The protagonist of this epic poem is Beowulf. Beowulf is a consistent hero and leader. While many readers view Beowulf as being arrogant and confident, we believe he has many insecurities that drive him to take on dangerous endeavors. Beowulf could be described as using projection , a defense mechanism of neuroses , to cope with his mental insecurities. Projection is when one takes his/her bad characteristics and transmits them onto another person, in other words a scapegoat is created. The first example of this is the swimming contest between Beowulf and Unferth. Unferth questions Beowulf's abilities, and Beowulf retaliates with a shower of excuses that explain away his mistakes and obvious loss. Lines 529 to 606 of the poem describe this tale. He speaks of the obstacles that prevented him from winning, such as, wind, waves, cold, and ocean creatures attacking him (Psychoanalysis Mini-Primer 1).
Throughout the poem, Beowulf feels the need to prove himself as a hero in order to silence the doubts from others as well as the inner doubts he places on himself. Beowulf does not take these risks to help or benefit others, instead he engages in these outrageous endeavors for selfish and self-glorifying reasons. He is seeking fame and trying to establish a legacy that will last for all time.Time and again, foul things attacked me,
lurking and stalking, but I lashed out,
gave as good as I got with my sword.
My flesh was not for feasting on,
there would be no monsters gnawing and gloating
over their banquet at the bottom of the sea. (Heaney 39)
The main villain in this poem is Grendel. Grendel is said to be the descendent of Cain, which automatically suggests evil because of the famous Biblical story. In the Bible, Cain was banished from Eden because he murdered his brother Abel. This reflects Grendel's position and status in society. Grendel is suffering from alienation , a psychological term meaning, “ separation from nature, other people, or oneself that results in feelings of loneliness, emptiness, or despair .” ( http://www.pearsoned.ca/psych/main.html) He is an outsider in the Danish community, and we feel Grendel is lashing out at the members of society that have rejected him. Deep down we believe Grendel is jealous of the people in Heorot Hall, and as a result, he takes his rage out on them.
Grendel is an aggressor , which means he displays “ intentional behavior aimed at causing either physical or psychological pain.” (http://www.pearsoned.ca/psych/main.html) It is easy to compare Grendel's behavior to that of a modern day bully who feels the need to dominate and be feared by others. Grendel feeds off of the fear of his victims and thrives on power. Like a bully, Grendel craves attention, even if that attention is negative.Then his rage boiled over, he ripped open
the mouth of the building, maddening for blood,
pacing the length of the patterned floor
with his loathsome tread, while a baleful light,
flame more than light, flared from his eyes. (49)
Hrothgar is the king of the Danes in the Beowulf epic. He appears to be a good and generous king, however he can be viewed as being rather passive and lacking aggression. One could argue that Hrothgar has an inferiority complex , which is a, “ psychological condition that exists when a person is overwhelmed by feelings of inferiority to the point at which nothing can be accomplished.” (http://www.pearsoned.ca/psych/main.html) He allowed Grendel to terrorize his kingdom for twelve years before Beowulf arrived. Hrothgar can be viewed as a coward for never engaging in combat with Grendel personally. With all of his wealth, Heorot Hall, the kingdom, etc., we feel Hrothgar is trying to hide his insecurities behind his many material possessions. We believe Hrothgar uses his extravagance and wealth to blind people to his many faults.
Grendel's mother avenges Grendel's death in Beowulf. She never really taunted or disturbed the Danes like her son, until Beowulf killed Grendel. Like most mothers, she feels the need to take justice into her own hands by avenging Grendel's death. Much like Grendel, she is very brutal and vicious in her methods of attack. Even though Grendel's mother is a monstrous creature, she still displays the emotions of a human. Grendel's mother operates under the instinct theory , “ the notion that human behavior is motivated by certain innate tendencies, or instincts, shared by all individuals.” (http://www.pearsoned.ca/psych/main.html) Her attack on Heorot was out of pain and grief, emotions most mothers would have after losing a child. Another interesting characteristic of Grendel's mother is her role as a female in this epic. Instead of being submissive and subdued, she fights back by standing up to the man that took her son.
Grendel's mother does not fit the typical mold of females in this discussed time period. She is not a peace-weaver or a cup-passer but instead is independent and aggressive.So she lunged and clutched and managed to catch him
in her brutal grip; but his body, for all that,
remained unscathed: the mesh of the chain-mail
saved him on the outside. Her savage talons
failed to rip the web of his warshirt.
Then once she touched bottom, that wolfish swimmer
carried the ring-mailed prince to her court
so that for all his courage he could never use
the weapons he carried; and a bewildering horde
came at him from the depths, droves of sea-beasts
who attacked with tusks and tore at his chain-mail
in a ghastly onslaught.” (105)
The author of this epic remains unknown to this day. Because of this uncertainty, it is difficult to know what was truly influencing the construction of Beowulf. Nevertheless, we feel the author is relating his own life to Beowulf. The character Beowulf is used to compensate for all of the author's shortcomings in his own life. Beowulf is everything the author wants to be, while at the same time, the author's insecurities are also shown in Beowulf's constant need for self-gratification. The author was more than likely a fame seeker and was seeking recognition for his creation of Beowulf. Finally, using the sexual undertones we have discussed in class, interpretations of Beowulf suggest sexual acts or frustration. Beowulf seems to display characteristics from the genital stage of the psychosexual stages of development . The genital stage is marked by “sexual interest and desire.” Perhaps Beowulf did not resolve issues from the phallic stage and is troubled by anxiety when it comes to sex. A prime example is the fight between Beowulf and Grendel's mother. The author writes of Beowulf embracing Grendel's mother in a very physical manner. The first sword, a phallic symbol for the penis, is proved to be ineffective in penetrating Grendel's mother. Due to the inadequacy of this sword, Beowulf obtained a larger sword. This can be interpreted as sexual frustration and insecurity (Psychoanalysis Mini-Primer 2,3).
The psychological approach to literature is quite complex. There are many different viewpoints in which one can derive from a work. This approach can be rather opinionated because every reader can make different conclusions when interpreting characters and their thoughts. Beowulf is no exception to this rule. This essay is just our interpretation of the main characters of Beowulf. Despite how the reader views Beowulf, there is no doubt that Beowulf is a classic that has withstood the test of time and can spark the imagination of every individual.
Works Cited
Pearson Education. 2004. 16 May 2004 < http://www.pearsoned.ca/psych/main.html >. Source : http://homepage.mac.com/barbarap2/home/Approaches/BeowulfMWF.html
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