Lines in Beowulf

#2
At this time, Beowulf, nephew of the Geatish king Hygelac,

is the greatest hero in the world. He lives in Geatland, a realm
not far from Denmark, in what is now southern Sweden. When
Beowulf hears tales of the destruction wrought by Grendel, he
decides to travel to the land of the Danes and help Hrothgar
defeat the demon. He voyages across the sea with fourteen of his
bravest warriors until he reaches Hrothgar’s kingdom.
Beowulf, a powerful, confident, handsome warrior motivated

by loyalty and obligation to aid Hrothgar, enters the story.
Loaded with battle gear, Beowulf and his men board a ship and
sail to the Danish coast.
The guardians of the coast are alarmed by the arrival of

elaborately armed men. Seeing that the newcomers are dressed in
armor and carrying shields and other equipment for combat, the
watchman who guards the Danish coast stops Beowulf and his crew
and demands to know their business. Beowulf explains his mission.
He admits that he has never seen outsiders come ashore so

fearlessly and guesses that Beowulf is a noble hero. Beowulf
explains that he is the son of Ecgtheow and owes his loyalty to
Hygelac. He says that he has heard about the monster wreaking
havoc on the Danes and has come to help Hrothgar.
Likewise, Beowulf presents many of his accomplishments: he

fought numerous beasts, raided a nest of trolls, and even took on
several sea monsters. Beowulf declares that he plans to defeat
Grendel, and that he will do it without weapons to bring greater
honor to the Geats.
The watchman gives his consent and tells Beowulf that he

believes his story. He tells the Geats to follow him, mentioning
that he will order one of the Danes to watch Beowulf’s ship for
him. Impressed by Beowulf, the guards lead the men to Heorot
Hall. Beowulf has to again state his cause and remind Hrothgar of
the friendship that he and Beowulf's father shared.
Analysis
This segment establishes the relationship between Hrothgar and
Beowulf. There is a bond of loyalty between Hrothgar and
Beowulf's deceased father, Ecgtheow, which has passed on to the
next generation.
Years ago Ecgtheow became involved in a feud with the

Wulfing tribe because he killed Heatholaf, one of their members,
and could not afford to pay the wergild (penalty) imposed.
Hrothgar saved Ecgtheow by paying the fine on his behalf. Beowulf
now seeks to repay the debt by defeating Grendel. The culture of
the time was very much driven by the heroic code. This code
demanded loyalty and also required revenge to be exacted when
called for. If a good deed benefited someone, that person was
indebted to the person who helped. If someone was wronged, he
would take revenge on the other person, no matter how many
generations it took until revenge was obtained.
Beowulf makes a number of grand speeches. The hero's conceit

doesn't detract from his valiant deeds or stature as it might
today; in fact, the people present, especially the queen, are
even more impressed by Beowulf. It was expected that the hero
warrior would tell of his great deeds to evoke confidence in the
people he is defending. While he is boastful, he also
demonstrates that he accepts his human frailty by announcing what
should be done with his body should he be killed by Grendel.
Unferth's jealous tirade and the back and forth name-calling
was actually expected and helps to build an even grander view of
the hero. Beowulf does appear to take the insults somewhat
personally, but after he debunks Unferth's claims, the goodwill
between the Danes and Geats is restored.
#3 Grendel's Mother's Attack

Unfortunately, the battle isn't over: To avenge her son's
death, Grendel's mother attacks stealthily and quietly, killing
Aeschere, one of Hrothgar's closest advisers.
Grendel's mother is a demonic, humanlike creature who lives

in a supernatural underwater cave. She lives in the cave for a
hundred years without causing any trouble. This tells us that she
is more passive and reclusive than her son, who regularly
terrorizes the inhabitants of Heorot.
Grendel's mother lives in a cave beneath what is called a

mere. A mere is a 12th Century term for a standing body of water.
The Old English term can mean a lake, but given the amount of
time it takes Beowulf to swim to the cave at the bottom, the
usage meaning sea-like lake might be closer to the original
intent.
The next day is one of rejoicing in Heorot, and a feast is

thrown in Beowulf’s honour.
Grendel's mother, unknown to the Danes or Geats, is plotting

to avenge the death of her son. After the celebrations are over
in Heorot and everybody is asleep, Grendel's mother appears out
of her dwelling place, the swamp.
As the warriors sleep in the mead-hall, Grendel’s mother, a
horrible monster in her own right, descends on Heorot in a frenzy
of grief and rage, seeking vengeance for her son’s death.
Grendel’s mother, another swamp monster, comes to avenge her
son’s death, and she kills one of Hrothgar’s men.
When she falls upon and seizes a sleeping man, the noise
wakes the others. The warriors seize their swords and rush toward
her. The monster panics and flees, still carrying her victim,
Hrothgar’s trusted adviser, Aeschere, in her grasp. Beowulf,
having been given other sleeping quarters, is away from Heorot
when Grendel’s mother makes her raid. By the time he arrives at
the hall, she is gone. The warriors discover that she has stolen
Grendel’s arm as well.

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#2

At this time, Beowulf, nephew of the Geatish king Hygelac,

Beowulf, a powerful, confident, handsome warrior motivated

The guardians of the coast are alarmed by the arrival of

He admits that he has never seen outsiders come ashore so

Likewise, Beowulf presents many of his accomplishments: he

The watchman gives his consent and tells Beowulf that he

Years ago Ecgtheow became involved in a feud with the

Beowulf makes a number of grand speeches. The hero's conceit

#3 Grendel's Mother's Attack

Grendel's mother is a demonic, humanlike creature who lives

Grendel's mother lives in a cave beneath what is called a

The next day is one of rejoicing in Heorot, and a feast is

Grendel's mother, unknown to the Danes or Geats, is plotting

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