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And [fails] him" (727-729). In this battle, Beowulf's sword stands alone without a fortress of inner strength reinforcing its limited power. This passage lacks description of Beowulf's relentless power that he displays in previous battles. Thus, the poet focuses on the sword, illustrating how isolating it from inner strength results in failure. In order restore power to the sword, Beowulf must generate inner courage. However, Beowulf's elderliness renders him incapable of reviving that power. Thus, he needs his soldiers to step in for him. However, the only man who has the courage to stand up for Beowulf is Wiglaf. Wiglaf insists that Beowulf "must lean on younger/ Arms" (776-777). Here, Wiglaf acts as a surrogate arm for Beowulf. He must rely on the strength of Wiglaf's arm to exude courage through sword. Wiglaf's willingness to slay the dragon on behalf of Beowulf testifies to Wiglaf's inner strength. He does not cower from evil; instead he places his life on the line, backing his sword with power to assist Beowulf in defeating the dragon. In contrast, the rest of Beowulf's men lack the gallantry to rescue Beowulf. According to Wiglaf, Beowulf "[believed his men's]/ promises, [trusted their] swords" (770-771). The failure of the rest of Beowulf's men to defend their master indicates that they lack temerity. They cannot bolster the swords Beowulf entrusts them with because they do not possess the courage to battle the dragon on his behalf. They made empty promises to Beowulf because they founded them upon the fallible power vested in their swords and did not back it with manpower. The last battle illustrates the importance of a sword being backed by man's strength. When Beowulf can no longer back his sword with his own courage, he must rely on his soldiers. However, only Wiglaf responds to Beowulf's plea for help. Together, they slay the dragon. Thus, the poet delineates that an infinite number of swords can never be as powerful as a courageous man's arm. The rest of Beowulf's men posses swords, but they are ineffective because they never use them against the dragon. Thus, Beowulf suggests that power should not be wasted, but should be used for helping others. The poet also suggests that eventually one's strength will decline. Both the arm and sword will eventually fail, thus forcing him to rely on the courage of others. Beowulf's main objective is to slay the dragon and when he exhausts all his own power, he swallows his pride and asks for Wiglaf's assistance.

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