Greed In Beowulf

As social activist Eartha Kitt once said, “Greed is so destructive. It destroys everything.” In Beowulf, by an anonymous writer and The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, greed plays an omnipresent role, as it manifests itself into the societies of the texts, resulting in acts of war. Each text utilizes similar methods in their depiction of greed, as it is shown as a cause for the seemingly endless acts of wartime malice. Additionally, both texts seem to emphasize a certain notion that with the possession of wealth, one will have power, and the only way one can attain that wealth is through taking it from one who already holds it. This notion proves to have a good, yet adverse effect on the characters, as it shows strength and ambition
Characters such as Unferth act as a mouthpiece for John Gardner, the writer of Grendel, a supporting text of Beowulf, as he represents the drive for power in all warriors of the time. For example, during the Anglo-Saxon period, if one was to retreat from battle as a coward, he would be faced with an array of retribution, whereas if he were stay in battle and found unparalleled success, he could potentially reach a position of higher power (Bond et al.). Unferth was well aware of this standard of the time, as it is shown in the scene where he refuses to retreat from Grendel's home, even when in the face of death. When speaking to Grendel he states, “The hero sees values beyond what's possible. That's the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worthwhile” (Gardner 89), almost convincing himself that he has not failed in his pursuit to kill the beast. Had his encounter with Grendel ended in his desired fashion, Unferth would have died a “hero”, despite not receiving any power or monetary reward. Furthermore, Beowulf, despite being as magnificent as he was, suffered from greed as well, as he displayed an intense desire for fame. This weakness first became present when he first encountered Unferth, challenging his validity as primary protector of the mead hall. Being subject to
Tolkien’s war experiences heavily influenced his writings. The Hobbit was written was around the time World War II occurred, which is by some standards, the most gruesome war in history. Tolkien describes his term in war as an awful, disturbing experience, where he caught trench fever and experienced the grief of losing all but one of his closest friends. In particular, the battle of Sommes was what likely influenced the Battle of Middle Earth, as seen in the Hobbit. Tolkien describes the disturbing battle, “By autumn 1916 the battlefield at the Somme was covered with corpses. When it flooded there were bodies floating in shell holes.” (Manger). These horrific depictions would later surface in his writing of the battle of middle earth, where readers picture gruesome scenes of blood and malice. Tolkien included these scenes into his text not only for entertainment purposes, but also so as a reminder of the unimaginable hell that is brought to life in war. Moreover, allusions to World War 2 are also referenced in his Lord of The Rings Trilogy, as well as other works.