A Commentary on Beowulf

“Then he who had harrowed the hearts of men / with pain and affliction in former times / and had given offence also to God / found that his bodily powers failed him. / Hygelac’s kinsman kept him helplessly / locked in a handgrip. As long as either lived, / he was hateful to the other. The monster’s whole / body was in pain, a tremendous wound / appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split / and the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted / the glory of winning; Grendel was driven / under the fen-banks, fatally hurt, / to his desolate lair. His days were numbered, / the end of his life was coming over him, / he knew it for certain; and one bloody clash / had fulfilled the dearest wishes of the Danes. / The man who had lately landed among them, / Proud and sure, had purged the hall, / kept it from harm; he was happy with his nightwork / and the courage he had shone.”

(808-827)

These lines from Beowulf exemplify the essence of its story. They represent the greatest aspects of the story, all rolled into one short section. It has a battle between Beowulf and a powerful monster, it has kennings, it has alliteration, it has strong imagery, it has religious themes, and it’s an important point in the plot. It continues themes that are shown through the entire story, and is something that the rest of the story references back to this point.

In terms of language, this section of the story reinforces previously used literary devices and language. Like the rest of the story, this part uses kennings and alliteration. The alliteration shows up in quotes like “sinews split,” (816) and “under the fen-banks, fatally hurt,” (818). The kennings show up in quotes like “Hygalec’s kinsman,” (812) which is a simple one that refers to Beowulf, and “he who had harrowed the hearts of men,” (808) referring to Grendel. These two devices give the story a more poetic feel.

More important in this section, however, is the imagery that appears throughout the story. It’s particularly powerful here, as shown by the quote, “a tremendous wound appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone-lappings burst,” (816) which is quite powerful. It makes the reader feel as if they’re there, actually witnessing Beowulf ripping Grendel’s arm off, which is a great effect for a story to achieve.

The other primary thing this part of the story achieves is the reinforcement of previously introduced themes. One such theme is the theme of religion and how it aids Beowulf. It says, “… and had given offence to God,” (810) implying that God had some part in Beowulf’s victory. It also continues the theme of courage and strength in battle, where it says “Proud and sure, he had purged the hall, kept it from harm; he was happy with his nightwork and the courage he had shown,” (826). This quote shows how Beowulf’s victory makes his courage apparent, and the fact that they mentioned it at all clearly shows that it’s important.

This passage was chosen because of its powerful impact on the reader and impact on the story. As was mentioned earlier, it is referenced several times later in the story, cementing its importance throughout the rest of the story. It also has a great impact on the reader. As mentioned earlier, the imagery makes this section come to life for the reader, making them feel as if they’re really there, a powerful impact. In summary, this section of Beowulf uses its literary devices to reinforce previous themes and draw the reader in, which is what makes it powerful.

Beowulf LRJ #2 (#1 to come soon)

Leif Park Jordan
Ms. Peifer
10 IB Hour 4
4 December 2008
LRJ #2

1. Several more values of Beowulf's society become evident in the second section. The first value is that of revenge. Revenge plays a large part in causing the story, since the Grendel and his mother were essentially killed to get revenge for their slaying of Hrothgar's subjects. The general belief seems to be that revenge is better than simple mourning. As Beowulf says, "...do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning... Let whoever can win glory before death." (1384) This shows how Beowulf believes that it is much better to avenge the fallen then simply mourn them.
Another value that is shown is family. This one is shown more indirectly - no character actually says that family is important, but many characters are referred to by their fathers instead of simply their own names. The fact that this is even done shows that they believe that family is important. A few examples of this are "He waas Yrmenlaf's elder brother..." (1324), "Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke..." (1383), and "Unferth, te strong-built son of Ecglaf..." (1467). These show how people identify themselves by their family, fathers, and brothers, showing how they value family.

2. As a fantastic story about heroes and monsters, Beowulf is quite unrealistic (not that this is a bad thing). One place this is shown is in the fight with Grendel. For example, Grendel, "Grabbed thirty men from their resting places..." (122). Clearly, this would be very difficult for a monster that is roughly human-shaped, so it's unrealistic. Another unrealistic part is when Beowulf rips Grendel's arm off. "Sinews split and and the bone-lappings burst," (817). Again, it would be nearly impossible for someone to break bone and sinew with their bare hands, especially the bone and sinew of someone who can lift 30 men. Another unrealistic part is when he swims to the bottom of the lake: "It was the best part of a day before he could see the solid bottom." This is unrealistic for a couple of reasons: no one could hold their breath for that long, and very few lakes are anywhere near that deep.

3. One of my favorite quotes from this section is "...heaved his war-sword and swung his arm: the decorated blade came down ringing and singing on her head. But he soon found his battle-torch extinguished: the shining blade refused to bite," (1520). This quote, for me, is an excellent example of what Beowulf is and is about. It has a kenning in it, it describes a battle, and it contains interesting and engaging descriptions of the action that nonetheless give you a clear idea of what is going on in the story. This, for me, is what Beowulf is all about.