Chase McCraw, "A Comparison of Beowulf and Dante's Inferno"
Beowulf, often recognized as the most important piece of literature in the Anglo-Saxon period, and The Inferno, highly recognizable due to its various adaptations in film and references throughout literary history, are two of history’s most influential and canonical epic poems. It is curious, however, that these two archetypal texts are rarely mentioned together, which leads to little literary comparison between the texts. Although vastly different in cultural background and time period of creation, these two epics share numerous themes, motifs, and symbols which include the use of monsters as a juxtaposition of good and evil and the importance of oral tradition. From Beowulf to The Inferno, these similarities progress and evolve as do the culture and belief systems of the original audiences. This progression lends itself wonderfully to a literary comparison which reveals the unsuspected similarities of these seemingly unrelated texts.
The most elementary comparison to be made is that of the respective protagonists within the texts. Upon reading only a small number of lines from each poem, it becomes evident that these two characters- Beowulf and Dante- are vastly different in both physical and mental characteristics. Beowulf is portrayed as a blood-thirsty warrior determined to decimate all who cross his path. It is evident through his boasts that Beowulf concerns himself mostly with issues regarding strength and bravery as he makes his way through towns slaying monsters and demons with little effort; therefore it rationally follows that he has little time for knowledge. In his more famous boast, Beowulf regales the Danes with the story of his swimming race with Brecca. Within this single boast Beowulf not only swims hundreds of miles in the ocean in full armor while clutching a sword, but also survives countless attacks by sea monsters- probably in the form of sea lions- nine of which he destroys. The more obvious of Beowulf’s violent accomplishments are, of course, the killing of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and finally a dragon. Considering all of these “altercations,” it is easy to see why Beowulf may have lacked more theoretical knowledge. Dante, on the other hand, is a complete foil of Beowulf. Within the first one hundred lines of The Inferno Dante has already “swooned” multiple times because of some unpleasant thought or sight. Dante is also lacking in terms of physical stature, but what he does not possess in the way of strength or athleticism he compensates for with his intellect. As a poet- both in the poem and in his own life- Dante possesses a tremendous wealth of knowledge but is quite deficient in his physical capability and must rely on his spiritual guide- Virgil- to help him circumvent any dangers.
The vast disparity between the physical and mental attributes of Beowulf and Dante make them perfect portrayals of the flexibility of the hero’s journey – a theme which remains constant in both Beowulf and The Inferno. The typical outline of said journey is followed almost identically in both texts; a generic hero receives a seemingly impossible quest which he/she is perfectly suited for, the hero makes a descent into an underworld of sorts where he must conquer some adversary, and finally the hero returns from his descent victorious and enlightened. The ingenuity of the particular journey’s present in Beowulf and The Inferno comes from the amendments made by the respective authors. The authors use the specificity of their characters’ assets to fashion their individual journeys. For example, Beowulf’s strength and ferocity allow him to vanquish all of the monsters that he encounters, whereas Dante’s intelligence and delicacy allow him to safely navigate his way through Hell. The introduction of Beowulf- through the description of the watchman- possesses a sense of awe and reverence with regard to his obvious physical fortitude. The first mention of Beowulf’s stature is like that of a God as the watchman declares that he has never seen a “man with more might on his frame than this helmed lord” (248-249). The watchman even goes on to say that Beowulf has “the head of a hero-“perhaps a bit of foreshadowing (251). Beowulf’s rippling muscles and heroic visage do not serve as mere titillating imagery for the reader, but more importantly as qualifications for the tasks he must undertake.
There is never an explicit physical description provided for Dante, but one can assume that his occupation as a poet reveals an abundance of information regarding the state of his muscles- the most prominent of which would be located in his hands and forearms. Dante not only lacks physical resilience, but also emotional grit. Mere lines within the first Canto of The Inferno Dante is already expressing his fear of his unusual surroundings and illustrates his previously mentioned “selective narcolepsy.” His trepidation only worsens as he encounters such beasts as a leopard, lion, and she-wolf. With the introduction of each successive creature, Dante’s hopelessness and sheer cowardice are further revealed. Dante’s terror is illustrated perfectly by the following lines: “I went on in hope/ That somehow I could circumvent the beast/ But then my terror came again, for next/ A lion bounded up, enraged and starved” (Canto I 42-45). Once provided the evidence of Dante’s frailty, it is clear that he is not quite capable of slaying a beast in any form. What Dante lacks in strength, however, he makes up for in intellect and wit; this combined with the aid he receives from Virgil, make him competent for his impending journey through Hell.
The differences between the two protagonists reflect more than the whimsical preferences of their respective authors. The characters Dante and Beowulf are literary representations of the “heroes” present in their audiences’ societies. Beowulf’s strength and ferocity are traits which coincide with those favored by the individuals within the warrior society that existed during the time of Beowulf’s creation. Beowulf served as a manifestation of all the ideal qualities and characteristics of that culture- in essence making him the original “super-hero.” Conversely, Dante illustrates the preference of intelligence and compassion favored by Florentines around the year 1300. These immeasurable differences not only reflect a progression of the preferred values of the audiences for which these epics were written, but also an evolution in the methods and characteristics of politics. The political procedure that existed during the time of Beowulf’s creation consisted mainly of murder to obtain power and murder to return power, whereas the political tendencies of Florence in the 1300s revolved more around intellect and savvy as opposed to brute force. As time progressed between the emergences of these two pieces, so did the cultures for which these epics were composed. Dante and Beowulf illustrate a shift from the dominance of war and brutality present within the heroic- code of the Anglo-Saxon period, to the more refined and intellectual mindset that dominated the Biblical standards present in Dante’s time period.
