Coates1

NickCoates
Mr.Tawes
BritishLiterature
6March2015
BeowulfTheWorkaholic
WorkplacecultureintheWest,especiallytheUnitedStates,isonecomposedof
workaholics.Peoplesworkoftendominatestheirentirelives.Insteadofworkingtolive,many
seemtolivetowork.Theiridentityasanindividualrestsprimarilyuponwhattheydofora
livingandtheaccomplishmentsthataccompanytheircareer.Consequently,whenmeeting
someonenew,oftenoneofthefirstquestionsaskedofthemiswhattheydoforaliving,asif
thisquestionwilldefinetheindividual.Thisdichotomyofbeingdefinedbyanoccupationis
definitelynotanewphenomenon.Infact,itcanbetracedbacktothetimeof
Beowulf
.Froma
21stcenturyperspective,Beowulfisanarchetypalcareeristheissolelydefinedbyhis
professionandlittleelse.
Asanindividual,Beowulfintrinsicallydefineshimselfbyhislineofwork.Heisa
warriorandnotreluctanttotellpeoplethis.Beowulfisconstantlylookingforhisnextbattle,in
aquestforeverlastingglory.Althoughheisanaccomplishedwarrior,hedoesnotseemto
haveanotablepersonallife.Littleisspokenofhisfamily,otherthanhisfather,who
unsurprisinglyistheonewhotaughthimhowtobeagreatwarrior.Beowulfdoesnotseemto
havethatmanyclosefriendsandthementhathedoesfraternizewitharecoworkersofsorts.
Whiletalkingtotheothersinthemeadhall,BeowulfblatantlyproclaimsHiglacismycousin
andmykingthedaysofmyyouthhavebeenfilledwithglory(Beowulf,47).Hewants
everyoneinthemeadhalltobeawareofhisaccomplishmentsandreputationtoassurethem
thathewilleliminateGrendel.However,otherthanthis,Beowulfrevealslittleelseabout

Coates2

himselfduringhistimeatthemeadhall.Hedetacheshimselffromallotheraspectsoflife
otherthanwork
InBeowulfthisalienationisliteralized
intheidentificationofBeowulfwiththemonsterandtheestablishment
oftheseveredarmasasignofBeowulfstriumphoverthe
monster(Anlezark,128).

Theauthorof
Beowulf
purposelyexcludesother,moreintimatedetailsaboutBeowulfs
personallifetoexemplifythisalienationthatBeowulfbringsuponhimself.Beowulfasan
individualissoenthralledinhisworkthatheletsitcompletelydefinehim.However,sincehe
isanincrediblyskilledwarrior,thepeoplehechoosestoassociatethisrewardthis.
ItissafetodeducethatBeowulfisanarchetypalcareerist,withmanyparallelsto
workaholicsofthe21stcentury.Hislackofotherdefiningfeaturesandpersonalconnections
exemplifythis.Intodaysworkplace,Beowulfwouldbetheoneintheofficeinahighlevel
executivepositionthatlivesandbreatheshiswork.Hewouldbethefirsttocomeintothe
officeandthelasttoleave.Evenwhenhislifeisontheline,allBeowulfdesiresisforhis
legacytoberemembered.BeforehisdeathheeventellsWigalf
HavethebraveGeatsbuildmeatomb,whenthefuneralflameshaveburnedme,andbuildit
here,atthewatersedge,highonthisspitofland,sosailorscanseethistower,and
remembermyname,andcallitBeowulfstower,andboatsinthedarknessandmist,crossing
theseawillknowit(Beowulf,62).

Beowulfiswillingtodieinthenameofbeingagreatwarrior,andthatisjustwhathedid.He
placesagreatdealofimportanceonhisreputationasawarriorsincethatisthesolething
thatdefineshim,besidesbeingbornintonobility.However,beingbornintonobility,Beowulf

Coates3

likelydidnothavetobecomeawarrior.Itissomethinghestrivestobe.Beowulfputsthe
ordersofhislordbeforehimselfandthisshowstruededicationandpassiontohisprofession,
tothepointofdeath.Whilemanytodaydonotdiefortheirprofession,unlesstheyarea
soldier,thosewhoaretrulyobsessedwiththeirjobtakeittothegrave.Evenliterally,thisis
true,sincesomechoosetohavetheirprofessioninscribedontheirtomb.Lovingfatherand
teacherisnotanuncommoninscription.ThisisnotasextremeasBeowulfstowerthathe
wantedbuiltinhisname,butitdoesshowdedicationtoaprofessionanditsassociated
personalidentity.
ItwasnotjustBeowulfwhousedhisprofessiontodefinehimselfhis
professionisalsowhatothersusedtoidentifyhim.WhenintroducingBeowulf,others
alwaysincludedthathewasagreatandnoblewarrior.Beowulfsreputationtravels
withhim.SomemaytalkaboutBeowulfshonorandnobility,buthisreputationasa
warriorisalwayseithertiedtoorsupersedesthesequalities.Theauthorof
Beowulf
is
verywellawareofthisandalsopresentsBeowulfinthismanner,promotinghis
qualitiesasawarriorbeforeprovidinganyotheridentifyingcharacteristics.Theyeven
firstintroduceBeowulfasacharacterbystating
Beowulf,Higlacsfollowerand
strongestoftheGeatsgreaterandstrongerthananyoneanywhereinthisworld
heardhowGrendelfillednightswithhorrorandquicklycommandedaboat(Beowulf,
44).TheveryfirstencounterthereaderhaswithBeowulfmentionshowheisagreat
warriorandthissetsthetoneforhowthereader,Beowulfhimself,andalltheother
charactersinterprethisidentity.Thisisastandardviewthatthewayinwhich
AngloSaxonclericalculturearetellstheheroicnarrativeofBeowulfissimultaneously
appreciativeandcriticalofthewarriorculturethepoemmemorializesinpoetic

Coates4

diction(Davidson,143).TheepicofBeowulfundoubtedlymemorializesand
glamorizeswarriorculture.Theveryessenceandpurposeofanepicistotellthetale
ofagreathero.AttheircoretheseheroesaresimilartoBeowulfinthattheyare
almostexclusivelydefinedbytheirheroism.Epicpoemsaredesignedtoputthehero
onapedestaltobefawnedatfortheirheroism,howevermuchdepththeymaybe
lacking.
TheparallelsbetweenBeowulfandmoderndaycareerdrivenindividualsare
undeniable.Whiletheirsituationsdifferentirely,theirendgoalsareverymuchthe
sametoadvanceasfarintheircareersasmuchaspossible,nomatterthecost.This
transcendstheworkplaceorbattlefieldinBeowulfscasetobecomeamatterof
personalidentity.Whenonespendstheirentirelifestrivingtobethebestatan
occupation,otheraspectsofonespersonallifemaybecomeneglected.Thisleadsto
anoccupationbecomingadefiningfactorofsomeonesentirelife,justlikeBeowulf.

Coates5

WorksCited
Anlezark,Daniel."HeroicIdentityintheWorldofBeowulf."Rev.of
HeroicIdentityintheWorld
ofBeowulf
.
MediumAevum
80.1(2011):12829.
Galileo
.Web.05Mar.2105.
"Beowulf."2015.
PearsonCommonCoreLiterature
.Trans.BurtonRaffel.Hoboken,NJ:
PearsonEducation,2015.4064.Print.
Davidson,MaryCatherine."SpeakingofNostalgiainBeowulf."
ModernPhilology
103.2
(2005):14355.
Galileo
.Web.05Mar.2015.