Beowulf Setting (Revised)

            There are many settings in Beowulf, but I will be focusing on two settings that parallel each other. Hrothgar’s mead hall and Grendel’s mother’s underwater lair are the two settings I will be comparing. I will start by giving a description of each setting, then compare the two.

The first setting is Hrothgar’s Mead hall in Denmark. The mead hall was built as the result of being successful in battle as well as the building of a great army. It puts out a joyous atmosphere because it’s a place for eating a drinking, it was a refuge for warriors to go to and have a good time. They also sing songs and poems as well as praise god. But it’s clouded by the presence of death and fear because of Grendel’s nightly visits to the hall for twelve years, where he kills any one that he can get his hands on. The mead hall is a large open room with many smaller or one large table(s). It has high ceilings capable of fitting the large Grendel as well as his Mother.

The second is Grendel’s mother’s underwater lair, it takes Beowulf about a day’s swim to reach, and it was a large room that resembled a cave with tree roots hanging down. It was a dark place with a hellish feeling. The lair was a dangerous place for any unwelcome intruders, filled with serpents, monsters, and worst of all Grendel’s mother, all willing to fight in order to protect their home. From what I can gather it used to belong to giants, because of one of their swords displayed on the wall. Many people say that it is a symbol for Hell one reason is that deer will not cross the pond above the cave in order to escape death because of the evil presence there.

The two settings are similar but are also opposites of each other at the same time. Both are large open rooms that provides sanctuary to both parties, the mead hall is influenced by god and is a place of happiness, singing, and drinking. Whereas the underwater lair is dark and evil where “no wisdom reaches such depths” which means god’s influence could not reach the cave which again references its resemblance to hell.

Both settings change in the end for the better into more holy places, first the mead hall was being tormented by Grendel until his defeat making it safe to enjoy once again. Second, the underwater lair was filled with evil and no light, but after Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother light was finally able to shine through and all of the water serpents and monster mysteriously disappeared also god’s wisdom was allowed to reach the lairs depths.