Beowulf and Luke Skywalker-Two Blokes Fighting for the Cause

Despite living ages and galaxies apart, Luke Skywalker and Beowulf have a lot in common. They are both fierce warriors who fight for a cause they believe in. Luke fights to destroy the evil Galactic Empire, and Beowulf fights to relieve the Danish population from Grendel’s reign of terror. They are courageous men who take on tasks that would daunt and destroy lesser men. Slaying a dragon and obliterating a battle station the size of a small moon would take indescribable amounts of courage, and Beowulf and Luke master these tasks. Both men have a strong sense of faith. Beowulf believes in God, and Luke has faith in the Force, a magnetic field that surrounds everything and can be manipulated. Beowulf’s faith in God pushes him through his battles, and Luke’s trust in the Force guides him through his trials. It is ultimately with the Force that Luke is able to destroy the Death Star.

Beowulf, however, is always a willing hero. He willingly leaves his home of Geatland to travel to Denmark to fight Grendel. Beowulf heard the story of the Danes and wanted to help rid them of their monsters. Luke is at first an unwilling hero. He doesn’t want to partake in the quest presented to him by Obi-Wan Kenobi. After the murder of his uncle and aunt by Stormtroopers, though, he joins the quest to seek revenge for their deaths. Beowulf goes on his journey to help innocent people. Luke starts his journey with hate. Soon, though, Luke comes to know the cause of the Rebel Alliance and joins it. Beowulf, by the end of his journey, is a master of two worlds. He has freed Denmark and comes to rule Geatland. Luke isn’t master of two worlds by the end of “A New Hope.” He is a man just beginning his journey. Beowulf completes his journey by the end of “Beowulf.” Both men are heroic because they fight for hope and freedom and accomplish these tasks.

Wiglaf

Wiglaf is much like Beowulf. He shows “inborn bravery and strength” and is extremely honorable and respectable. Wiglaf is also remarkably loyal and kind. As Beowulf lies dying after the dragon’s defeat, Wiglaf cleans his wounds and tends to him. When Beowulf dies, Wiglaf goes through with Beowulf’s wishes and has a funeral pyre built, adorned with “helmets, heavy war-shields, and shining armour, just as [Beowulf] had ordered.” Wiglaf’s reputation as a good man remains untarnished even after he chastises Beowulf’s men for abandoning Beowulf in his time of need. The men wholly deserve the lecture, and the reader is glad Wiglaf uses such blunt language. Like Beowulf, Wiglaf is honorable and heroic but shows an additional sense of softness that seems to only magnify his strength. He concedes that Beowulf dealt the killing blow to the dragon, which frames Beowulf as the greater man. Wiglaf did not have to admit this and could have claimed the kill as his own. Instead, he speaks the truth and shows honor and loyalty to Beowulf. His kindness comes through when he cares for a dying Beowulf and fulfills his wishes.

Unferth's Story

Unferth, a minstrel in Hrothgar’s court, insults Beowulf because he’s jealous of Beowulf. Unferth “could not brook or abide the fact that anyone else alive under heaven might enjoy greater regard than he did.” Beowulf is a revered warrior, and Unferth is an entertainer. This divide bothers Unferth greatly, and so he discusses Beowulf’s swimming match with Breca in an attempt to degrade him. After Unferth finishes his story, however, Beowulf insults Unferth, by insinuating that he’s a sot, and retells the story, turning Unferth’s tale of failure into an account of bravery. Beowulf begins his retelling by stating, “Well, friend Unferth, you have had your say about Breca and me. But it was mostly beer that was doing the talking.” Beowulf goes on to say that Breca and Beowulf did indeed have a little competition amongst the waves, but it soon turned into an epic battle for survival. Beowulf was routinely attacked by sea monsters during the competition and ended up killing nine monsters. Eventually, the competition was forgotten, and although Beowulf neither won nor lost the contest, he became a stronger man because of it. Beowulf finishes his account by declaring, “Now I cannot recall any fight you entered, Unferth, that bears comparison. I don’t boast much when I say that neither you nor Breca were ever much celebrated for swordsmanship or for facing danger on the field of battle… The fact is, Unferth, if you were truly as keen or courageous as you claim to be, Grendel would never have got away with such unchecked atrocity… [Grendel] knows he can trample down you Danes to his heart’s content… but he will find me different. I will show him how Geats shape to kill in the heat of battle.” Beowulf, by insulting Unferth and turning Unferth’s degrading words into words of praise, proves himself to be a better, stronger man than Unferth. Beowulf comes off as intelligent and manly when he puts Unferth back into his place, and so the whole episode with Unferth acts only to further bolster Beowulf’s status as a hero.