Unferth: Foundation of a fable
The epic poem Beowulf is primarily a heroic story about the hero Beowulf that saves the Danish people by killing the monster, Grendel that terrorizes them. Most of the Danes love and treasure Beowulf for his courageous deed. However there is one character in the poem that is the antagonist to Beowulf. Unferth is his name. Unferth embodies everything opposite about Beowulf. There are many differences between the two characters that portray Unferth as a foil even greater than the monster Grendel. One difference between Beowulf and Unferth is that Beowulf willingly helps others and Unferth only looks out for himself. Beowulf comes to the Danes to help them defeat the monster Grendel. Yet Unferth, according to Beowulf's charges, has never helped his people against Grendel. "The fac
"Unferth, Hrothgar's ineffectual champion, is the particular figure in the story which the poet seems to have chosen to represent the essence of the moral problems plaguing the Danes and the consequences of those problems in rendering even the greatest of the Danish warriors into boastful but useless defenders of the kingdom against the threat of Grendel. Another difference that is seen between Beowulf and Unferth is their actions on challenges. The sword Hrunting fails Beowulf in the battle. 559-561) He does not back down from anything. ) Again, when Unferth is too cowardly to go and fight Grendel's mother in the under water battle in the swamp, Unferth lends Beowulf his own sword, Hrunting. ) Conversely Unferth embodies the futile strengths of the Danish warriors in the poem. It was unable to even scratch Grendel's mother's skin thus reflecting the true character of Unferth: ineffective. One man, Beowulf, brings to light a renewed spirit of heroism, bravery, and hope. "He was not man enough / to face the turmoil of a fight under water / and the risk to his life.
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Acceptance Essays
