Beowulf Journals 46-50

46.

Lines 2401-2407 ~ The Lord of the Geats took eleven comrades… and was now added as a thirteenth to their number.

One leader, Beowulf, and twelve followers alludes Jesus and his twelve disciples.

47.

Motif of Kin killing

Kin killing is all over this book. Why can’t everyone just hug it out and move on? Unferth is a kin killer, but it seems as though he is never punished for it. The only punishment for kin killing is exile. The story of Herebeald and Haethcyn is an interesting one. Herebeald is ‘accidentally’ killed by his brother, Haethcyn, on a hunting trip. There is a sort of conspiracy theory here. King Hrethel couldn’t punish his son for killing his brother, but he could also never forgive him. Another man gets away with murder and isn’t punished.

48.

Lines 2510-2515 ~ Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast for the last time…if the evil one will only abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.

Beowulf’s final boast. He understands that he is old and probably won’t live through this battle. He is putting everything on the line and leaving everything up to fate. He will go into the battle with the will to win, he won’t stop fighting until the dragon is dead.

49.

Lines 2518-2527 ~ “I would rather not use a weapon if I knew another way…between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides.

If it were up to Beowulf, he would not fight the dragon in the lair, he would fight with bare handed, and he could probably stand to be a few years younger. He realizes though that this isn’t going to be like when he fought Grendel; this monster breathes fire. He is going to need a little chain mail and armor to protect him. He is also leaving this battle up to fate. I think under some level Beowulf knows he isn’t going to come out of the lair alive, but he need to rid the land of the dragon before he can allow himself to die.

50.

Lines 2532-2533 ~ This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me.

This is Beowulf’s first problem. He is old and should have let his warriors fight the dragon like Hrothgar did with Grendel. Beowulf is to proud to let that happen though. Any monster that terrorizes his land is going to have to go through him.