Explore a 15-20 line extract of your choice in Beowulf showing how it contributes

to the atmosphere and how this is achieved.

ARROGANCE IN BEOWULF’S POET

In the epic poem ‘Beowulf’ we can appreciate how the poet uses the dialog between
Beowulf and his warriors before the fight with the dragon to show the arrogance of
Beowulf, firstly by the first part of the dialogue, when Beowulf decides not to carry
any kind of armament. However, we can observe that he is conscious of the danger
he is taking with this decision. In addition, this hero wants to fight without any help
of his warriors.

To start with, we can observe his arrogance in the following lines: “’I would carry no
sword, no weapon against the wyrm, grapple in such wise with the monster as I did
once with Grendel, if by such means I might keep my word” (2518 - 2521). In these
lines, we can visualize that Beowulf’s concern is to fight alone, he feels so confident
of doing it, he thinks that he is the only person able to solve this problem as he won
against Grendel, which shows the high concept he has of himself.

In addition, in this extract, we can observe the literary device of irony, specifically a
situational irony: when the opposite of what you expect to happen actually happen.
In this case, Beowulf thinks that he will win the fight with the dragon as he did when
he confronts Grendel, but, in the end the dragon kills him.

Secondly, even though it was his decision to fight without armament, it is visible that
he is aware of the dangers he faces in: “but I expect there is a perilous fire, envenomed
breath.” (2522 - 2523). In these lines, Beowulf is naming the dangers he is sure he
will deal with during the fight with the dragon.

Furthermore, in the following extract we can appreciate how this hero is aware of
the possibility of dying during this fight; “Thus it is I bear both shield and corselet. I
shall hold my ground against the barrow’s lord: we both shall abide the ruling of fate,
what the Measurer of every mortal has allotted us. Firm in my resolve, I shall forego
all boasting about the winged predator’. (2524 – 2528). In this extract, Beowulf
mentioned ‘barrow’, which refers to an ancient gave-mound., and the ruling of fate:
one day his death will come. Although he is conscious about the possible dangers that
he will deal with, he does it anyway as because of his high self-confidence and his
arrogance, believing that he is the only one that can solve the problem of the dragon.

Finally, at the end of this dialogue between Beowulf and his warriors, we can observe
arrogance again between lines 2529 and 2535: “Await by the barrow, you warriors in
harness, the outcome of our contest – which of us two shall pass unscathed through
mortal combat. That is not your concern, nor is any man’s strength sufficient, except
mine, to match the demon: blow for blow, achieve glory. (…)”. In these sentences,
Beowulf has a very arrogant attitude as he considers himself as the only person that
is able to solve this problem. So, in this extract we can observe the literary device of
hybrics. This device is based on the excess of something; in this poem there is an
excess of arrogance of Beowulf.

Moreover, this decision taken by Beowulf is driven by the fact that he is already an
old person and, as I said previously, death is in his destiny. So, he opted to fight alone
against the dragon because if he dies, he dies in an honourable way, and his bravery
and his fights will be remembered forever.

As a conclusion, I firmly believe that Beowulf character is full of arrogance as he

considers himself as the best hero ever by deciding to fight alone and with no carrying
any weapons although he takes into consideration the dangers he is taking.