The Battle of Maldon

Selfishness or Sacrifice at The Battle of Maldon “’Purpose shall be firmer, heart the keener, courage shall be more, as our might lessens.’”1 These famous lines from the poem The Battle of Maldon introduce a theme which depicts how Englishmen in the Middle Ages perceived life, death and what can be seen as their most prized possession of all, heroism. The idea that as strength is depleted, the combatants’ hearts will grow with determination, is …

…retreat. Their only consolation is to attain a view that because the death occurs in battle it will be remembered as glorious. Possibly grief for their fallen leader, anger toward the Vikings and rage in battle led the English warriors to death without excellence. It is only the poet who lifts these men up from their ordinariness to provide them their hero’s death. Bibliography The Norton Anthology of English Literature Volume One Pages 72 to 75