Dialectical Journals

1.) Lines 149 to 156
"Sad lays were sung about the best king, the vicious raids and ravages of Grendel, his long and unrelenting feud, nothing but war; how he would never parley or make peace with any Dane nor stop his death-dealing nor pay the death-price."
In these lines tell us about Grendel's wrong doings and how he has done nothing to correct them like paying the wergild.

2.) Lines 422 to 426
"I have suffered extremes and avenged the Geats (their enemies brought it upon themselves; I devastated them). Now I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat."
Beowulf is giving an epic boast, of warriors resume in order to prove that he will be strong and noble enough to not only fight Grendel, but to do it without any weapons.

3.) lines 612 to 618
These lines show queen Wealtheow who was most likely a Helming peace pledge. In these lines she is also displaying how well she can play the role of a perfect woman by carrying a cup around and having people drink which also symbolizes peace.


4.) lines 730 to 734
These lines show that Grendel enjoys killing and eating people especially because it says that it gives him glee just thinking about it.
Grendel translates to grinder as in the grinder of bones.

5.) Lines 979 to 983
"There was less tampering and big talk then from Unferth the boaster, less of his blather as the hall-thanes eyed the awful proof of the hero's prowess, the splayed hand up under eaves."
Before Beowulf's interaction with Grendel Unferth was talking very poorly of him, and now that Grendel's arm had been severed as proof of his deed Unferth had been shut up.

6.) Lines 799 to 802
“When they joined the struggle there was something they could have known at the time, that no blade on earth, no blacksmith’s art could ever damage their demon opponent.”
These line tell us about one of Grendel’s abilities or power, where no man made weapon can hurt him. This could be due to Cain’s God curse where no one could kill him, which could have been passed on to his son Grendel.

7.) Line 941 to 945
“Whoever she was who brought forth this flower of manhood, if she is still alive, that woman can say that in her labor the Lord of Ages bestowed grace on her.”
This is saying that whoever Beowulf’s mother she has done a great deed for the world and that she was blessed by god because she birthed Beowulf.

8.) Line 979 to 981

 “There was less tampering and big talk then from Unferth the boaster, less of his blather as the hall-thanes eyed the awful proof.”

 These lines show how Unferth’s thoughts about Beowulf have changed also “hall-thanes” is keening for warriors.

9.) Line 1017 to 1018

 “The Shielding nation was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal.”

 This sentence is foreshadow for the kin-killing that will later be taking place.

10.) Line 1163 to 1162

 “ uncle and nephew, each of whom still trusted the other.”

 This is foreshadow for what happens later on also it is a parallel for the song that was just sung.

11.) Line 1368 to 1372

 “On its bank, the heather-stepper halts: the hart in flight from pursuing hounds will turn to face them with firm-set horns and die in the wood rather than dive beneath its surface.”

 These lines show how hellish and evil the pond is, a deer would rather fight wolves and die than go into the pond.

12.) Line   1553 to 1556

 “Holy God decided the victory. It was easy for the Lord, the Ruler of Heaven, to redress the balance once Beowulf got back up on his feet.”

 These lines show a strong Christian influence in saying that Beowulf would not have won if God did not step in.

13.) Lines 1570 to 1572

 “A light appeared and the place brightened the way the sky does when heaven’s candle is shining clearly.”

 After Beowulf defeated Grendel’s mother, a Hellish creature, the water cleared so that God’s influence could reach the depths of the lair.

14.) Lines 1709 to 1712

 “Heremod was different, the way he behaved to Ecgwela’s sons, His rise in the world brought little joy to the Danish people, only death and destruction.”

 Here Beowulf is being to Heremod who was a terrible king and did not care for the people that he ruled. Where as Beowulf only seems to do things for his people and to gain glory from them.

16.) Lines 1845 to 1853

 “If it should come to pass that Hrethel’s descendant dies beneath a spear, if deadly battle or the sword blade or disease fells the prince who guards your people and you are still alive, then I firmly believe the seafaring Geats won’t find a man worthier of acclaim as their king and defender than you.”

 This is a foreshadow, because Beowulf does become king under these conditions, it also shows how highly they think of Beowulf.

17.) Lines 1942 to 1943

 “A queen should weave peace, not punish innocent with loss of life for imagined insults.”

 This line restates the role of a queen, which would be to bring peace, where as she had people killed for no reason other than looking at her wrong.

18.) Lines 2051 to 2052

 “After Withergeld died and his men were doomed , the shielding s quickly claimed the field.”

 This is an example of a wergild because they gained land because of what happened to Withergeld and his men.

