Beowulf’s’ ‘Beowulf’ and Spencer’s ‘Redcrosse’ were both heroes in the making. In those ages, the deed of heroism was widely praised in the society. In this accord, I will compare and contrast Beowulf’s and Redcrosse knight’s heroism, and the line that separates the man from the monster. Both knights developed deeds that came to be the epicenter of fine pieces of ancient literature. Beowulf’s epic poems and Spencer’s ‘Canto’ brings up interesting contrasts of these two readings. Contrasting the two readings will make use of real life examples to discover what separates a hero from the monster. For example, both knights have a sole purpose in life; to stand up against evil. A hero is a person who is willing to die to protect others, or defeat evil, as the epic poems depict.
Apparently, Redcrosse Knight put up the fight against evil, which was threatening the existence of Christianity. Redcrosse advocated for holiness and the eradication of evils and dark practices among the congregation. One way of administering holiness is by chocking the beast "Her vomit full of bookes and papers was (Canto I.i.20)." Likewise, Beowulf slays dragons and monsters that terrorized people from his land. Heroic deeds by the two knights portray good contextual deeds that the modern day civilizations should adopt. Although Redcrosse was called to protect the reputation of Christianity, it was his passion for the greater good that drove his fight. Beowulf volunteered to help the King Hrothgar and his people in fighting the monster Grendel. The king’s old age predisposed a major challenge to him and as such invokes the help of the “strongest man of all living men” (Beowulf 196), in order to rescue him against Grendel. In this perspective, both Beowulf’s and Redcrosses’ ordeal show that heroism emanates from within, and cannot be compelled to happen. Heroism is a calling for the commitment of the masses.
Moreover, Beowulf risked his life to fighting Grendel and relied on his body armory to protect himself; he was "a mightier noble, / a larger man" (Beowulf 247). According to Beowulf’s poem, fighting Grendel, and his mother was not an easy task, as weapons could not penetrate the monster's armor. Beowulf fought with sheer will and strength and later defeated the monster. Beowulf’s encounter can be used to criticize some modern evils that cannot be fought with weapons only, like terrorism. Terrorism is seen to be a pure form of monstrosity, just as Grendel in this poem. Heroes are expected to show up and fight for the innocent. Redcrosse also relied on his shining armor “to fight a terrible dragon” (CantoI.i.3). Heroes in the two epic poems elucidate that even though heroes may have their flaws, their good deeds will always act as their armor, even at times of uncertainty.
Heroes are not perfect, as shown by the two epic pieces of literature. Beowulf had to conquer his inner demons before fighting the last dragon that caused his demise. According to the ‘canto’, ‘beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse, and though long labourst hunters after fame’ shows that Redcrosse too had a weakness for young ladies, and at times he gave in to his lust. Lust and fame made it hard to fight the evil that haunted Christianity. Becoming a hero takes courage and bravery, and sometimes heroes fall victims to monstrosity, as in the case of Redcrosse. In addition to defeating their inner demons, Beowulf and Redcrosse eventually got over their fear of responsibility. For instance, Beowulf took the throne he had refused once and ruled the Geats. Redcrosse married Una and gained the responsibility of the family.
Beowulf and Redcrosse thrived to establish the essence that separates a man from the monster. Heroism in the case of Beowulf, and chivalric deeds in the case of Redcrosse, both aimed at separating the hero from the monster. In fact, the heroic acts in the Beowulf poem was intrigued “decorating the hall with the lives of the foe" (Beowulf 1151). According to the two poems, the monster does not think before acting, but the man thinks and reasons on his actions. For example, Grendel’s mother did not contemplate on her actions, before going on her killing spree. Monsters do not regret or feel remorse for their actions because their actions are not well contemplated. A man, on the other hand, feels guilt and remorse due to the contemplated actions. The conjuncture of Grendel and his mother can be attributed to the human monsters that exist in the real world. Fame became apparent in Beowulf poet to the extent that characters like Unferth cared much about their “famous deeds” (Beowulf 505), than taking a bold action to pursue for his mother. Now his reputation is permanently damaged because he lacks the courage to pursue the mother: "he lost fame for that" (1470).Cold blooded serial killers do not reason on their actions, and therefore, end up taking the lives of innocents without regret. The poems on Beowulf and Redcrosee bring out a heroic protagonist, which is similar in nature, although utterly different in setting. Beowulf also provides a tactic for dealing with monsters. When the leader gets savored, the rest will scatter like when Redcrosse defeated Error.
However, it is not only what separates the man from a monster that is intriguing, but also what makes up the monster. Anybody can become a monster, although it varies in the good that is in them. Monsters have a good part on the inside, but the evil part rules; the good part is buried completely. Consequently, the line between monstrosity and humanity is not symmetrical. For example, in Beowulf’s poem, the monsters that attack the land are redundantly similar, but not different from other monsters that live in peace with humanity. Between the man and a monster, the distinction is a one-way ticket. Once a man hero is consumed by monstrosity, he can never go back to his normal way of life. Readings on Beowulf and Redcrosse end up in the death of the heroes. The authors show physical death, which is a representation of passage to oblivion, where no one can get back.
Works Cited
Fernie, Ewan. Redcrosse: Remaking Religious Poetry for Today's World. London: Bloomsbury, 2013. Print. (refer to Canto’s chapters)
Niles, John D. Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition. Cambridge Mass. u.a: Harvard Univ. Press, 1983. Print.( refer to Beowulf Poem Lines)
