Beowulf Commentary

Natalie Mironov
Ms. Peifer
10 IB, Hr 4
15 December 2008

Beowulf Commentary

"A light appeared and the place brightened

the way the sky does when heaven's candle

is shining clearly. He inspected the vault:

with sword held high, its hilt raised

to guard and threaten, Hygelac's thane

scouted by the wall in Grendel's wake.

Now the weapon was to prove its worth.

The warrior determined to take revenge

for every gross act Grendel had committed--

and not only for that one occasion

when he'd come to slaughter the sleeping troops,

fifteen of Hrothgar's house-guards

surprised on their benches and ruthlessly devoured,

and as many again carried away,

a brutal plunder. Beowulf in his fury

now settled that score: he saw the monster

in his resting place, war-weary and wrecked,

a lifeless corpse, a casualty

of the battle in Heorot. The body gaped

at the stroke dealt to it after death:

Beowulf cut the corpse's head off."

(Heaney 1570-1590).

The story of Beowulf is full of heroic acts and fights. This passage is about Beowulf defeating Grendel's mother and symbolizes the themes of revenge and heroism present throughout the story. Beowulf's goal was to "take revenge for every gross act Grendel had committed" (Heaney 1577-1578). Beowulf wasn't going to just sit there, he needed to be part of the action, he needed to avenge Grendel and his mother and not let all these lives be lost in vain. Another idea portrayed in this section is how evil Grendel is. "He'd come to slaughter the sleeping troops, fifteen of Hrothgar's house-guards surprised on their benches and ruthlessly devoured, and as many again carried away" (Heaney 1580-1583). Grendel murdered all these people and the fact that Beowulf is seeking revenge for all his awful deeds just proves his greatness as well as his strength and bravery. All of these portrayals are shown through the use of alliteration, imagery, and connotation.

The use of alliteration in this passage emphasizes the character of Beowulf. The line, "With sword held high, its hilt raised" (Heaney 1573) is descriptive of Beowulf. The "h" sound is gentle, yet powerful at the same time. It shows Beowulf's true character as a strong leader, but one who does it to benefit others and not just himself. Another example of alliteration is talking about Grendel's mother as "war-weary and wrecked" (Heaney 1586). The "w" sounds tired and helpless. She was fighting Beowulf as revenge for what he did to Grendel and the fact that Beowulf defeats her continues to prove his strength and how honorable he is to take on these evil beings.

Imagery plays a big part in Beowulf because with all the battles that take place it helps the reader see what is happening and understand the characters. "He saw the monster in his resting place, war-weary and wrecked, a lifeless corpse... The body gaped at the stroke dealt to it after death: Beowulf cut the corpse's head off" (Heaney 1585-1590). This is an example of imagery being used to heighten Beowulf's glory and make him seem even more incredible. Nobody would dare oppose a warrior as powerful as Beowulf. He is able to compete with even the most deadly of creatures and through this point has always been victorious.

Connotation is important in the way Grendel is portrayed. When describing Grnadel's actions the story says he "ruthlessly devoured" (Heaney 1582) men and he is "brutal" (Heaney 1584) as well as saying he came "to slaughter the sleeping troops" (Heaney 1580). These words are very harsh and full of negative connotation. Through this choice in words it doesn't give the reader a chance to question Grendel's motives it just immediately leads them to thinking how evil Grendel is and what a hero Beowulf is for avenging his awful deeds.

This passage is made up of many little things that are present throughout all of Beowulf. The themes and literary devices used provide insight into what can be expected throughout the rest of the story and really give a good understanding of the characters. In this way, the reader understands the roles of Beowulf and Grendel and how important their parts are to the story. This section is very interesting to read because of all the details provided, it weaves an interesting story even without all the background knowledge.

Works Cited

Beowulf. Trans. Seamus Heaney. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.

Beowulf LRJ #3

Pride and glory are often values of a warrior, and this is the case in Beowulf. Beowulf was a very proud man and was not one to ask for help. "This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth" (Heaney 2532-2535). This is an example of Beowulf being too proud to ask for help, even when it later becomes needed. Pride is a value, not just important to Beowulf, but also to the rest of society. The warrior who helped Beowulf battle the dragon said, "I would rather my body were robed in the same burning blaze as my gold-giver's body than go back home bearing arms" (Heaney 2651-2653). His image would have been hurt had he gone back to the people having let Beowulf die, and all the while standing there watching and being armed. This shows how the society valued pride and their image as warriors. Glory is the other prominent value. Glory was important to Beowulf as well as the other warriors. Glory was used to honor people in many situations, Beowulf's victories and the bravery of other soldiers. "He picked us out from the army deliberately, honoured us and judged us fit for this action, made me these lavish gifts -- and all because he considered us the best of his arms-bearing thanes" (Heaney 2638-2342). As well as something occuring after the heroic act, glory is also present as motivation. "Inspired again by the thought of glory, the war-king threw his whole strength behind a sword-stroke" (Heaney 2678-2679). This was Beowulf's last attempt at glory by trying to kill the dragon even after he was mortally wounded.

The battle with the fire-breathing dragon is different than the rest of Beowulf in many ways. For one, Beowulf was fighting a dragon instead of a creature like Grendel and Grendel's mother. Also, "That final day was the first time when Beowulf fought and fate denied him glory in battle" (Heaney 2573-2575). Beowulf was not used to not winning and "his mind was in turmoil, unaccustomed anxiety and gloom confused his brain" (Heaney 2331-2333) because "his own home, the best of the buildings, had been burnt to a cinder" (Heaney 2325-2326). This creates a sense of vulnerability that has never been present before. This final section of Beowulf gives Beowulf human qualities that the reader never knew he possessed and this is significantly different than the rest of the story. It is the first time the reader experiences Beowulf feeling emotion and being mortal.

