“Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: “Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.  For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end.  Let whoever can win glory before death.  When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark.  So arise, my lord, and let us immediately set forth on the trail of this troll- dam.   I guarantee you: she will not get away, not to dens under ground nor upland groves nor the ocean floor.  She’ll have nowhere to flee to.  Endure your troubles to- day.  Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.”  With that the old sprang to his feet and praised God for Boewulf’s pledge” (1382- 1398).

Beowulf always has a deep sense of pride, and of masculinity.  He feels that he must let everyone else know what he thinks and how he feels about a certain situation or situations.  He has a value system, and a sense of what is a good and bad way to live your life, and what a good and bad way to die.  The lines 1382 -1398 are very important to the story of Grendel’s Mother and what he thinks of the king Hrothgar.  Beowulf doesn’t show any sign of pity or grief when he sees that Hrothgar has broken down and is depressed, but instead tells him to become a man that he knows he is.

            Beowulf shows what kind of man he is in these lines he says, “’It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning’”(1383-1384).  This shows that Beowulf has a sense of pride in what he does and that he does not grieve but instead takes revenge on those who hurt him.  He is also not pitiful on what others are feeling or if they are going through sorrow.   Characterization is a large literary device in this passage because it shows how Beowulf values certain aspects.  This plays a large role in the way that Beowulf acts toward others such as Hrothgar.  The Language is affected because we see how Beowulf speaks and how the people at the time of the author spoke. 

            Dialogue is also a large part of the story because Beowulf is speaking directly to Hrothgar and sharing his opinion, “’ Bear up and be the man I expect you to be’”(1396). Beowulf is directly speaking to Hrothgar in this quote, and in most of the passage.  This affects the story because it makes the dialogue more realistic; Beowulf is explaining himself and his values instead of the narrator doing it for him.  “’When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark’”(1388-1389).   This is also dialogue and it really enforces what Beowulf is thinking.  He shows his values in this passage, and it relates to the rest of the story because it gives a background to why he fights monsters. The way the language of the story is affected is that Beowulf speaks the way he needs to and it makes the story easier to relate to and understand because it seems more realistic.

            This passage is relatively important to the story because it gives you a sense or morality, which Beowulf has grown up with.  It seems interesting because it is dialogue, and he shows what gives him reason to do what he does.  He also gets mad at Hrothgar and shows not pity, which shows a weaker side of Beowulf.  He is vengeful, but yet he is a great hero, and a good king.  He can be rash but at the same time praised by all, that is why this passage is so needed for the story.  It directly connects the story of Beowulf together by showing his values of how to live.

            Works Cited

The Adventure of Beowulf.” Culture Café at Lonestar Internet. 3 Aug. 2007 13 Dec. 2008.

            

Beowulf LRJ #3

Beowulf was a proud man, pride was a big part of society he lived in, and he thrived in showing how courageous he was.  He would battle monsters single handed and he would always come out victorious.  "Yet the prince of the rings was too proud to line up with a large army against the sky plague"(2345-2347).  Beowulf would with his army, but instead he wanted to show his own skill and bravery.  Boasting is a part of Beowulf's society.  "No king of any neighbouring clan would dare face me with troops, none had the power to intimidate" (2733-2736).  He knew that nobody would bother him, and Beowulf made sure that his kingdom knew that.  He was proud but a boastful king.

There are many similarities and differences with the story of the Fire- Breathing Dragon and Grendel and his mother.  In The Fire- Breathing Dragon it is a dragon specifically, and Beowulf doesn't fight alone but he also is accompanied with his men.  Beowulf dies at the end.  "Beowulf dealt it a deadly wound"(2706).  The demon is at his own kingdom not someone else it was affecting his own life.  "His own home, the best of buildings, had been burnt to a cinder the throne- room of the Geats"(2325- 2327).  Beowulf delivers the final blow, and he is very prideful.  He proves his courage and bravery once again. 

Beowulf in his time men were supposed to die in battle that was the honorable way to die.  Every man wanted to come back victorious or die fighting for their country.  A man was supposed to die this was and he was honored for it.  Beowulf was a good king and he died fighting for his kingdom.

LRJ #2 Beowulfd

"It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning"(1383-1384).  That a value which Beowulf has is that he is the kind of person that does not morn but looks for a way to get revenge.  He is vengeful and that is what he worries about that for him the saying an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth, is what he goes by.  Beowulf is unsympathetic to others who are in pain or suffering.  "When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark"(1387-1388).  Beowulf is telling the king that the best way for a man to die is in battle, and that is the honorable way to die.  That a man ends his journey on his death and that is their best work they have ever done in their life.  That in their society that is the best way for a man to die in battle or die fighting.

Beowulf and his incredible power of strength is very unrealistic.  Only for one man to have that much power and that no one else has it is unrealistic.  "An ideal weapon, one that any warrior would envy, only Beowulf could wield it in a battle"(1560-1561).  His extraordinary powers just seem unrealistic in the fact that only he has them and he is still mortal.  What this brings to the story is the fact that it makes the story more interesting.  It brings life to the main character and he becomes more of a hero.  When he fights monsters Beowulf becomes more interesting and he gains more credibility to be the hero because only he can fight this monster.

"The wondrous gifts God had showered on him"(21).  This quote is enjoyed because it shows that Beowulf is given these gifts by God.  Then he is a rare few that actually has these god- given powers.  "The bargain was hard, both parties having to pay with the lives of friends"(1304-1305).  That they all had it hard, even though Grendel and his mother were killed a lot of innocent souls were killed.  This passage shows that sacrifices were made and that there were mourning for the friends that were killed for the common good in order for others to be free.  "For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end"(1385- 1386).  That all of us have an end to our lives that all of us must die no matter how much they don't want to or how powerful he or she thinks they are.  We all have and end and it is fro everyone to enjoy their lives while they are still on this Earth.

LRJ #1 Beowulf

The values in the story of Beowulf are community is a large part of the story of Beowulf.  People are close and they feel that as a whole they are stronger.  They know that is they all work together then they will prosper from it and that in order to survive they must work together.  "It would be his throne- room and there he would dispense his God- given good to young and old but not the common land or people's lives" (Heaney, 72-74).  It showed that the king was in his people's common lives, and that he cared about his people.  It shows a big sign of community.  Pride was also a bbig part of the life of Beowulf.  He wanted to show how powerful he was and that he was great.  He knew that he could be the only one to stop Grendel and he was willing to sacrifice some of his men in order to stop Grendel.  "Mighty and canny, Hygelac's kinsman was keenly watching for the first move the monster would make"(76-78).  Beowulf and the people were willing to sacrifice one or two men for the greater good.

"It harrowed him to hear.." (88-89).  This is an alliteration is the story and it brings life to the story.  It is like a rhyme that brings life and the reader wants to keep on reading more.  The quote is talking about Hrothgar listening for the monster Grendal to come and eat more of his people.  "He was four times a father, this father prince.." (59).  That Hrothgar's father was a father for times, and that he and his wife bared four children.  This just brings life to the story of Hrothgar and his family.  Alliteration is important to a story and is better used when it is said out loud.

"Treasure- seat" (168).  It is just stating that the throne of a king is very valuable, and it belongs to him.  That it is the most important of all seats.  "High- born" (198).  That this person Hygelac, is a very powerful and well known person.  That they are the one that could stop Grendel, and he is the man that is the all mighty man who is the strongest and most powerful.