Literary Commentary on Beowulf

Ellen Light

Ms. Peifer

10 IB English Period 3

16 December 2011

Commentary on Beowulf

[T]he ignominious marks of his flight/ where he’d skulked away, exhausted in spirit/ and beaten in battle bloodying the path,/ hauling his doom to the demons’ mere./ The bloodshot water wallowed and surged,/ there were loathsome upthrows and overturnings/ of waves and gore and wound-slurry./ With his death upon him, he had dived deep/ into his marsh-den, drowned out his life/ and his heathen soul: hell claimed him there./ Then away they rode, the old retainers/ with many a young man following after,/ a troop on horseback, in high spirits/ on their bay steeds. 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./ Yet there was no laying of blame on their lord,/ the noble Hrothgar; he was a good king. (Beowulf 842-862)

In Beowulf lines 842-862, the dominant impression is the glory and greatness of Beowulf. This impression is achieved by dramatic diction, extensive alliteration, a central hyperbole, gory imagery of Grendel’s death, and a concluding comparison with Hrothgar. This passage is a fitting end to the story of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel because good truly triumphs over evil, with Beowulf as the hero.

The imagery of Grendel’s death is dark and sensational. It shows a great monster fleeing, wounded to his death, highlighting “[t]he ignominious marks of his flight/ where he’d skulked away, exhausted in spirit/ and beaten in battle, bloodying the path,/ hauling his doom to the demons’ mere” (842-845). This monster is so large he upsets the water as he dives in to drown: “The bloodshot water wallowed and surged,/ there were loathsome upthrows and overturnings/ of waves and gore and wound-slurry” (846-848). Throughout the description of Grendel’s death, Grendel is called a “demon” (845), a “heathen” (851) and “claimed by hell” (851). Grendel is so evil he is not even loved by God. The extensive imagery of Grendel’s death and the description of Grendel as cast out by God makes Grendel seem both powerful and vile. Beowulf, as the conqueror of such a beast, seems all the more heroic, brave, and dominant.

There is much alliteration in this passage, especially in the description of Grendel’s flight. Grendel “skulked away, exhausted in spirit/ and beaten in battle, bloodying the path,/ hauling his doom to the demons’ mere/...With his death upon him, he had dived deep...” (843-849). The cadence of the lines helps emphasize words with alliteration. Alliteration adds to the drama of Grendel’s defeat and ultimately to the glory of Beowulf.

The diction in these lines is grand and dramatic. In the description of Grendel’s death the diction creates the dark mood of the “ignominious” (862) Grendel “hauling his doom to the demons’ mere” (845). However, once Grendel is dead, the diction creates a bright, shining mood of the triumphant Beowulf and “a troop on horseback, in high spirits/ on their bay steeds” (854-855) riding home. The diction stays dramatic but the mood shifts and this dramatic change in mood shows Beowulf’s glory and greatness. Before Beowulf defeated Grendel, the world was without hope but after Grendel is dead the world is filled with light. “Beowulf’s doings/ were praised over and over again” (855-856). The dramatic diction throughout the passage shows that Grendel’s defeat is impressive and therefore that Beowulf, as Grendel’s conqueror, is great and glorified.

Towards the end of the passage Beowulf is described in a hyperbole that captures the central message of the entire story: “Nowhere, they said, north or south/ between the two seas or under the tall sky/ on the broad earth was there anyone better [than Beowulf]/ to raise a shield or to rule a kingdom” (857-860). Beowulf is the best warrior, king, and hero in the world; no one outshines him.

At the end of this passage the storyteller explains that although Beowulf is the best person to “rule a kingdom” (860), the people do not blame their actual king, Hrothgar. “Yet there was no laying of blame on their lord,/ the noble Hrothgar; he was a good king” (861-862). The people recognize that Hrothgar did the best he could against Grendel, but he could not defeat him because Beowulf was the only person who could. Beowulf is “the chosen one,” the only one strong, brave, and confident enough to win against Grendel.

Beowulf is described in this passage as the epitome of good while Grendel is the definition of evil. Beowulf conquered Grendel and therefore good defeated evil. This “happy ending” is precisely why this story is so satisfying. When the audiences – then and now – hear this story they must be comforted by the notion that Beowulf’s strength and goodness was really their strength and goodness too.