The Influence Of The Warrior Society In The Epic Of Beowulf

The Epic of Beowulf stresses a society in which the inhabitants of the story are under great scrutiny due to the fact that the tribes push the idea that force is the only way to resolve any issues. This ideal reflects throughout the tale how the society protects the people based on how a warrior goes about his actions; however it dictates decisions made that have negative outcomes because of the influence of this society that exists in the tribes. This society is referred to as a “warrior society” and most of these “warriors” follow a code known as the Heroic Code. The warrior society seen throughout the Epic starts with Shield Sheafson and trickles down from leader to leader all showcasing how this forceful way of life makes the negative outcomes overshadow the positives. The Heroic Code seen throughout the Epic of Beowulf is one of the strongest points that the author stresses. The key aspects that the author pushed were strength, courage, and honor. A leader was supposed to possess all of these qualities and more, but with a society based on who carried the bigger stick, following the Heroic Code was the …show more content…
His status was not as great as he thought due to how he followed the code based on how it would affect himself and not the people around him. Once he became king the people around him turned into a nation and knew how the Code would dictate his actions of self-proclamation. His followers and even those close to him were just waiting for him to die off as it is seen in the fight with the dragon when only one person came to his aid. The Heroic Code may be the way to gain the power and reputation to become a leader, but once your life becomes dictated by it, you lose the respect and loyalty of your peers; as seen in the end of Beowulf as a man. This however did not bother him because he knew that if you lead a warrior’s life you die a glorious death, and a glorious death was the end of