FREE ESSAY ON GEAT VS. GREEK

GEAT VS. GREEK

Beth Lewis
English 288
02/28/00
Geat vs. Greek:
Paternal Injunction in Beowulf and The Iliad
Picture this. Inside the hall, mighty shields and glistening swords await the visitors'
arrival. Skillfully crafted armor decorations proclaim great battles and fierce hunts.
The prevailing warrior ethos and his manly power are evident throughout. 
It is these strong patriarchal images which gave birth to two epics from two totally
different cultures: The tale of Beowulf from Scandinavia and The Iliad from Greece. To
better understand the works themselves and their parallels, it is best to first define an
epic. In order to be considered an epic, there are certain qualifications and standards
that a piece of literature must meet. These epics are long poems that were originally
expressed orally and later were put into writing. 
Both stories tell the tale of brave young heroes, always believing that their fight,
their cause, is the true cause. In both stories, the heroes understand the role of fate.
In Beowulf, the hero of that name understands that the monster Grendel may end his life,
but is not deterred. He is not aware of his destiny, but realizes without qualms that if
Grendel does kill him, then that was his time to die. In Iliad, both Hector and Achilles
are keenly aware that their lives will end in battle. Although there is an emotional
struggle in these characters not seen in Beowulf, their knowledge of their own fates does
not stop them from fighting. This is what we might call bravery today, but in the past it
was better thought of as a "warrior code". And in both stories, it is not fate that
matters in the end, but glory. The attitude is that if death shall come, so be it. But
better to die fighting, immortalized in glory. 
The hero code itself is based on patriarchal injunction. In Beowulf, the first character
introduced in the prologue is the king Shield Sheafson, who bears the name of the founder
of the Danish nation, making him a sort of father to his kingdom. The prologue of Beowulf
takes on an Old-Testament form of sorts, introducing the characters by their lineage.
Shield is father to Halfdane, who is father to Hrothgar, one of the main characters in
Beowulf. The hero himself makes his introduction on the Danish shore by saying, "We
belong by birth to the Geat people and owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac. In his day, my
father was a famous man, a noble warrior-lord named Ecgtheow" (260-263). 
Like Beowulf, warriors in Iliad are introduced by their lineage. The first line begins,
"Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilles..."(1,1). By this opening, we see how
important a father's name is in describing the identity of the hero. In book 3 there is
an intervention by Aphrodite. "But Aphrodite caught up Paris/easily, since she was
divine, and wrapped him in a thick mist/ and set him down again in his own perfumed
bedchamber"(379-382). Aphrodite's way of saving Paris' life ruins his reputation, and in
the long run she has done a greater wrong than if she had let him die. She has taken away
Paris' chance to prove himself as a warrior, and live up to the paternal injunction.
Although Homer presents these characters which are opposing the heroic code, these
counter-voices are only vehicles by which the making of the hero is solidified. 
However, Beowulf also has characters who do not abide by or live by the paternal warrior
ways. Unferth, for example, is a low man who does not sit high with the warriors, but
crouches at the king's feet. He is a jealous Iago who does not rejoice at Beowulf's
presence. "Unferth, a son of Ecglaf's spoke contrary words. Beowulf's coming, his
sea-braving, made him sick with envy" (500-502). In this respect, Unferth is as foolish
as Aphrodite and as spoiled as Paris. 
King Hrothgar is perhaps the closest comparison to Agamemmnon. Both seem to watch as
their men do all the fighting (and all the dying). Although Hrothgar has done well at
keeping his people loyal, he does not live up to the warrior code and is seen as
something less than heroic. Beowulf and Achilles learn to keep their soldiers loyal, and
how to inspire them in battle. After Agamemmnon is forced to return his trophy bride to
her father, the priest, he takes the bride of Achilles, lest he be without spoils to show
his greatness in battle. Achilles is unwillingly dishonored by his own leader, thus
creating a niche in his warrior reputation. Achilles, in retribution, refuses to fight.
Without his leadership in battle Hector's forces quickly subdue the Greek army. 
There are both similarities and striking differences in Beowulf and Iliad on the role of
women. In Beowulf, the most striking female character is Grendel's mother, a monster like
her son. She comes out of the hills to avenge her son's death, and is killed by the hero.
In Iliad, there are plenty of female characters. Helen, Aphrodite, Minerva, and Juno
(Hera) are the most frequently mentioned ones. The mortal women fought over, both Helen
and the trophy-bride of Achilles. However, the Goddesses seem to always be tricking and
going against both armies, and are more like pests than deities. These examples of the
woman's role in ancient literature provide a decent picture of how women were seen in the
eyes of warriors: monsters, pests and prizes. This goes back and places even more
emphasis on where the role of the patriarch. 
Paternal injunction is the cause of readiness and fearlessness before death, with which
the warriors go to war. Identification with the father and the father's name is the
effect of the patriarchal society, which created two masterpieces of ancient literature,
Beowulf and the Iliad.