Wiglaf's Character In 'Beowulf'

Getting “Wiggy” with Beowulf’s Wiglaf: A Character Study “I am Beowulf. I’ve come to kill your monster,” the protagonist declares upon his arrival to Herot, but what about his sidekick Wiglaf? Wiglaf is not even mentioned in the epic poem until the final battle. Set and likely composed sometime during the sixth century, Beowulf is the cornerstone of modern literature and was first recorded on paper sometime in the eighth century. An archetypal story of good versus evil, Beowulf continues to enthrall audiences 1,500 years after its conception. A recent version directed by Robert Zemeckis, and starring some of today’s most well respected actors, was produced in 2007. Zemeckis changes many of the poem’s characters to increase appeal
A Geat soldier under Beowulf’s command, his defining moment occurs when he refuses to leave Beowulf’s side during the final conflict. Unlike his brethren, he will not abandon his leader. Furthermore, and to no avail, he tries to inspire his fellow soldiers to charge the dragon, because his leader alone is no match for his competitor. Together, Wiglaf and Beowulf are able to slay the dragon. They are archetypal warriors. Wiglaf remembers he “‘swore to repay [Beowulf]…with our lives, if he needed them.’” (711-713). Wiglaf understands that to gain status within a patriarchal society, he must be selfless, quick thinking, and brave. Both characters loyally fight for their leader: Wiglaf for Beowulf, and Beowulf for his king. That is where their similarities end, however. While Beowulf is the archetypal hero, Wiglaf is the archetypal companion, which is evidenced when Beowulf is mortally wounded, and Wiglaf is “anxious to return while Beowulf was alive…Hoping his wounded king, weak/And dying, had not left the world too soon” (794-798). Following their triumph, Wiglaf does not simply plunder the dragon’s treasure and leave; no, he remains to comfort Beowulf in his final moments. This companion aspect of Wiglaf’s character is even more predominant in the film version of the
The latter image is the original, but the former resonates with today’s audience. The epic has been and will continue to be reinvented for centuries. An unknown poet composed Beowulf in the sixth century. Shakespeare reinvented Romeo and Juliet in the seventeenth century. George Lukas created Star Wars in the 1970s. J.K. Rowling penned Harry Potter in the 1990s. Archetypal stories and conflicts will maintain their appeal and symbolic value as long as audiences continue to ponder purging the world of evil, continue to relish and lament the rites of passage, and continue to contemplate man’s pilgrimage into the unknown. Archetypal characters, remaining unchanged at the core, will continue to reflect the values of the period and the people during which they are