Examples Of Grief In Beowulf
The society of Beowulf does not believe that grief is the solution to the deaths of their loved ones or leaders. Instead of becoming sad, the people simply get angry and vow to take revenge upon the person who committed the murder, which is usually by killing that person. The solution to their grief is more death. It is only human to grieve so the people in the Beowulf world, including Beowulf himself, are quite inhuman, monstrous even. They fight death with more death, the punish by following the system of eye for an eye. King Hrethal represents humanity in this past society. He represents the good traits in humans while the rest of the characters represent the bad. While Beowulf’s is portrayed as humble and heroic, there
seems to be a more sinister nature lying between the poem’s lines. He is boastful at times, selfish, and sometimes even cruel in his words. There is not an in depth description of King Hrethal in the poem, however because he mourns so deeply for his sons, the reader sympathizes with his circumstance and admires him more than anyone else in the play, including Beowulf. The area under the rule of King Hrethel also does not seem to know what action to take as the King mourns. They do not come to comfort Hrethel and they do not lose any sleep over what has occurred and how this event may be affecting the King. The people of this kingdom do not even seem to care about the loss of the two sons; the king is “alone in his longing” while the citizens continue on with their lives as if nothing has changed (2460). They do not think of their future heir’s deaths as a loss, just a part of destiny that cannot be undone. Maybe this accident was divinely ordained, but the lack of evidence of grieving is not human. It may be hammered into the people that outward grieving is not an appropriate response to any event, that only the drive to fight on is, but it is unrealistic that they could suppress this naturally human response so completely. They have been trained to hide any and all emotions. It is not so much the people as a whole that are monstrous but the people who decided that emotions are not to be seen, heard, discussed or acknowledged.
seems to be a more sinister nature lying between the poem’s lines. He is boastful at times, selfish, and sometimes even cruel in his words. There is not an in depth description of King Hrethal in the poem, however because he mourns so deeply for his sons, the reader sympathizes with his circumstance and admires him more than anyone else in the play, including Beowulf. The area under the rule of King Hrethel also does not seem to know what action to take as the King mourns. They do not come to comfort Hrethel and they do not lose any sleep over what has occurred and how this event may be affecting the King. The people of this kingdom do not even seem to care about the loss of the two sons; the king is “alone in his longing” while the citizens continue on with their lives as if nothing has changed (2460). They do not think of their future heir’s deaths as a loss, just a part of destiny that cannot be undone. Maybe this accident was divinely ordained, but the lack of evidence of grieving is not human. It may be hammered into the people that outward grieving is not an appropriate response to any event, that only the drive to fight on is, but it is unrealistic that they could suppress this naturally human response so completely. They have been trained to hide any and all emotions. It is not so much the people as a whole that are monstrous but the people who decided that emotions are not to be seen, heard, discussed or acknowledged.