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  • Essay / The Role of Fate in the Epic of Beowulf

    In the poem, Beowulf by an as yet unknown author, fate plays a key role in distinguishing who Beowulf is. Death, to which all men are condemned, is not a decision made by man, but an unalterable driving force controlled by the forces of fate and destiny. Much like how God gave Samson his strength through his hair, the priests say that Beowulf was blessed by God with the arm strength of thirty men. We are all unique with a variety of different characteristics. Beowulf will gladly face the dragon in his final battle. Just as God grants people unique attributes such as intelligence and a conscience that we rely on to decide what is right and wrong. Essentially, people can know their destiny and seek to seek it, even if it is undesirable. Just like how Jesus trusted God's decision, knowing that Judas would betray him. Beowulf, before the battle with the dragon, knew that this would be his last heroic act before his death. He pursued his destiny knowing that his demise would be imminent: “…it will happen to us as destiny decrees. » Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “The idea that Beowulf's destiny is sometimes controlled by God is open to reservation. » In the state we are in today, we can decide of our own free will how we would like our life to unfold. Likewise, the Anglo-Saxons believed in the same premise behind destiny and how they had free will to live their lives. This gives Beowulf the free will to decide what he does and what he does not do. Since Christianity had influenced this land before this story, destiny was considered a divine decree, it could not be changed by man or God after being set in motion. Beowulf was seen as an agent of God and someone who could set destiny in motion. Beowulf believed in fate and sought what he thought was right. He willingly helped fight and prove his loyalty to Higlac. He proved to be a loyal comrade to Hrothgar by killing Grendel. He was placed here on Earth by God with superhuman strength to fight the battles of evil. He continued to follow his destiny and fight evil because he knew it was his destiny. He would continue to fight and stay alive because he knew that “fate saves the living when they drive out death on their own.” He had an affinity for doing what is best and having confidence in his accomplishments to take his destiny to where it may end. Similar to Jesus, we see that Beowulf is seen as a descendant of God in the eyes of those around him. His heroic qualities and his unwavering trust in his followers even though he knew they would betray him. Just like Jesus and his apostles. Beowulf and Jesus continued their destiny knowing that they would meet their end. Are we all bound by destiny in this cursed world we live in? This is something William Cooke would continue to argue about the fate of Beowulf in his article. Was it fate that pushed “the last survivor of an ancient race to choose this chamber of the mound as the resting place of his wealth? » Which ultimately prompted the dragon to stay there and guard the lost fortune. Many would say it was the runaway slave seeking refuge who came across the ancient mound and took a golden chalice to buy back his master's good grace. However, if the treasure wasn't there, would the slave have anything to steal? Destiny plays a role in everyone's life,..