Ideals vs. Reality
The middle ages are remembered as a time filled with deathly plagues, gruesome battles, and a very wide lower class that faced an extreme economic depression. Wars were blood baths that ended in a disturbing number of deaths. Men and women worked outside from sun up until sun down and had very little down time with a pay so little that some could hardly get by, if they could at all. However, authors of this era romanticized the time period and portrayed the idea that everyone lived an aristocratic lifestyle filled with riches, noble jobs, and heroic battle stories, and often experienced religious revelations which led to blessings. Their representation of the time period was filled with feasts and celebrations. Going to…show more content… This is only the first of the stories many inaccurate depictions of what life was like during the early English era. Preceding this, Beowulf went on to fight battles against demons that most would think were impossible to win. However, Beowulf came out not only alive, but he came out stronger and wealthier. The first “unwinnable” battle of which he came out the victor, was against Grendle. Beowulf rose and insisted on fulfilling the duty of killing Grendle, the destroyer of many villages, and it was but a mere task that he could accomplish even without a weapon. The fight against Grendels mother was more of a challenge, however Beowulf still came out victorious. Beowulf is bestowed with many treasures and honors that are noted to be unusual for a warrior to redeem, however the ideal that the king “often honored smaller achievements, recognized warriors not nearly as worthy, lavished rewards on the less deserving” was a concept that was purely fictional due to the reality that any warrior that was fighting in battle most likely died or lived a very average and unprivileged life style following battle. The logic behind Beowulf relentlessly coming out victoriously is his faith in God, while “the Lord God, Head of the Heavens…was unknown to them” in regards of the people of Heorot. It is his faith in God that helps him defeat every demon and it his faith in god that eventually helped him acquire the thrown. However, the lower class and warriors of this time may have put their faith in god’s hands and given every thing they could give to God, however the barrier was so thick between social and economic classes it was extremely improbable they could shift up a class. Regardless of what they gave to God, they often weren’t rewarded the way Beowulf was. This is also seen in The Wanderer, however; the “lone-dweller” does not receive the same earthly or