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 devotion 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 cordial occasion of the expression it ca social functions action to be taken. Understanding the use of this Anglo-Saxon value can reveal its importance in Anglo-Saxon look and literature. In Beowulf, the main character Beowulf uses obedience to empower him to do heroic deeds. This is shown through the actions that he makes: upon earshot of the attacks by Grendel, Beowulf rushes to the concern of Hrothgar, a friend of his buzz offs. 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 sacrifice this ?manprice? (StudyGuide.org), Ecgtheow fled to avoid war. Hrot hgar ?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 ? get along up on an older friendship? (Line 376) and assist Hrothgar by defeating Grendel. Another example where Beowulf uses commitment to act heroic is the close to difference of horizon the dragon. Although this occurs in the older phase of Beowulfs smell, his loyalty or dedication to the Geats ?as top executive of the mountain? (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 alike used by other characters in Beowulf to act bald-faced 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 eleven comrades personally chosen for the en! counter. However, excluding Wiglaf, ?that hand-picked troop bust ranks and ran for their lives? (Lines 2597-2598). Wiglaf was the only when warrior of the band who stood by his lord. In a point of discover toward the heroic ideal of the Anglo-Saxon world that states that he is ? stimulate to fight for their lord to the death? (StudyGuide.org), Wiglaf interferes in the fight and they in the end 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 tail to which star 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 plow is an inanimate object and cannot use his fealty to nurse his lord.

In a sense, the fealty in this poem is more magisterial than in Beowulf since the cross has the determination and the eagerness to aid delivery boy during the crucifixion but he cannot interfere. This willpower is illustrated when Christ was primed(p) on the Cross in preparation for the crucifixion. The cross states that although the groundwork 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 th e two Anglo-Saxon texts is evident but more significa! nt in one then 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 ideate of the Rood. University of Central Arkansas. May 2009 . Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf A New Verse renewing (Bilingual Edition). Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001. Beowulf - StudyGuide.org. StudyGuide.org. May 2009 . Works ConsultedDictionary.com. May 2009 . If you want to start out a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

If you want to get a full essay, visit our page: write my paper