Throughout the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, the protagonist character, proves himself to be the strongest and most able warrior of his tribe by defeating the monster Grendel. In other words, he would be considered a hero in the end with his motivation, virtues, and ability to overcome obstacles such as defeating the common enemy. While looking closer into the poem, I came across some examples of the term metonymy, a figure of speech in that a part of something represents the whole, along with themes of heroism, evil, and religion.
An example of metonymy is when the author writes, “The keen, inlaid, worm-loop-patterned steel was hurled to the ground: he would have to rely on the might of his arm” (Lines 1532–1534). In other words, the steel referenced in these lines is actually referring to the swords and weapons used in battle with Grendel. Another example would be the use of the word “demon” in their description of the monster Grendel (line 86). In fact, he has been described as the “captain of evil” which means that he is the leader of evil (line 749). Similarly, Satan would be the captain of evil in a human being’s life, so Grendel would be considered a symbol of the top demon of the world. Even without knowing much about Grendel, the reader can gather how evil he is based on the words to describe him. There is not a single sliver of goodness and light throughout the poem about Grendel, so one can see that he is full of darkness. The word “shadow-stalker” has also been mentioned in describing Grendel (line 704). These two words are similar to metonymy, but this noun is a kenning. Kennings are considered to be popular in Old English. Kennings and metonymy essentially have the same purpose which is to describe something in other terms with strong connotations. The shadow-stalker is Grendel who craves darkness because he is afraid of the light. Another kenning is when the poem describes Grendel’s mother as a “hell-bride” (line 1259). Even if we don’t know what a hell-bride is, the reader knows that Grendel’s mother is on the side of evil and darkness, thereby making her an antagonist.
A theme that is also brought up throughout this poem would be the theme of heroism. Specifically, Beowolf is seen as a powerful figure throughout the story with his superhuman strength that is used to save those surrounding him from the monster. In that, he is seen as a hero through the eyes of the other characters through his strength to overcome the challenges which he faces. For example, Beowulf also defeats Breca by using his strength and endurance to swim to victory (line 507). Beowulf has other names that have been used throughout the poem such as warrior, hero, and captain (line 1629,1963). In other words, he is clearly seen as an important figure based on the word choice used to describe his character as a whole. In a sense, you could compare this story of Beowulf with the story of David and Goliath. Just as David defeats Goliath with a stone and slingshot, Beowulf defeats Grendel with his human strength as well as putting his faith in God. A consistent message throughout the poem is that God will decide everyone’s fate and will decide who is more fit to win each battle. The poem mentions that “holy God decided the victory” which brings the whole theme of fate being determined by God (line 1553–1554). All the characters are shown as super religious throughout this poem because they thank God after victory and have faith that He will always protect them.
Even at age seven, Beowulf was not living with his own family. Therefore, he was primed to become a hero from childhood because King Hrethel became his father figure. The hero’s journey is a popular tool throughout literature. The story of Beowulf shows some of these steps including the ordinary world, tests, allies, enemies, the ordeal, and reward. Leaving home and living with a different family connect with the step of the ordinary world. He is leaving a place that is ordinary to him to be in a world of unfamiliarity. Throughout his life, Beowulf gains allies, his sword, and the ability to defend himself and others, Then, he survives tests and multiple enemies including Grendel and Grendel’s mother. With the hero’s journey story arc, metonymy and figurative language, and diction, the themes of good versus evil and faith in God shine in the oldest of the great long English poems.
