Essential Question #4

Hrothgar's parting words to Beowulf attempt to remind him to stay away from one particular vice: arrogance. Hrothgar claimed, "He suffers no setbacks until the seed of arrogance is sown and grows within him, while still the watchman slumbers; how deeply the soul's guardian sleeps when a man is enmeshed in the matters of this world; the evil archer stands close with his drawn bow, his bristling quiver" (Lines 1702-1708). Here Hrothgar claims that arrogance is the root of setbacks and avoiding life's inconveniences is as simple as remaining humble. Hrothgar similarly commands Beowulf to be weary of his pride: "Arm yourself, dear Beowulf, best of men, against such diseased thinking; always swallow pride (Lines 1742-1743). This once again reinforces the necessity that Beowulf's self esteem is kept at a healthy murmur. Due to the nature of Beowulf, I believe this speech by Hrothgar is foreshadowing the very downfall of Beowulf. So far, Beowulf has slain numerous sea dwelling creatures and all of Cain's demonic lineage. Any physical adversary has proven insufficient to bring about Beowulf's downfall. The author would need to make Beowulf physically weaker in order to have him defeated. If Beowulf were to become arrogant and lose the will to train, another opponent who has been diligently training could potentially defeat him. A death of such a seemingly unbreakable hero would serve as the ultimate warning from the author to help his reader understand just how important Christian virtues are.