A comparison between The Inferno and Beowulf also conveys a progression of the influence and dominion of the Church. Both texts contain elements of Christian faith, but they are represented much differently from one text to the other. The Christian elements present within Beowulf are prevalent throughout the entire piece, but seem unnecessary and extremely contradictory when they appear merely lines away from a Pagan reference. These references are incongruous in that they often clash directly with other references- namely those dealing with Norwegian mythology and fate. For instance, it is stated within Beowulf that “From Cain came down all kinds of misbegotten- ogres and elves and evil shades- as also the Giants, who joined in long wars with God” (110-113). The mention of mythical creatures, such as ogres, elves, and shades, being descendents of God himself does not exactly correspond with biblical texts. There are numerous statements similar to the previous one which further illustrate the incongruity of the Christian references within Beowulf; for instance, when Beowulf is instructing Hrothgar on what to do in the event of his (Beowulf) death. Beowulf states: “The disposing of my body/ need occupy you no further then/ But if the fight should take me, you would forward to Hygelac/ this best of battle-shirts, that my breast now wears. / The queen of war-coats, is the bequest of Hrethel/ and from the force of Wayland. Fate will take its course!” (450-455). Within this previous statement there are two references which directly conflict with the Christian reference: “God could/ easily check the ravages of this reckless fiend;” found only lines away (478-479). The first contradiction comes from the mention of Wayland, the blacksmith of the Norse gods. This discrepancy is quite clear due to the fact that Christianity and Norse mythology are not exactly similar. The second conflicting reference is that of fate, or “Wyrd.” The confliction between fate and the principles of Christianity is a little more difficult to discern, but appears much more than references to characters from Norse mythology.
The Inferno also shares some of these discrepancies- mainly with the use of Greek mythological characters- but these are not nearly as obtrusive. For the most part, The Inferno is accurate in its representation of Christian values and principles, and more importantly the punishments that accompany the desecration of said standards- for the time period in which it was written. Fortunately, Biblical standards have “modernized” tremendously and no longer dote on the severity and creativity of punishments. With the presentation of each successive circle of hell, Dante takes great measures to ensure that the reader is aware of why the individuals are being punished, and how God deemed their punishment suitable for their respective sins. For example Gluttons- those individuals who “made no higher use of the gifts of God than to wallow in food and drink-” “must lie half-buried in fetid slush/ while Cerberus slavers over them as they in life slavered over their food” (Canto VI 13-14). This difference in the degree of clarity and correspondence with regard to the Christian elements between Beowulf and The inferno also represents an evolution of sorts. This evolution shows the strengthening of the power and influence of the Church over the period of time between these two texts. Paganism was dominant during the Anglo-Saxon time period in which Beowulf was created. It was not until later that the Christian references were added; thus the disconnect between the original text and the additions is explained. The fact that these “revisions” were added later illustrates the lack of influence that the Church had during that time. The Christian references with The Inferno are extremely clear and correspond entirely with the doctrine of the Catholic Church in the 1300s. This increase in congruity is due mainly to the fact that the Church’s power and influence was much greater and more widespread in that time period. As the strength of the Church increased its influence in literature also increased, which is evidenced by the progression of the congruity of religious references in texts.
Although most themes and symbols within Beowulf and The Inferno are different due to the expanse of time between the two, some remain unchanged which is a testament to their validity in literature. Both texts contain a literal descent into the underworld which not only correlates with the hero’s journey, but also serves as a setting for the introduction of monsters. Beowulf’s descent comes when he must dive into the boiling lake in order to slay Grendel’s mother. Dante’s descent lasts much longer- throughout the entire epic- as he makes his way through the nine circles of Hell. The various monsters that each protagonist faces function as more than simple plot points. Both Beowulf and The Inferno use monsters as a juxtaposition of good and evil. In Beowulf, Grendel, his mother, and the dragon are monsters which represent malevolence. These monsters are destroyed throughout the epic in order to depict the triumph of good over evil. The Inferno also contains a multitude of monsters which depict the wickedness present in Hell. One distinguishing feature present with the monsters of Hell is the specificity of the characteristics each monster possesses with regard to their respective sins. The appearance of every soul or fiend within The Inferno is derived directly from the nature of his/her sin. For example, Cerberus – who stands guard over the gluttons – is described as an enormous three-headed dog possessing a “massive gut” (Canto VI 17). The most famous monster of The Inferno is Lucifer. The first feature of Lucifer that Dante comments on is his bat-like wings. These wings beat continually in order to keep the last layer of Hell frozen (Canto XXXIV 52). Lucifer’s most prominent features are his three heads, each gnawing at a different sinner – Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius. The three men that Lucifer holds in his mouths are considered to be the most despicable in Hell; therefore they endure the worst punishment. Lucifer’s final feature that is described is the fact that he is held in place from the waste down by ice (Canto XXXIV 29). This imprisonment is a manifestation of God’s will that Lucifer never be able to rise above where he is now in the lowest portion of Hell. Dante does not destroy or vanquish these monsters- probably because he is too busy fainting- but instead finds ways to thwart them in their attempts to prevent his passage through the underworld- mainly through divine intervention or with the help of Virgil, thus good once again triumphs over evil.
By viewing the progression and evolution of the major themes and symbols present in Beowulf and The Inferno, it is possible to glean information regarding the simultaneous development within society over the same time period. The differences between these texts offer not only a basis for literary comparison, but also for an evaluation of the values and characteristics most important to the individuals for which each epic was written.
Very good job. May I nominate your paper for the Best of English Anthology?
A+
Works Cited
Alighieri, Dante. Dante's Inferno. Trans. Sean O' Brien. London: Picador, 2006. Print.
Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy. Trans. John Ciardi. New York: New American Library, 2003. Print.