Beowulf as a Pacifist Poem :: Social Phenomena Literature Art Essays

Beowulf as a Pacifist Poem affectionate phenomena have al focusings been narrated by artists. Art is a cathartic way to express ones negative feelings poems help poets and their readers or listeners to bus with peoples frustrations. War, mans tendency to wage aggression upon each other, is the most criticized issue among intellectuals in the society. An artists opinions, especially when conflicting with the established social norm of the dominant society, whitethorn be disguised and hidden beneath metaphors and complex analogies. Beowulf, a pacificist poem, was written as an expression of frustrations with the struggles that constantly occurred during the Anglo-Saxon period. It illustrates, in a cynical, grim light, how people futily die in battle, represented by the linguistic process of a messenger and by Hildeburhs story. Beowulf also describes co contenddly soldiers and a deceitful world that collaborate to invalidate the naive ideals of war. Every war has its reasons, but i t is not necessarily right to go into one. Wars have not solved many conflicts nor did they teach anyone anything ab off pride, country, or loyalty. In Beowulf, Wiglafs speech to the warriors after Beowulfs death, criticizing them for not qualifying out and struggle the dragon after all the treasures that they received from Beowulf, portrays the inefficacy of war and therefore, that of the warriors themselves Yes, he who will speak the truth may say that the liege overlord who gave you treasure, the war-gear you stand in there, when he used often to hand out to hall-sitters on the mead-benches, a prince to his thanes, helmets and war-shirts such as he could find mightiest anywhere, twain far and near that he quite threw away the war-gear, to his distress when war came upon him. (Howe 48) This quotation realistically depicts the instability of people, therefore the instability of war. Beowulfs warriors shamt follow comitatus, an Anglo-Saxon term that describes a lord-warrior re lationship as loyalty for protection. The lord gives treasures and all the amenities to the warriors to ensure that he is going to have loyal warriors to protect his kingdom when wars come. Beowulf pays his warriors treasures to assure his protection, and they still kick in and run into the woods. The very fact that they must be bribed to defend Beowulf at all serves to effectively underscore their loyalty. The author of Beowulf uses this episode to paint a picture of deceit, hate, and fear that describes people involved in wars.