences in their traits as well. Arthur and Beowulf are both courageous leaders. They fight fearlessly for themselves and their people in battle. A difference between Arthur and Beowulf is their ability to depend on others. Arthur depends on others many times in The Once and Future King while Beowulf depends only on himself in Beowulf. Despite the differences, Beowulf and Arthur still have many things in common such as their wisdom. Both men are wise and make incisive decisions in battle and in leading. Their wisdom on the battlefield is a heroic trait that both men possess. Another heroic trait that they share is their courageousness.

Beowulf will forever be praised for his heroic deed for “…no better king had ever/ Lived, no prince so mild, no man/ So open to his people, so deserving of praise” (l. 895-897).

Wiglaf was faithful to Beowulf his in the way he stayed and fought with him when all of his men ran Wiglaf stayed with Beowulf to help slay the dragon so Beowulf wouldn’t die. My dad compares to Wiglaf in being faithful not by slaying dragons but by all ways he has done everything they he could do for me and my brothers and never complained about it once. If I ever got in trouble my dad was all there for me and helped get me out of