Boewulf

713 Words2 Pages

Boewulf

The section entitled "Further Celebration at Heorot" opens

after Boewulf has slain Grendel's mother. This becomes

acceptable adult behavior when you realize that Grendel and

his mother are both monsters from the same evil metal. Beowulf has

returned to King Hrothgar's beautiful Heorot Hall to celebrate his victory

over evil Grendel.

Beowulf's boasts illuminate his heroic deeds. His crowing

declares the mead hall now safe for all the thanes to drink

in once again. Hrothgar, the honorable king of the Danes,

is grateful for the monster's slaughter that Beowulf has done

but is also reflective. Drawing on the experiences of a long life, he

confides in Beowulf that he should not be quite so full of himself. He states:

"Keep yourself against that wickedness, beloved

Beowulf, best of men, and choose better-eternal

gains. Have no care for pride, great warrior. Now

for a time there is glory in your might: yet soon it

shall be that sickness or sword will diminish your

strength, or fire's fangs, or flood's surge, or sword's

swing, or spear's flight, or appalling age; brightness

of eyes will fail and glow dark; then it shall be that

death will overcome you, warrior."

Hrothgar is a wise and noble king. He is much older than

Beowulf and sees much of his former self in the young warrior.

Having lived and learned many lessons from the thousands of

experiences that Beowulf has yet to face, with great affection for

Hygelac's thane, Hrothgar tries to use his wisdom to help and

Beowulf on the difficult road ahead. To illustrate his point,

Hrothgar recounts the story of Heremod, a miserably notorious

king, who stayed from the codes and procedures of that warrior

caste. The evil one's main failure was a lack of respect for his

people. As Hrothgar explains, "He grew great, not for their joy,

but for their slaughter." Not only did Heremod fail to share a

portion of the wealth and power that God has given him with

his loyal retainers. he performed the most heinous of crimes,

the killing of his own clansman. In the end, this king, having

failed to live a just life, had few friends and died unhappy.

Then his people, without longing for their departed king,

advanced someone else to the office.

Beowulf does not have any fear that Hrothgar's vision

is in his future. He is confident of his amazing courage.

His states, "Sometimes fate can save the undoomed man

if his courage is good.

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