Fate: The Death of a Hero. Anonymous

In the thrilling epic Beowulf, the theme of fatalism is very apparent throughout the poem. "Fate will go as it must." (Line 455) The Anglo Saxons believed that people lived life as an everyday struggle against undefeatable odds and that a man's "wyrd" or fate would be what it would be (Chickenring 269). The Anglo-Saxon's understanding of fate is that it is a force that controls a man's life regardless of his actions. Beowulf is a valiant hero in this poem; he has fought many battles and won many wars. He understands that his life is in the hands of fate. Beowulf knows that no matter how well he fights or how many weapons he uses, if wyrd is not on his side he is therefore doomed. In the beginning of the poem Beowulf is introduced as a fearless hero who has the might and strength of thirty men. As the story unfolds, Beowulf slowly loses his vitality until he is fatally defeated. He cannot escape his deadly fate. The author demonstrated the power of fate by showing Beowulf's gradual decline of strength through the outcomes of his three battles with the monsters.

Beowulf's voyage brings him to the land of the Danes where he is first confronted by a guard who immediately upon seeing him,...