The belly of the whale is when the hero faces their greatest fear. During the night and moments before Grendel attacked the mead hall where the Geats were waiting for him, Beowulf is in the belly of the whale due to the separation of the old world and the new world being permanently detached and the fear of the battle being faced. Moreover, this is experienced when Beowulf is going into the mere. Furthermore, the belly of the whale occurs the moment before Beowulf faces the dragon and realizes his duties as a king and the ultimate fate of his death arriving. Beowulf 's death is inevitable and this acceptance is demonstrated in this quote, "His fate hovered near, unknowable but certain: it would soon claim his coffered soul, part life from
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Beowulf, from birth, has been looked at as a superhuman and god-like figure by his homeland and elsewhere. His fame precedes him throughout the trials and accomplishments he has done in his lifetime. This is shown by his reputation and heroism being further proven through his battles as opposed to him needing to prove himself. An example of people holding Beowulf as a deified figure and also showing his widely known reputation is when Hrothgar declares, "Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far and wide, you are known everywhere....Forever you will be your people 's mainstay and your own warriors ' helping hand" (Heaney …show more content…
Although both figures represent well known heroes in their own cultures, each hero demonstrates their heroic qualities far different than the other does. The superhuman physical strength and pride that Beowulf held throughout his adventure contrasts with the human-like courage and modesty that Gawain showed in his journey. Therefore, the difference between the Anglo-Saxon culture and Celtic culture can be seen in Beowulf 's journey through the emphasis on his physical strength as opposed to his strength in character, his heroic stature already being proven before the journey, and the emphasis on the fate of death as opposed to fear of death being
Beowulf, from birth, has been looked at as a superhuman and god-like figure by his homeland and elsewhere. His fame precedes him throughout the trials and accomplishments he has done in his lifetime. This is shown by his reputation and heroism being further proven through his battles as opposed to him needing to prove himself. An example of people holding Beowulf as a deified figure and also showing his widely known reputation is when Hrothgar declares, "Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far and wide, you are known everywhere....Forever you will be your people 's mainstay and your own warriors ' helping hand" (Heaney …show more content…
Although both figures represent well known heroes in their own cultures, each hero demonstrates their heroic qualities far different than the other does. The superhuman physical strength and pride that Beowulf held throughout his adventure contrasts with the human-like courage and modesty that Gawain showed in his journey. Therefore, the difference between the Anglo-Saxon culture and Celtic culture can be seen in Beowulf 's journey through the emphasis on his physical strength as opposed to his strength in character, his heroic stature already being proven before the journey, and the emphasis on the fate of death as opposed to fear of death being