Wiglaf vs. Unferth in Beowulf In the heroic poem Beowulf, Wiglaf not only demonstrates the importance of heroism to society and the need for loyalty to one's kinsman and lord, but also poses the context of the final part of the poem. Unferth, on the other hand, issues a severe challenge to the hero, which is not unprecedented in heroic poetry, and thus becomes in the eyes of the audience a kind of evil type. Let us first consider the nobler of the two. As readers of Beowulf, we all know that at the most crucial point of the story, when the hero's life is tested by the dragon in a way that has never been threatened before, the dragon a loyal thane who comes to the hero's aid it's Wiglaf.: The treasure guard took courage, his belly swelled with new ferocious hisses. Engulfed in flames, the one who had previously ruled his people felt acute pain. But the sons did not at all Of nobles, hand-picked comrades, His troop stands around him with battle courage: They fled to the woods to save their lives. Only one felt shame and pain. Nothing can ever hold back kinship in a right-thinking man. His name was Wiglaf, son of Weohstan, a worthy shield-bearer, Prince Scylfing, (2593 ff.). Why is Wiglaf called a "Swedish prince" here? George Clark in his "Traditions and the Poem," says that the Waegmundings, to which both Beowulf and Wiglaf belonged, had both Geatish and Swedish affiliations (35). Beowulf apparently restored the rights and patrimony of Wiglaf among the Geats, kinsman of Aelfhere; he saw his master tortured by the heat behind his battle mask. He remembered the honors he had bestowed upon him before, the rich farm of the Waegmunding clan, the portions of state land his father had owned, and he could not help himself. His hand grasped the shield, yellow lime wood; drew the sword, known to men as the heirloom of Enmund, (2604 ff.) In "The Old Kings" George Clark explains how Wiglaf accomplishes the scene in Beowulf: Wiglaf emerges from a dark troop of Geatish warriors who accompany Beowulf to the lair of the dragon. . . Although he enters the story suddenly, Wiglaf becomes Beowulf's only loyal follower. . . . Wiglaf is described as the son of the famous warrior Weohstan, who played a significant role in the dynastic wars of the Swedes and the Geats.