Discussion Topic
Comparison and Contrast of Character Traits Between Beowulf and Jesus
Summary:
Beowulf and Jesus share traits of bravery and self-sacrifice, but they differ significantly in their approach and motivations. Beowulf is a warrior who seeks glory and fame through physical combat, while Jesus is a spiritual leader who promotes peace and selflessness. Beowulf's heroism is rooted in personal valor, whereas Jesus' heroism lies in his divine mission and moral teachings.
What character traits do Beowulf and Jesus share?
Beowulf and Jesus are very different types of character, one belonging to a religious and the other to an heroic tradition. Although Jesus of the New Testament is the Son of God, he is also in his early life considered to be the son of Joseph, a carpenter, and thus part of a poor family. His followers are the poor and the outcasts and he inspires them through his wisdom and by performing miracles. Although he is a religious leader and Messiah, he is not a noble or ruler. Jesus states:
My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. (John 18:36)
Beowulf is a noble who becomes King of the Geats and thus his kingdom is of "this world." He...
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and his followers are warlike nobles and his followers do fight for him. Where Jesus advocates "turning the other cheek," Beowulf is part of a culture in which nobles fight to defend their honor.
The one major similarity between the characters is the element of self-sacrifice in their deaths. Beowulf dies killing the dragon who was threatening his people and Jesus dies on the cross to save humanity.
How does Beowulf contrast with Jesus?
In Beowulf, any connections between the epic hero Beowulf and the biblical Jesus are loose at best. The original poem was written by an anonymous pagan poet who believed in wergild (blood revenge compensation), wyrd (fate), earthly glory, and communal warrior status. These, of course, are not Christian principles.
So, when the poem was being translated by Christian monks, they added some Christian imagery, symbolism, and allegory. They tried to make Beowulf come across like the ideal Christian king, but with mixed results. Because they did not take out the pagan elements, the poem that we have today is a paragon of intertextuality (it has been transformed over time by many authors). So, some read it for its pagan brutality, and others read it for its Christian dualities.
So, to get back to your question: the early Beowulf is far from the Christly example. Beowulf is arrogant, blood-thristy, and fatalistic: he would rather "live fast and die young" in battle because he has little concept of salvation or an after-life. He battles Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon for wealth, fame, and out of revenge. And Beowulf has an overdeveloped sense of revenge. Not only does he kill the monster for killing so many of Hrothgar's men, but he kills his mother too. He destroys even the origin of evil.
Christ, on the other hand, did away with revenge. He changed the old law by saying "love your enemies" and "turn the other cheek." In other words, he went against the old Jewish practice of vengeance ("an eye for an eye.") As such, Christ was a humble martyr for his message: he died on the cross rather than fight against his oppressors.
Beowulf would have none of Christ's meek long-suffering. He would battle the Romans and Pharisees to the death, single-handedly, without weapons, and--after killing them-- he would kill all their families too.