19.) Lines 2208 to 2211

 “The wide kingdom reverted to Beowulf. He ruled it well for fifty winters, grew old and wise as warden of the land.”

 This shows that time has passed and he has still managed to gain fame and good thoughts from his people even in his old age.

20.) Lines 2345 to 2347

 “Yet the prince of the kings was too proud to line up with a large army against the Sky-plague”

 I see this as one of Beowulf‘s flaws because he is so proud he wants to take on the dragon by himself even though he might not have died if he had brought an army. Also “Sky-plague” is keening for dragon.

21.) Lines 2442 to 2446

 “For who could avenge the prince’s life or pay his death-price? It was like misery endured by an old man who has lived to see his son’s body swing on the gallows”

 Because there is nobody to pay the wergild its is as if he had died for no reason and there is nothing that can be done about because revenge would only weaken the family.

22.) Lines 2510 to 2515
"Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast for the last time: I risk my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open."
 This is Beowulf's last boast to show brave he is and how devoted he is to his people and his willingness to die for his people. Also "earth-fort" is keening for cave.

23.) Lines 2580 to 2581
"The mound - keeper went into a spasm and spouted deadly flames."
In this line "mound-keeper" is keening in order to describe the dragon, which has, for hundreds of years, been sleeping on a huge pile of treasure and gold thus making it the keeper of the mound.

24.) Lines 2599 to 2601
"But within one heart sorrow welled up: in a man worth the claims of kinship cannot be denied."
When Beowulf went to face the dragon all of his men left him to fight the monster alone except one man who felt so much respect for his king he was willing to risk his life to aid in Beowulf's attempt.

25.) Lines 2650 to 2653
"As god is my witness, I would rather my body were robed in the same burning blaze as my gold-giver's body than go back home bearing arms."
These lines show Wiglaf's devotion to his king, and that he would rather die than know that he left his king in battle.

26.) Lines 2682 to 2684
"It was never his fortune to be helped in combat by the cutting edge of weapons made of iron."
This is ironic because Beowulf's weapons always seem to fail him in combat.

27.) Lines 2733 to 2736
"No king of any neighboring clan would dare face me with troops, none had the power to intimidate me."
Because of Beowulf and his deeds no one ever considered attacking the Geats, but now that he is going to die there is nothing stopping invaders.

28.) Lines 2747 to 2751
"Away you go: I want to examine the ancient gold, gaze my fill on those garnered jewels; my going will be easier for having seen the treasure,"
At this point Beowulf is certain that he will die very soon and his last request is to see the treasure he has won for his people, he wants to know that his death wasn't for nothing.

29.) Lines 2845 to 2849
"Before long the battle-dodgers abandoned the wood, the ones who had let down their lord earlier, the tail-turners, ten of them together."
This shows the ten warriors cowardice when they abandoned Beowulf in battle. Also "battle-dodgers" and "tail-turners" are both keening for the same thing, cowards.

30.) Lines 2864 to 2871
"Anyone ready to admit the truth will surely realize that the lord of men who showered you with gifts and gave you the armor you are standing in - when he would distribute helmates and mail-shirts to men on the mead-benches, a prince treating his thanes in hall to the best he could find, far or near - was throwing weapons uselessly away."
 Wiglaf spoke out against the warriors that abandoned their king, he said that they were wearing the armor that Beowulf gave them, because he thought they were great men. But it seemed as though Beowulf threw it away they did not help their king.

31.) Lines 2886 to 2890
"Everyone of you with freeholds of land, our whole nation, will be dispossessed, once princes from beyond get tidings of how you turned and fled and disgraced yourselves."
Wiglaf is telling the men that when other rulers hear that the Geat-king is dead and that his warriors are cowards, they will surely be taken over. 

32.) Lines 3051 to 3057
"That huge cache, gold inherited from an ancient race, was under a spell - which meant no one was permitted to enter the ring-hall unless God Himself, mankind's keeper, True King of Triumphs, allowed some person pleasing to Him - and His eyes worthy - to open the hoard."
This is a reference to Christianity which happens quite a few times in this book, it also shows how the monk's voice is coming through.

33.) The meaning of Beowulf's name has many different translations such as bee-wolf which some thinks means bear because of the way he fights and others believe that he was named after the god Beow which is the god of grains and Beowulf is similar in the way that he is the ring ring giver and helps support his people.

34.) The meaning of Unferth's name is also disputed but the common meanings are un-ferth which is no-wit or un-firth which means mar-peace.

35.) Line 3150
"A Geat woman sang out in grief."
This might suggest that Beowulf was married or had a lover. Also it could be grief for he nation that is now in trouble.