Legends of British Literature: Beowulf and Macbeth

Introduction

The theme of heroes and villains has always been one of the most popular in literature. Whatever the historical period, there were narrations about brave and noble men who courageously defended their lands from enemies. However, the motives those heroes had for fighting were not always dignified. An Old English epic, Beowulf, tells a story of a fearless hero who protected his people from several monsters. Meanwhile, a 17th-century tragedy written by Shakespeare, Macbeth, depicts a series of murders committed out of the desire to gain more power. While there are similarities in both stories in terms of literary devices and plot, there are considerable contrasts between the main characters.

The Use of Literary Devices in Beowulf and Macbeth

To make their stories more exciting to read and follow, the authors of Beowulf and Macbeth employed a variety of stylistic devices. The most widely represented are the cases of alliteration and assonance:

• alliteration in Shakespeare’s (2005) play: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.6), “destruction, dwell in doubtful joy” (3.56), “done / A deed of dreadful” (3.58), “day begin to droop and drowse” (3.58), “Hark! I hear horses” (3.59), “cabin’d, cribb’d, confin’d” (3.62), “To doff their dire distresses” (4.95), “beard to beard, / And beat them backward” (5.110);
• assonance in Shakespeare’s (2005) Macbeth: “Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, / And thrice again, to make up nine” (1.11), “lies. Stars, hide your fires!” (1.19), “Remains in danger” (3.56), “strike out the light” (3.60), “breed, / No teeth for the present.–Get thee” (3.62), “taints and blames I laid” (4.92);
• alliteration in Beowulf (2006): “greedy and grim, he grabbed” (122.36), “blundering back with the butchered” (125.36), “storied leader, sat stricken” (130.37), “demon’s trail, in deep distress” (133.37), “canny pilot along coast and currents” (209.38), “away with a will in their wood-wreathed ship. / Over the waves, with the wind behind her” (216-217.38), “God-cursed Grendel came greedily” (711.48);
• assonance in Beowulf (2006): “wrecker of mead-benches” (5.34), “weathered veteran” (51.35), “the right advice and direction” (269.39), “while a baleful light, / flame more than light” (726-727.48), “change, his days of ravening” (734.49), “brought forth” (942.53).

Other literary devices employed both in Macbeth and Beowulf include:

• metaphor: Shakespeare (2005): “full of scorpions is my mind” (2.57), “linen cheeks” (5.105), “this dead butcher” (5.119); Beowulf (2006): “a balm in bed” (63.35), “the shepherd of our land” (2644.93);
• epithet: Shakespeare (2005): “brave friend” (1.6), “The merciless Macdonwald” (1.6); Beowulf (2006): “precious gear” (37.34);
• personification: Shakespeare (2005): “fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling” (1.7), “What a haste looks through his eyes!” (1.8), “healing benediction” (4.93), “violent sorrow” (4.94), “deaf pillows” (5.102); Beowulf (2006): “Shield had fathered a famous son” (18.34), “path to power among people” (25.34), “the clear song of a skilled poet / Telling” (90-91.36).

In Beowulf (2006), there are some instances of polysyndeton: “ogres and elves and evil phantoms” (112.36). However, Shakespeare’s (2005) Macbeth is richer in a variety of devices, including chiasmus: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.6); simile: “like a good and hardy soldier, fought” (1.6), “like a rebel’s whore” (1.7), “like a rat without a tail” (1.10); synecdoche: “with their hearts’ thanks” (3.61), “infected minds <…> will discharge their secrets” (5.102); allusion: “memorize another Golgotha” (1.8); litotes: “Not unaccompanied” (1.19); and repetition: “come, come, come, come, give me” (5.102), “to bed, to bed, to bed” (5.102).

The variety of literary devices used in Macbeth in comparison to Beowulf allows concluding that with the movement through time, writers’ mastery increased. When examined in contrast with Beowulf, Macbeth has a considerably richer language and a smoother narration line. However, despite the difference in devices’ number, both the epic and the play are amusing to read and inculcate the eagerness to scrutinize some pieces and understand their meaning better.

Comparing and Contrasting the Literary Time Periods

While the two stories are focused on heroes, they are quite different on the part of these heroes’ nature. Both Beowulf and Macbeth kill enemies, but the former does so to protect his people whereas the latter craves glory and power (“Beowulf,” 2006; “Macbeth,” n.d.). It seems reasonable to look for the explanation of such a striking difference about literary periods when the characters were created. Beowulf was written approximately in the first half of the eighth century. However, there are also opinions that it could have been composed in the tenth century (Beowulf, 2006). Meanwhile, Macbeth was created at the beginning of the 17th century (“Macbeth,” n.d.). Hence, it is possible to assume that the difference in heroes’ motives to kill lies in the primary needs of people in both periods.

In ancient times, human life was one of the major concerns. Thus, the aspect on which Beowulf concentrates is “the formation of human character in the exigency of the changing historical moment” (Scheil, 2008, p. 83). However, by the time Macbeth is written, people no longer live in several large unities. There are many kingdoms, counties, lands, and other geographic and political entities. The owners of these lands no longer focus on keeping their people alive. Unlike in Beowulf’s times, Macbeth’s contemporaries do not have to defend themselves from monsters. However, another problem arises that of the desire to gain more power (Morris, 2005). As a result of being corrupted by such thoughts, Macbeth becomes a murderer without a substantial reason for it. Being pushed by his wife, he commits several killings only to justify the prophecy made by three witches saying that he is to become the next King of Scotland (Shakespeare, 2005). Thus, while both Beowulf and Macbeth are brave warriors, their motives are strikingly different.

Another divergence between the two stories is their relation to religion. In Beowulf (2006), there are mentioning of God on numerous occasions. He is described both as the creator and the one who can punish evil. For instance, the author uses the words “the Lord of Life, / the glorious Almighty” (16-17.34) to express the power of God, and the phrase “God-cursed Grendel” (711.48) is employed to explain that God disapproves of the monster’s actions (Beowulf, 2006). In contrast, Macbeth has little if no reference to religion (Morris, 2005). The main character does not repent or pray although he has committed many sins. Such a contrast is also helpful in examining the different types of conduct of the two characters.

Conclusion

Both Beowulf and Macbeth are legendary men of British literature. Their adventures have been read, turned into theatrical plays, and widely discussed by many generations of people. The major similarity between the two stories is that both main characters fearlessly kill their enemies. However, there is also a significant dissimilarity: Beowulf murders those who threaten people’s lives while Macbeth gets rid of his potential competitors to occupy the throne. The epic and the play employ a variety of stylistic means to make texts more interesting. However, the divergence in literary periods has led to a contrast in heroes’ motives, which makes it impossible to view Beowulf and Macbeth as characters pursuing similar goals.

References

1. Beowulf. (2006). In J. Reidhead (Ed.), S. Heaney (Trans.), The Norton anthology of English literature (8th ed.) (Vol. 1) (pp. 29-100). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
2. Macbeth. (n.d.).
3. Morris, B. (2005). The kingdom, the power and the glory in Macbeth. In J. R. Brown (Ed.), Focus on Macbeth (pp. 30-53). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
4. Scheil, A. (2008). “Beowulf” and the emergent occasion. Literary Imagination, 11(1), 83-98.
5. Shakespeare, W. (2005). Macbeth. San Diego, CA: ICON Classics.