Beowulf Essay-Fame and Glory

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Bailey Maholm English 2201 Dr. David A. Grant 9/22/2016

Fame and Glory Medieval literature an o!ten "e thought o! as an anient te#t intended !or the audiene o!  the time it $as $ritten% and onsidered om&letely irrelevant today. But i! $e ta'e a loser loo' at te#ts suh as Beowulf  as Beowulf % $e disover that there are many elements to the &oem that are still relevant today. (ne o! the most &revalent ideas in the &oem is that o! !ame and glory. )he endless &ursuit !or &o&ularity% re&utation% rihes% lu#ury% and !rivolous &leasures that eat a$a y at the humanity o! &eo&les. )he almost nauseating lust !or the s&otlight% and the rae ivili*ation runs in order to o"tain it. )he $ay $e vie$ !ame and glory as a soiety today might "e more similar to that o! the &ast than you thin'. +n Beowulf  +n Beowulf  $e  $e see !ame and glory are o! u&most im&ortane% an o!ten "e mas,ueraded "y !alse humility% and an o!ten "e on!used as to $hether  they are "ased in a -hristian or &agan morality $ay o! thin'ing $e an see eah o! these things in!luene all three o! the "attles that Beo$ul! on!ronts in the &oem. Beo$ul! is a hero. A man $ho $ould ris' his all !or the sa!ety o! the &eo&le. But $e must onsider i! Beo$ul! is !aing the evils o! the $orld !or the "etterment o! the &eo&le% or !or the glory that goes along $ith $inning. hen the 'ing rothgar summons Beo$ul! to eorot to de!end his &eo&le !rom the demon Grendel% Beo$ul! ma'es a s&eeh a"out ho$ he is to de!eat the demon and says

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there!ore% to heighten ygela3s !ame and gladden his heart% + here"y renoune s$ord and the shelter o! the "road shield% the heavy $ar4"oard hand4to4hand is ho$ it $ill "e% a li!e4and4death !ight $ith the !iend.5 784770:. +n the $ords Beo$ul! !irst says to the 'ing% he is already entiing him $ith the idea o! !ame. e is setting u& the "attle in a $ay that $ill o"tain him the ma#imum amount o! glory. e introdues himsel! $ith so muh &ride and "elie! in his a&a"ilities that he should ome aross as arrogant% and yet he doesn3t. )his &arallels many o! the advertisements &aid !or and endorsed "y modern day !igures "egging !or !ame and &o&ularity. )hey "rag a"out $hat ma'es them "etter than anyone else and ho$ they% li'e Beo$ul!% $ill !ight hand4to4hand5. An ad &aid !or "y Donald )rum&% a 2016 &residential andidate% states e3ll ,ui'ly ut the head o!! +;+;5. 1: )rum& is going right to the violent soure o! glory. By stating that he3ll ut +;+; o!! at the soure% he is &romoting himsel! in an e!!ort to ahieve !ame and reognition !rom voters. Although many $ould argue that they see )rum& as arrogant% he still has a large &erentage o! the
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+t is vividly notiea"le in the &oem% and in some ases% soiety today% that !ame and glory are things that &eo&le rave% and $ant ultimately more than anything else in li!e. =et $hoever an $in glory "e!ore death.5 18>?%18>>: )hese lines are said "y Beo$ul! "e!ore he goes o!! to !ight Grendel3s mother. Beo$ul! announes that glory is o! so muh im&ortane% that you must% in !at% $in it "e!ore you die. )his &arallels $hat $e o!ten see in our &resent day soiety. @eo&le today are al$ays saying that they $ill do anything and everything in their &o$er to ahieve !ame and !ortune "e!ore they die. o$ever% $e o!ten don3t see &eo&le $ho are u&!ront a"out their goals !or $inning glory "e!ore dea th. e o!ten see heroes5 $ho go out o! their $ay to save the $orld !rom destrution% and "ring &eae to all &eo&les. But it an "e argued that these  &eo&le aren3t going out o! their $ay to save humanity% !or the mere sa'e o! saving humanity "ut rather they have a hidden agenda% a !alse humility% that $hat they truly desire is the !ame and !ortune. +n his early "attles% Beo$ul! remains disreet a"out his intentions !or !ighting the "attles. e says that it3s !or the &eo&le and !or the 'ingdom as a $h ole. But $hen $e see Beo$ul! later in li!e% "e!ore his "attle $ith the dragon% he is more u&!ront a"out his intentions. e says + ris'ed my li!e o!ten $hen + $as young. o$ + am old%  "ut as 'ing o! the &eo&le + shall &ursue this !ight !or the glory o! $inning% i! the evil one $ill only a"andon his earth4!ort and !ae me in the o&en.5 211421: Beo$ul! is learly stating that the "attle he intends to !ae is !or the glory o! $inning% and later mentions that it3s also a"out the treasure at hand. @u"li !igure erry =e$is o&enly admitted that