Although the battle with the dragon brings the death of Beowulf, it is an honorable and fitting end for a hero. He died in battle, a very important thing for a warrior. Beowulf was determined to give it his all. Before setting off he said, "I shall win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat, doom of battle, will bear your lord away" (Heaney 2535-2537), and he did just that. Beowulf's death was also honorable because even after he was wounded and knew he was dying, he never gave up. "Once again the king gathered his strength and drew a stabbing knife... He stuck it deep into the dragon's flank. Beowulf dealt it a deadly wound" (Heaney 2702-2705). This is just one example of Beowulf's strength and determination because even though he was dying he still managed to kill the dragon. That last display of courage is why Beowulf's death was a fitting end for a hero.

Beowulf LRJ #2

An important value in their society was revenge. Fighting and warfare were things that were admired and honored and revenge goes right along with them. "'Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning" (Heaney 1384-1385). This shows how one was expected not to mourn the death of a loved one but to immediately seek revenge. There are many other places where revenge takes place in the story but one specific instance is when Grendel's mother gets involved in the fighting. "He died in battle, paid with his life; and now this powerful other one arrives, this force for evil driven to avenge her kinsman's death" (Heaney 1337-1340). Grendel's mother wanted revenge for what Beowulf did to Grendel but the Danes wanted revenge on Grendel just as much. "The warrior determined to take revenge for every gross act Grendel had committed" (Heaney 1577-1578). This shows how large a role revenge played in people's actions. Another key value is bravery. Bravery was a very respectable attribute in their society and the men were expected to display it and face Grendel, even when they didn't stand a chance. The reader can tell how honorable it was to be brave because of how respected Beowulf was for the courage he displayed. "Beowulf got ready, donned his war-gear, indifferent to death; his mighty, hand forged, fine-webbed mail would soon meet with his menace underwater" (Heaney 1402-1404), and when he returned from battle, "His courage was proven, his glory was secure" (Heaney 1646). He showed everyone how brave a single man can be and proved to them how brave he was.

It is unrealistic when Beowulf swims to the bottom of the lake to fight Grendel's mom. "Without more ado, he dived into the heaving depths of the lake. It was the best part of a day before he could see the solid bottom" (Heaney 1494-1496). It it not possibly for a person to hold their breath for a whole day but this makes Beowulf seem even more powerful than he already is. It makes the reader feel like Beowulf is invincible and nothing can ever stop him. Beowulf's strength is another part of the story that is unrealistic. "Hygelac's kinsman kept him helplessly locked in a hand grip" (Heaney 812-813). The fact that Beowulf is strong enough to hold on to a creature this large and dangerous in itself but on top of that he is able to make "shrews split and the bone-lappings burst" (Heaney 816-817). This is not humanly possible, especially to a beast like Grendel but it gives the reader an awe of Beowulf and makes the story more entrancing with all of Beowulf's feats.

A powerful quote in Beowulf is, "The warrior determined to take revenge forevery gross act Grendel had committed -- and not only for that one occasion when he'd come to slaughter the sleeping troops, fifteen of Hrothgar's house-guards surprised on their benches and ruthlessly devoured, and as many again carried away, a brutal plunder" (Heaney 1577-1584). This is so meaningful becauseas well as making Beowulf seem very heroic in wanting to repay Grendel for what he has done, it adds to the evilness of Grendel. It makes the reader picture such a horrendous thing happening and enforces the negative feelings one has towards Grendel.

Beowulf LRJ #1

       An important value that can be seen in Beowulf is courage. This trait is especially significant for males because they were the ones expected to stay in the mead hall and face Grendel, no matter the outcome. Courage is also evident through Beowulf's actions. When Beowulf and his men arrived, one of the Dane warriors said, "I have never seen so impressive or large an assembly of strangers. Stoutness of heart, bravery not banishment, must have brought you to Hrothgar" (Heaney 337-339). This is showing how the Dane people respected these men and the courage they were showing by coming to fight Grendel. Beowulf also exhibits courage through his determination to beat Grendel and help the Danes. Beowulf stated, "I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in the attempt in the fiend's clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose, prove myself with a proud deed or meet my death here in the mead-hall" (Heaney 634-638). This is courageous because he's risking his life for the greater good. Another value present is honor. The Danes seemed to place great value on honoring rulers or people who performed great deeds. There is evidence that they honored their lord because "Far-fetched treasures were piled upon him, and precious gear" (Heaney 36-37). The Danes also greatly honored Beowulf. "Beowulf's doings were praised over and over again. Nowhere, they said, north or south between the two seas or under the tall sky on the broad earth was there anyone better to raise a shield or to rule a kingdom" (Heaney 855-860). This showed how much they appreciated everything he had done and wanted to make sure everyone knew about it and honored and respected him for it.
       Alliteration is found often throughout Beowulf. An example is, "his God-given goods" (Heaney 72). This quote gives the goods a connotation of being very important and as if they were from the gods themselves. From this the reader is able to realize how meaningful the goods actually are. Another place where alliteration is present is, "The ship rode the water, broad-beamed, bound by its hawswer and anchored fast" (Heaney 301-303). By saying this the author creates an image of the ship for the reader, and makes it seem more daunting through the harsh sound of the letter "b." A final example of alliteration is while describing Grendel the author states that he is, "Greedy and grim" (Heaney 122). This enforces the reader's opinion of Grendel as evil and selfish.
       Kennings are another literary device in Beowulf. One place this happens is the "dark death-shadow" (Heaney 160). This is referring to Grendel and shows how frightening and illusive he is. Another kenning is the "earth's lamplight, lanters for men" (Heaney 95). In this case the earth's lamplight is the sun and the moon.