Death And Honor

5 Pages 1220 Words

The following will show how the characters from "Beowulf" perceived their deeds in life as the build up to the way their bodies would be cared for after death and how their people would remember them. Unlike modern times burial ceremonies were based on what a person accomplished rather then who the person was. In essence if you were a great hero you got a wonderful send off, if you were a peasant farmer you were luck if you got a stone cairn over the hole your body was in.
In the Norse world, both gods and humans know their inevitable destiny is death. The heroic goal is fame after death... great and glorious deeds that inspire poets and singers are the only measure of immortality that a mortal can achieve. The Norse hero's greatness is measure by the quality of his life and the courage and dignity with which he faces his inevitable death. The characters of Beowulf cannot determine when they die, but they can try to determine how they live and die. Life is a tragic experience, and the best one can hope for is to live and die with dignity. It should be noted; the characters that rail against the inevitability of death are usually the ones who act with dishonor and treachery.
First thing to note is the contrast between Beowulf and Unferth, the Danish warrior. Beowulf accepts death as inevitable and purposely seeks out deeds that will bring him glory while he lives and fame long after he is gone. He takes pride in himself and his accomplishments “in my youth I achieved many daring exploits” (400) and values relationships, and is willing to travel, “I have sailed here from so far”, (420) in order to help people because he is seeking to add to his fame.
Unferth is afraid and jealous of Beowulf fame. Which is clearly shown when he speaks in the feasting-hall with these words “are you the Beowulf who competed with Breca, vied with him at swimming in the open sea when, swollen with vanity, you both braved the waves, r...