Comparing and Contrasting the Use of Fealty in Beowulf by Seamus Heaney and the Anglo-Saxon poem Dream of the Rood

Fealty is unity of the greatly-recognized valuates of the Anglo-Saxon world. Often defined as a type of inscription or allegiance, allegiance plays a much engaging and active role in Seamus Heaney?s Beowulf than in the Anglo-Saxon song ?The reverie of the Rood? beca well-disposed occasion of the expression it ca employments action to be taken. Understanding the workout of this Anglo-Saxon value can reveal its importance in Anglo-Saxon look and literature. In Beowulf, the main character Beowulf uses devotion to empower him to do heroic deeds. This is shown through the actions that he makes: upon tryout of the attacks by Grendel, Beowulf rushes to the concern of Hrothgar, a friend of his mothers. Beowulfs father, Ecgtheow, previously killed Heatholaf, a member of the Wulfing tribe. tally to Anglo-Saxon terminology and law, a debt or wergild must be p abet to the relatives of the victim. Unable to contribute this ?manprice? (StudyGuide.org), Ecgtheow fled to avoid war . Hrothgar ?healed the hostility by paying? (Line 470) this debt which caused Beowulfs father to swear loyalty to Hrothgar. It is this subjection that his father made that encourages Beowulf to ? assume up on an older friendship? (Line 376) and assist Hrothgar by defeating Grendel. Another example where Beowulf uses loyalty to act heroic is the finish to difference of public opinion the dragon. Although this occurs in the older phase of Beowulfs life, his loyalty or devotion to the Geats ?as top executive of the deal? (Line 2513) obliges him to defend them, believing that it?s his duty. Conclusively, the utilization of fealty by Beowulf results in actions being carried out. The Anglo-Saxon value of fealty is overly used by other characters in Beowulf to act brazen actions. The greatest example of this is the aid shown to Beowulf by Wiglaf during the meshing against the dragon. During this battle, Beowulf?s sword fails him and he?s in deficiency of avail from the e leven comrades personally chosen for the enc! ounter. However, excluding Wiglaf, ?that hand-picked troop bust ranks and ran for their lives? (Lines 2597-2598). Wiglaf was the scarce warrior of the band who stood by his lord. In a point of detect toward the heroic ideal of the Anglo-Saxon world that states that he is ? have to fight for their lord to the death? (StudyGuide.org), Wiglaf interferes in the fight and they ultimately defeat the dragon. This principle demonstrates how fealty is significant to Anglo-Saxon life in the way it inspired Wiglaf to aid Beowulf. all(a) in all, fealty is acutely used in Beowulf as a nucleotide to which wholeness could complete actions. In ? ideate of the Rood?, fealty is shown by the soft touch to the Nazarene alone it doesn?t play an actual role in the poem because the skip is an inanimate object and cannot use his fealty to nurse his lord.

In a sense, the fealty in this poem is more deluxe than in Beowulf since the cross has the determination and the eagerness to aid the Nazarene during the crucifixion but he cannot interfere. This willpower is illustrated when Christ was place on the Cross in preparation for the crucifixion. The cross states that although the grease shakes, it dared...not against the Lords word/ bend or break? (Lines 35-36). That provides the legal opinion that the cross has the intention to help Christ because it bending or breaking would hinder Christ; the cross, by announcing that it wouldn?t do such a thing verifies its fealty. Therefore, fealty is used in the poem as a concept, not as a reason for action. In conclusion, the application of fealty to the two Anglo-S axon texts is evident but more significant in one the! n the other. Still, fealty contributes to both pieces of literature and its complex use exposes why it is so vital to Anglo-Saxon society. Works CitedGlenn, Jonathan A. The moon of the Rood. University of Central Arkansas. May 2009 . Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf A New Verse variety (Bilingual Edition). Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001. Beowulf - StudyGuide.org. StudyGuide.org. May 2009 . Works ConsultedDictionary.com. May 2009 . If you want to humiliate a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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