Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas
explored in a literary work.
The Importance of Establishing Identity
As Beowulf is essentially a record of heroic deeds, the
concept of identity—of which the two principal components are ancestral
heritage and individual reputation—is clearly central to the poem.
The opening passages introduce the reader to a world in which every male
figure is known as his father’s son. Characters in the poem are unable
to talk about their identity or even introduce themselves without
referring to family lineage. This concern with family history is
so prominent because of the poem’s emphasis on kinship bonds. Characters
take pride in ancestors who have acted valiantly, and they attempt
to live up to the same standards as those ancestors.
While heritage may provide models for behavior and help
to establish identity—as with the line of Danish kings discussed
early on—a good reputation is the key to solidifying and augmenting one’s
identity. For example, Shield Sheafson, the legendary originator
of the Danish royal line, was orphaned; because he was in a sense fatherless,
valiant deeds were the only means by which he could construct an
identity for himself. While Beowulf’s pagan warrior culture seems
not to have a concept of the afterlife, it sees fame as a way of
ensuring that an individual’s memory will continue on after death—an
understandable preoccupation in a world where death seems always
to be knocking at the door.
Tensions Between the Heroic Code and
Other Value Systems
Much of Beowulf is devoted to articulating and illustrating
the Germanic heroic code, which values strength, courage, and loyalty
in warriors; hospitality, generosity, and political skill in kings;
ceremoniousness in women; and good reputation in all people. Traditional and
much respected, this code is vital to warrior societies as a means of
understanding their relationships to the world and the menaces lurking
beyond their boundaries. All of the characters’ moral judgments
stem from the code’s mandates. Thus individual actions can be seen
only as either conforming to or violating the code.
The poem highlights the code’s points of tension by recounting situations
that expose its internal contradictions in values. The poem contains
several stories that concern divided loyalties, situations for which
the code offers no practical guidance about how to act. For example,
the poet relates that the Danish Hildeburh marries the Frisian king.
When, in the war between the Danes and the Frisians, both her Danish
brother and her Frisian son are killed, Hildeburh is left doubly
grieved. The code is also often in tension with the values of medieval
Christianity. While the code maintains that honor is gained during
life through deeds, Christianity asserts that glory lies in the
afterlife. Similarly, while the warrior culture dictates that it
is always better to retaliate than to mourn, Christian doctrine advocates
a peaceful, forgiving attitude toward one’s enemies. Throughout
the poem, the poet strains to accommodate these two sets of values.
Though he is Christian, he cannot (and does not seem to want to)
deny the fundamental pagan values of the story.
The Difference Between a Good Warrior and a Good King
Over the course of the poem, Beowulf matures from a valiant
combatant into a wise leader. His transition demonstrates that a
differing set of values accompanies each of his two roles. The difference between
these two sets of values manifests itself early on in the outlooks
of Beowulf and King Hrothgar. Whereas the youthful Beowulf, having
nothing to lose, desires personal glory, the aged Hrothgar,
having much to lose, seeks protection for his people. Though these
two outlooks are somewhat oppositional, each character acts as society
dictates he should given his particular role in society.
While the values of the warrior become clear
through Beowulf’s example throughout the poem, only in the poem’s
more didactic moments are the responsibilities of a king to his
people discussed. The heroic code requires that a king reward the
loyal service of his warriors with gifts and praise. It also holds
that he must provide them with protection and the sanctuary of a
lavish mead-hall. Hrothgar’s speeches, in particular, emphasize
the value of creating stability in a precarious and chaotic world.
He also speaks at length about the king’s role in diplomacy, both
with his own warriors and with other tribes.
