Beowulf - analysis.... any ideas on how to improve/extend??

Analysis of a short section from the poem ‘Beowulf’ by Seamus Heaney.

I shall compose a short but detailed commentary on a section of the above mentioned piece. My chosen extract is shown below.
NEED HELP ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“’If Grendel wins, it will be a gruesome day;
he will glut himself on the Geats in the war-hall,
swoop without fear on that flower of manhood
as on others before. Then my face won’t be there
to be covered in death: he will carry me away
as he goes to ground, gorged and bloodied;
he will run gloating with my raw corpse
and feed on it alone, in a cruel frenzy,
fouling his moor-nest. No need then
to lament for long or lay out my body:
if the battle takes me send back
this breast-webbing that Weland fashioned
and Hrethel gave me to Lord Hygelac.
Fate goes ever as fate must.’”

The above section is taken from lines 442-455 on page 16 and is 14 lines long.
In this section, Beowulf is in Heorot and has just declared that he shall fight Grendel. He is telling Hrothgar and his people that should Grendel defeat him, he will be eaten and therefore there will be no need to mourn for him or give him a funeral. All he wishes them to do is return the armour that he has to Lord Hygelac.

Heaney uses different techniques to keep the reader interested in the story.
When the story was an oral tale, spoken in Old English there would have been alliteration on every line, this would have helped the story be remembered and it emphasises the drama in the poem. When Heaney has translated the poem into modern day English he has tried to keep as much alliteration as possible without damaging the flow of the poem.

There is a lot of alliteration in this extract, the repetition of the ‘G’ sound emphasises the goriness of the battle. It is a fairly harsh sounding letter and used in words such as ‘gruesome’ ‘gluts’ ‘gorged’ and ‘gloating’ makes the battle seem quite bloody and sickening.
The reiteration of the ‘L’ sound stresses the mourning and gives a sad feel to the sentence.
The repetition of the ‘B’ sound emphasises the battle, armour and the possibility of death.

Compound words and kennings are used in the extract, ‘moor-nest’ and ‘breast webbing’.

Moor-nest is Grendels dwelling and it gives the effect of a dark nest, quite gloomy and slimy.
The use of breast-webbing instead of chain mail, makes us think of a more delicate and beautiful piece of armour, rather than a heavy dark piece of chain-mail.

Enjambment is used throughout the poem as Beowulf is written in caesuras.
This keeps the sentences relatively short and precise which increases the excitement building up to an event.

HELP!!
any ideas on what else i could put into it or how to extend it?

yaz x

Reply 1

ebonyphoenix

missy_28

Some things to consider:

1. You could analyze the heroic/nonchallant attitude Beowulf has toward death. Although he grusomely describes what could happen, he fearlessly tells everyone if he dies not to worry- that's just fate. Do you think this attitude makes him a more admirable hero or carelessly bold, staking his life without truly thinking of the consequences. How does this tie into his ultimate death when fighting against the dragon? Was his death for purpose and honour?

2. Why do you think Beowulf uses such gruesome terms to describe Grendel and the conflict that may ensue? Is it a hyperbole to boast of his own daring? Is it to make a clear distinction between good and evil? What does Grendel embody? What could he be symbolic of?

3. This passage suggests the idea of fate, which is more characteristic of those believing in multiple gods rather than those believing in Christianity. Beowulf was written during the age of a shift from polytheism to Christianity. What role does fate play here and in the rest of the novel? How does it influence actions? Is there a message about fate? What does the ending of the account suggest about fate?

Hope this helps.

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