Beowulf's Thanes Analysis

Beowulf's thanes never have the opportunity to defend him in battle because Beowulf has superhuman fighting abilities; nevertheless, Beowulf holds his thanes in the highest respects. Beowulf is confident that his thanes are "brave of heart" (666) and will protect him whenever he needs them. He thinks he knows he can trust them because they "swore to our lord" (1574) eternal protection. As Beowulf ages, his vulnerability and his reliance for his thanes become more apparent. Though they swear to keep Beowulf "both sound and safe" (1105) from evils, they run like cowards as Beowulf needs them most. On the fateful day of the dragons appearance, Beowulf's "mighty thanes" (1103) "fled to the forest" like true cowards. These cowardly thanes help set the stage for Wiglaf's bravery (in an ideal setting to be introduced) as a true and loyal thane. Wiglaf is a hero with no great powers other than his courageous heart. Wiglaf is a member of the Wægmunding, a clan that Beowulf also belongs to. He is an emotional
It is obvious that Beowulf is not ready to fight the dragon. Going against Beowulf's requests, Wiglaf interferes in the battle and together they kill the dragon. Beowulf realizes that Wiglaf prevents him from dying in vain. If the dragon actually killed Beowulf and survived, then the entire battle would have been a stain in Beowulf's legend. Yet with the passing of one hero, another hero - Wiglaf - - emerged. Wiglaf does not follow Beowulf's wishes of passing the treasures on because Beowulf is disillusioned with death, not realizing how truly disloyal his citizens are. Wiglaf represents the voice of morality in this poem. Wiglaf tries to teach the citizens a lesson in bravery and courage; he exiles them from the land and allows "men from afar hear tell of your flight and your dastardly deeds"(1759). Beowulf is a hero represented by physicality; whereas his successor is a hero based on the teachings of morality and