Theme Of Doom In Beowulf

Nearing the end of Beowulf, the hero’s ostensible immortality comes to an end with his violent battle against the dragon. Suffering from mortal wounds, Beowulf speaks his last words, “Now I must follow them” (2816). Beowulf is referring to the men in his clan who have died before him, men who have been sent “to their final doom” (2816). This line as it appears in the story is an important one simply because the death of the hero invites the inevitable cycle of doom to continue. As far as attempting to identify the major theme of the story, the reader may be able to narrow down from the several possibilities when these words are spoken. The theme of doom is stretched throughout the story and whether it is a scene of drunken celebration or somber