Crime in Old English Literature

Paper Summary:

The paper outlines the role of the two Godrics' (the good and the bad) in the Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon" and analyzes the beatification of Byhrtnoth. It sticks closely to the poem's use of language as a means of deciding that the main crime of Old English literature is anti-heroism. It expands from here, to surmise that this was the prevalent crime because of the payment of Danegeld and the reign of Aethelred.

From the Paper:

"Against a consideration of Byrhtnoth, then, I would like to consider the true perpetrators of the crime of anti-heroism in Maldon: Odda's sons, who flee after their lord's death, thus revoking the heroic ideal. I would like to consider first the role of the two Godrics' in the poem. Any reception of either, it must be noted, is moderated by the moral worth that Byrhtnoth instils in the poem. To put it simply, "bad" Godric is ignoble, fleeing on his master's horse, and "good" Godric is virtuous, fighting till the death to avenge his lord. The fact that their names are identical forces one to assume that they are meant as comparative entities in the poem; more than this, there exists an alarming parity in the presentation of each Godric."

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