It goes without saying that Beowulf may be regarded as one of the most prominent ancient European poems. Although its origin remains the subject of multiple discussions, the common version describes it as “a Danish poem in the Anglo-Saxon dialect” (Neidorf 847). The poem describes the glorious life and deeds of a hero, Beowulf, who was regarded as a person sent by heaven for people (Gummere line 13). Helping Hrothgar, king of the Danes, he kills the monster Grendel and his mother. Later, when he becomes the king of Danes by himself, he has to fight a dragon that terrorizes his lands. Although he follows the beast and finally slays it, Beowulf dies, being mortally wounded.
From a personal perspective, this poem reflects several essential aspects of human life. The first one is the issue of identity – in Beowulf , people were entirely associated with the glory of their ancestors. They do not exist independently from their family lineage and kinship bonds. Thus, their desire of Beowulf to be recognizable and honored forces him to search for deeds and fame. Thus, another important theme of the poem is the maturity and responsibility that come with age. At the beginning of the poem, the main hero desires personal glory and has nothing to lose. However, after becoming a king, he realizes the importance of being a wise ruler who is responsible for his people’s lives. Finally, one more topic of the poem is the tension between personal value systems and the heroic code and between Christian and pagan values. It may be regarded as an example of the multifacetedness and complexity of human nature in comparison with fixed rules that frequently do not provide appropriate answers.