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his $or' $ith the Musular Dystro&hy Assoiation hel&ed him to "eome as !amous as he is today. e said + made my re&utation in the "usiness aring !or $hat + did% aring !or the &eo&le that + did it !or.5 2: ;ome might argue that this rise to !ame $as out o! a &u re and -hristian intent !or hel&ing others. But others might say that =e$is attri"uted "eing the !ae !or the MDA as a $ay to rise to !ame and !ortune4 a very &agan ideal. )he lines "et$een -hristian and &agan $ays o! thin'ing are onsistently "lurred in today3s soiety% as $ell as in the lines o! Beo$ul!. e see Beo$ul! rise to glory and inrease his !ame a!ter his !irst t$o "attles against Grendel and Grendel3s mother% and $e see him live in the la& o! lu#ury the o lder he gets% eventually seuring his &lae as 'ing. But in his !inal "attle against the dragon% $hen he deides to !ae the "east as an old man in a !inal attem&t to o"tain rihes% !ame% and glory he &erishes% and all that3s le!t is rusty old treasure. + thin' many o! us an relate to the -hristian moral that doing good deeds !or the "ene!it o! onesel!% $ill ultimately lead to destrution and death rather than ha&&iness and li!e. e see ele"rities reah their &ea' o! !ame and !ortune% they o"tain all the glory and rihes they ould ever $ant% and then they ultimately end u& in a "ro'en state that leads to their do$n!all. -ele"rities li'e -ory Monteith star o! hit television series Glee: $ho $ere at the to&% living the dream as a &o& ulture ion om&lete $ith !ame and glory. Monteith overdosed on a to#i mi#ture o! drugs and alohol $hih led to his early death at the early age o!   Cust 81. @hilli& ;eymour o!!man star o! multi&le hit movies: also overdosed on drugs and died at age 76. ;imone Battle singer in grou& G..=: too' her o$n li!e at age 2 at the &ea' o! her stardom. A &agan mindset $ould argue that the most im&ortant goals in li!e are to o"tain !ame and glory !or yoursel!% and that $ill "ring you true ha&&iness. But as $e see in the &oem% and in real li!e irumstanes% the -hristian "elie! that hel&ing onesel! $ill lead to even tual destrution%

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holds true. (! ourse some $ould state that their !ame an d !ortune has made them ha&&ier than ever "e!ore% "ut $e don3t have any evidene as to $hether they are truly ha&&y. (ur $orld is onstantly !ighting against the ideas o! the im&ortane o! !ame and glory. Are they truly going to ma'e us ha&&y% or are they ultimately going to destroy us By loo'ing at te#ts !rom the &ast% li'e Beo$ul!% $e an ome to understand that &eo&le $ere "attling $ith the same thoughts in the times o! the Anglo4;a#on &eo&le% as 21st entury soiety is today.

or's -ited

 Beowulf. )he orton Anthology o! English =iterature. 9th ed.% olume 1. Eds. A"rams% Green"latt% et al. e$ or' .. H orton H -om&any% 2012 =i,uidMoves. IDonald )rum& AD First -ommerial ) AD -am&aign ✔.I YouTube. ou)u"e% 2016. e". 1> ;e&t. 2016. 1:

@ress% the Assoiated. Ierry =e$is Admits Musular Dystro&hy Assoiation el&ed Fuel is Fame% "ut emains Mum on De&arture.I Jerry Lewis Admits Muscular Dystrophy Association  Helped uel His ame! but "emains Mum on Departure. e$ aven egister% 21 Aug. 2011. e". 19 ;e&t. 2016. 2: