Characters for SN

Beowulf

Beowulf, the hero of the Old English epic, is a Geatish warrior known for his extraordinary
strength, bravery, and sense of duty. His character embodies the ideal traits of a Germanic hero:
courage, loyalty, and the pursuit of glory. The story begins with Beowulf traveling to Denmark to
help King Hrothgar, whose mead hall, Heorot, is terrorized by the monster Grendel. Beowulf
fights Grendel bare-handed, showcasing his fearlessness and remarkable physical power. Later,
he also faces Grendel's mother in an underwater battle and finally a dragon in his old age.
Throughout the epic, Beowulf's actions highlight the values of heroism and the constant struggle
between good and evil. He ultimately dies heroically, sacrificing himself for his people,
cementing his legacy as a noble and selfless hero.

Grendel

Grendel is the primary antagonist at the beginning of Beowulf. He is depicted as a monstrous,

otherworldly creature, descended from Cain, symbolizing his inherent evil and curse. Grendel is
driven by a hatred for human joy and light, which he sees in the celebrations within Heorot.
Night after night, he attacks the hall, killing Hrothgar’s men and instilling fear in the Danes.
Grendel’s character is often interpreted as representing the forces of chaos and darkness. His
defeat at the hands of Beowulf—where Beowulf rips off his arm, leading to Grendel's
death—symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. Grendel’s existence and actions echo the
pagan and Christian themes of sin, retribution, and the ultimate power of a divinely guided hero.

Grendel’s Mother

Grendel’s mother is another fearsome antagonist in Beowulf. After Grendel's death, she seeks
revenge on Heorot, attacking the hall and claiming one of Hrothgar’s men. She is described as a
“mighty water witch” and resides in a dark, mysterious lake, symbolizing the unknown and the
primordial fears of humankind. Unlike Grendel, her motivations are more personal, as she acts
out of grief and revenge for her son. Beowulf confronts her in her underwater lair, where he
struggles against her until he finds a magical sword that enables him to kill her. Her role in the
epic emphasizes the themes of vengeance and the cyclical nature of violence in warrior culture,
as well as the enduring struggle between the human world and the dark, chaotic forces beyond.

Breca

Breca is a childhood friend of Beowulf and a fellow warrior, the subject of a famous swimming
contest with him, mentioned in the epic. This contest is brought up by Unferth, who tries to
undermine Beowulf’s heroic reputation. According to Beowulf, during the competition, they
swam for days, but Beowulf was delayed by sea monsters, which he fought off before
completing the race. The story of Breca serves to highlight Beowulf's physical prowess and
bravery even from a young age. Breca’s presence in the tale provides a glimpse into Beowulf’s
past and establishes the heroic feats he has performed outside the immediate events of the epic.

Unferth

Unferth is one of Hrothgar’s warriors and a minor antagonist to Beowulf. When Beowulf arrives
in Denmark, Unferth challenges his abilities and recounts the story of Beowulf’s contest with
Breca, questioning Beowulf’s strength and courage. This moment allows Beowulf to clarify and
defend his reputation, countering Unferth’s doubts. Unferth’s jealousy and attempts to diminish
Beowulf’s achievements showcase a common tension in warrior culture, where personal pride
often leads to rivalry. However, Unferth later lends Beowulf his sword, Hrunting, for the battle
against Grendel’s mother, indicating a grudging respect. Unferth’s character contrasts with
Beowulf’s, embodying a more flawed, less heroic aspect of humanity, yet he still contributes to
the story’s theme of bravery and honor.

The Wanderer as an Elegy

An elegy is a type of poem that expresses deep sorrow, often mourning for a lost time, loved one,
or an ideal. It usually combines sadness with reflection, making *The Wanderer* a classic
example. This poem shows the intense sadness and loneliness of a man who has lost his
community and is living in exile. The speaker’s grief is not just personal but also represents a
larger loss, as he mourns for a world and way of life that no longer exist. The poem begins with
his lonely plea: “Always the one alone longs for mercy, / the Maker's mercy,” (line 1). Right
away, we sense his isolation from both his people and his God.

Lamentation, or deep sorrow, is the main feature of an elegy, and *The Wanderer* is filled with
this sorrow as the speaker thinks about his past and his suffering. The loneliness and suffering he
experiences because of exile are central to the elegy. He longs for God’s mercy but also mourns
the loss of his old life, including his lord and friends. His memories bring him pain as he recalls a
time of community and belonging. He describes the harsh, cold world around him, mentioning
“icy waves” (line 2) and a “frost-cold sea” (line 4), which represent both the tough natural world
he faces and his inner emotional suffering. The Wanderer feels exiled not only physically but
emotionally as well, as he is cut off from his past and haunted by memories, yearning for “honor,
and friend and lord” (line 35) that he no longer has.
Over time, he accepts his fate and sees suffering as a part of life: “Wyrd is fully fixed” (line 115).
This acceptance reflects a belief in fate, common in Old English literature, and gives the poem a
tone of resignation. He realizes that enduring suffering is unavoidable and looks to God for help,
hoping for mercy. According to Boyd (2009), the elegiac mood in *The Wanderer* “conveys the
sorrow of losing one’s place in the world and grappling with the remnants of a life left behind.”
This is clear in the speaker’s acceptance of his suffering and his longing for God’s mercy,
showing that he believes only God can provide true peace. The ending lines show this hope, as
he says, “He who has it is happy, he is nearest to his Father in heaven” (line 115). Here, the poem
moves from pure sorrow to a quiet hope for peace with God, transforming the lament into a
spiritual reflection on finding relief in faith.

*The Wanderer* is an elegy because it focuses on exile, suffering, and the hope for redemption,
connecting personal grief with the human search for meaning. As Boyd (2009) further explains,
the poem’s elegiac quality lies in its portrayal of “a soul’s resilience in the face of relentless
sorrow.” The poem does not only mourn the past but also shows a path forward, where the
speaker finds some comfort in enduring his pain and hoping for mercy. This makes it a deeply
moving elegy, showing that suffering, while painful, can lead to spiritual insight.

Wisdom in The Wanderer

In *The Wanderer*, wisdom is essential for enduring life’s hardships, especially in times of loss
and isolation. The speaker, aspiring to be wise, outlines several important traits that a wise man
must possess.

First, a wise man shows **patience and self-control**. The speaker advises not to be “too
hot-hearted nor too hasty with words,” encouraging restraint and thoughtful actions (lines 65-66).
This self-control is valued as an inner strength, reflecting the Anglo-Saxon belief that true power
lies in maintaining one’s composure (Johnson, 2019).

**Humility** is another vital trait. Wisdom, according to the speaker, requires humility and
reflection; a wise man should not rush to boast but should wait until he “understands truly” the
thoughts in his heart (lines 69-71). This characteristic emphasizes patience and a caution against
pride, which aligns with wisdom as the opposite of impulsiveness.

A wise man also understands **the fleeting nature of life**. He sees how quickly things decay
and fade, noting “how ghastly it will be when all the wealth of this world stands waste” (lines
72-73). The crumbling walls and abandoned halls he observes highlight the impermanence of
earthly riches, reminding him to seek meaning beyond material possessions.

Another mark of wisdom is **learning from experience**. The speaker suggests that wisdom
comes from deeply reflecting on life’s past events and losses. Asking questions like “Where has
the horse gone? where is the rider?” reveals his recognition of change and the lessons to be
drawn from it (line 93). These reflections help him see the significance of memory and the
resilience it builds.

Finally, a wise person finds **inner peace and stability** through faith. Wisdom includes staying
true to one’s word and not showing anger unless there is “a remedy” in mind (lines 113-115). He
advises seeking “consolation from the Father in heaven,” which provides a sense of stability and
comfort that transcends earthly sorrows (lines 116-117; Johnson, 2019).

In summary, *The Wanderer* presents wisdom as a blend of patience, humility, awareness of

life’s impermanence, learning from experience, and spiritual peace. These qualities allow the
speaker to endure hardship and to find comfort and strength in a life of exile.

Themes of The Wanderer

In *The Wanderer*, the central theme of **exile** portrays the speaker as a lone wanderer,
separated from his past life and enduring the harsh, isolating life on the sea. This exile, far from
his home and companions, leaves him both physically cold and emotionally empty. The sea’s
“icy waves” and relentless wind emphasize his solitude and lack of warmth from friendship or
community, which he once enjoyed in the mead hall with his lord and fellow warriors. Through
exile, he experiences deep loss, which makes him reflect on life’s deeper meaning.

**Loneliness** is a constant companion to the speaker. His exile deprives him of the
companionship he once treasured, leading him to reminisce about his past life. The absence of
familiar faces and the comfort of his former community weigh on him, intensifying his feeling of
isolation. This loneliness affects his spirit, as he longs for a sense of belonging and support that
he no longer has. He is left to face his memories alone, with only the unending sea around him,
making him confront the sorrow that loneliness brings.

The theme of **suffering** connects to both the physical and mental struggles the speaker
endures in exile. His suffering reflects his separation from all that he loved. The cold sea
symbolizes the harshness of his new life, while his memories of happier times intensify his pain.
He accepts this suffering as a natural part of life, realizing that human existence includes
hardship and loss. The harsh conditions on the sea become a way for him to contemplate the
meaning of endurance, and he grows from this experience, learning resilience in the face of
suffering.

**Wisdom** emerges as the speaker’s ultimate aim, gained through suffering and exile. He
describes a wise man as one who is patient and not quick to act or speak. He learns to reflect
deeply, seeing the temporary nature of earthly wealth and status. By observing the ruins of past
civilizations, he recognizes that everything is fleeting. Through this acceptance, he achieves a
sense of wisdom that teaches him humility and patience, understanding that true insight comes
from enduring hardships and reflecting on them.

**Religion** ( need to bring the concepts of paganism, Christianity) provides a source of solace
and guidance for the speaker, helping him cope with his suffering. In his reflections, he seeks
“consolation from the Father in heaven,” which signifies his hope for spiritual peace beyond
earthly trials. While earthly life is full of pain and loss, he finds comfort in the belief that divine
support exists. This faith gives him stability, teaching him to endure his struggles with patience,
looking beyond material concerns for deeper, spiritual meaning.

**Fate vs. free will** plays an important role in the speaker’s outlook. He reflects on how
“wyrd,” or fate, controls much of human life, bringing unexpected challenges and losses. While
he cannot change his exile or suffering, he exercises free will by choosing to endure, reflect, and
find wisdom in his experience. In doing so, he accepts the limits of his control over life’s events,
yet he also asserts his freedom by shaping his response to them. And he is seeking for the mercy
of Father of the Heaven.

In *The Wanderer*, all these themes—exile, loneliness, suffering, wisdom, religion, and fate
versus free will—connect to illustrate a journey of growth. Through exile and loneliness, the
speaker encounters suffering, which leads him to wisdom. His suffering deepens his spiritual
faith, and by accepting both fate and his own choices, he finds a balance that helps him endure.
All of these experiences show how human trials can bring insight, as he learns that wisdom,
patience, and faith are vital in confronting life’s hardships.