The Greek and Anglo-Saxon cultures clash frequently, most notably in their ideas of fate. In the Greek culture, fate is defined as one’s destiny. It’s like this set future or endpoint a person will reach. However, Anglo-Saxon culture’s idea of fate can be embodied in one word: Wyrd. This concept is the idea that a person’s fate starts from the moment they are born and is a continual process. Everything in the past is unchangeable; therefore, the present and future are most likely beyond alteration. However one must constantly be aware of their fate and try to stay on their path. In Beowulf, Beowulf proclaims that “fate will unwind as it must” (line 234). This illustrates how Beowulf knows that every action he takes in the present is a continuation of his fate from the past. It’s like an unwinding ball of yarn; every strand adds to one’s fate. Whereas in Greek culture, fate wasn’t the ball of yarn, it was the last strand in the center of the ball. This was evident in Oedipus when he tried to alter his fate but still ended up reaching the same fate he was destined to have since birth. Beowulf also exemplifies this continual fate when he says: “Fate has swept our race away, Taken warriors in their strength and led them to the death that was waiting. And now I follow them (lines 834-836). This idea that fate is a fluid motion that “sweeps” people away illustrates the continual nature of fate in Anglo-Saxon culture.
-Team Waka
Lillie Moffett, Lauren Wakabayashi, Sooji Hong, Nicole Lussier
Team 6,
ReplyDeleteThough your take on fate and the differences of its meaning between the Greeks and Anglo- Saxons is interesting, we have to disagree with you. When Beowulf says, “fate will unwind as it must” we interpreted it as Beowulf declaring fate as an unchangeable entity which could not, under any circumstances, be tampered with. This idea is further exemplified when Beowulf says, “Fate has swept our race away, taken warriors in their strength and led them to the death that was waiting. And now I follow them." If your theory were, in fact, correct, Beowulf would instead be thinking about possible ways to avoid his eventual demise rather than simply accepting it as his dismal, inescapable fate. Both the Greeks and the Anglo-Saxons knew that they couldn't play with fate--no matter how badly they might want to. However, despite this transgression, your metaphor about the yarn was beautifully phrased. Over all, well done!
Wylie
Period 1
Team 5