William Shakespeare s Beowulf And The Genesis Of The Beowulf

An Eye for an Eye In Old English the amount of compensation paid by a person for the death of a person’s family is called â€Å"man law† or wergild. During the Anglo-Saxon period, it was considered a dishonor if one failed to avenge the death of a family member. Wergild is a sign of loyalty, which is a recurring theme throughout in Beowulf. In the epic, not only did Beowulf seeks wergild for the death of his friend, but Grendel’s mother looks to avenge her son’s death. The need for wergild is a constant theme in the epic. In order to understand the poem Beowulf and the importance of wergild, one must understand the time period it was written and its purpose. Leonard Neidorf discusses in the article, â€Å"VII Ethelred and the Genesis of the Beowulf Manuscript† that the English leaders in the early 11th century wanted to promote loyalty by using the story of Beowulf. He express that, â€Å"Connected to loyalty in Beowulf, and doubtless of equal impo rtance to English leadership at a time of Viking invasion, are the martial responsibilities that both descend from loyalty and enable loyal behavior to be displayed† (Neidorf 123). Having a story that honored wergild rather than the mourning of a death in a glorious battle, shows how Beowulf was related to the 11th century kingdom that was invaded by Vikings and how the King wanted to promote loyalty. Before Beowulf’s epic adventure began, his father Ecgtheow, swore his loyalty to Hrothgar because he helped him in a war and paid a blood-price