November Blog

I agree with John Niles when he states that Beowulf "outdistances" the audience. As Niles states: "we know too little of his everyday humanity, his normal human feelings, to be able to see him as an extension of ourselves."

As an audience, we receive little insight about Beowulf's inner thoughts and emotions, and any information about his childhood is very subtle. His heroism is overly-done, and his strength and virtual perfectionism in his pride and loyalty set Beowulf on a scale much higher than our own. Modern readers are unable to relate to Beowulf because he is almost unreal. He is described as having the "strength of thirty men." He can outwit the most evil demon, Grendel, and even rip off the fiend's arm with his bare hands. This fantastic strength and confidence is unreal to modern readers.

In addition, the change in times may account for the lack of empathy for Beowulf. The setting of Beowulf was a time of a "shame culture," as Jones points out. The "vital principle is the pursuit of honor and avoidance of shame." Of course, in a time like this, pride, honor, and boasting, are valued. Nowadays, people do not appreciate people who are too proud. There is a disconnect in the time periods.

Something that I find interesting about Beowulf is that it seems to be over-analyzed. The poem has been criticized and dissected in every way possible, and people still cannot agree. As I have already stated, I believe that Beowulf is not a realistic human character. I find it a bit ridiculous that people go so far as to analyze his relationships with "father figures" and how they may have influenced his character. I think what is really needed to grasp the concept of this poem is an understanding of the setting and times, and the knowledge that pride and honor were the motivating forces that drove most every action of any "hero" of the time.