I chose this picture because it shows the strength and courage of the protagonist of this epic poem, Beowulf.

The reading of the Epic of Beowulf lines 1251-3182, is the story of a young brave Geat warrior, Beowulf, and is based on the intrinsic virtue and  the high esteem people had placed on him. He seems to be the balancing factor between the disparities in thought of his time. Although he boasts about his distinguished life and valiant deeds, his valor matches up to his undue vanity on the battlefield, so his tales are of no fabrication. I found this story quite intriguing. He had saved many lives by successfully slaying three remorseless malicious creatures, in three significant battles.

In the second battle, Beowulf battles Grendel’s mother, who is portrayed as a monster and as the primordial of evil. He unreluctantly agreed to help the king seek vengeance for Aeschere, who was taken away by Grendel’s mother when she sought to wreak havoc at the Heorot in a frenzy of grief and rage, in her desire for vengeance for Grendel’s death. As summoned by the king, Beowulf ventures out to the dark swampy wood to find the creature. Although the territory is unfamilar to him, Beowulf reassured King Hrothgar that Grendel’s mother won’t get away. Beowulf assumes a high level of confidence.

In the third battle, an old Beowulf is out to kill a wrathful treasure hoarding dragon, which would turn out to be successful but ultimately lead to his death. The tone of the poem in this third part is very gloomy- we get a vibe of death and doom. There are repeated hints Beowulf will not survive this encounter as he senses his end is near because of his old age. He is retrospective and nostalgic as he tells stories of his glory old days.

This poem seems to have a two-part structure than a three part structure. In Beowulf’s first two fights(his fight against Grendel and Grendel’s mother), we see a warrior who is confident in his indestructibility. But in Beowulf’s last fight against the treasure hoarding dragon, we see a warrior aware of his mortality.

“He had been poorly regarded for a long time, was taken by the Geats for less than he was worth: and their lord too had never much esteemed him in the mead-hall. They firmly believed that he lacked force, that the prince was a weakling; but presently every affront to his deserving was reversed.” (2183-2189)

This quote stood out to me because I was extremely surprised that Beowulf’s explicit display of vigor and valor was ever overlooked. He spent his life performing heroic deeds and proving himself to be a wise and steadfast leader. Beowulf’s fearlessness and extreme courage had acted as a effective bulwark. He had impacted the lives of many by providing a sense of security to his people and by causing intimidation to his marauding enemies.

All in all, in Beowulf’s journey of life, from the transformation from courageous warrior to honorable and heroic king, it all comes to an end. For every hero, reminiscences of glorious days and the approach of old age reinforces the reality that every life, ends in total destruction.