Notes: Beowulf Prologue-Chapter X

Prologue

• "Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him..."
• Beowulf's introduction
• "weeds of battle"
• what is this referring to?

Chapter I

• "Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave..."
• setting the stage: Hrothgar is constructing "a master mead-house"
• "...til one began to fashion evils, that field of hell.  Grendel this monster grim was called."
• antagonist's origins

Chapter II

• atheling: a prince or lord in Anglo-Saxon England
• wassail: a salutation wishing health to a person
• Basically, Grendel is terrorizing Hrothgar and his people over the course of several years
• still more of background information than the core of the story

Chapter III

• "This heard in his home Hygelac's thane, great among Geats, of Grendel's doings."
• protagonist introduction, or setting up a situation of failure?
• "Up then quickly the Weders clansman climbed ashore, anchoring their sea-wood, with armor clashing and gear of battle."
• powerful imagery

Chapter IV

• the entirety of the chapter is an explanation of the heroes' history and merits

Chapter V

• "There, weary of ocean...the seafarers stood together."
• there is a real sense of weight to the passage
• "Hygelac's, we, fellows at board; I am Beowulf named."
• "Their leader most surely, a hero that hithers his henchmen has led."
• wastes no time establishing the hero of the story in no uncertain terms

Chapter VI

• "...for your band of thanes empty and idle, when evening sun in the harbor of heaven is hidden away."
• driving to action by insults, or perhaps simply mocking
• "Grendel now, monster cruel, be mine to quell in single battle!"
• interesting that Beowulf makes a claim to single battle, despite bringing a band of warriors with him

Chapter VII

• "Then was this mead-house at morning tide dyed with gore, when the daylight broke, all the boards of the benches blood-besprinkeld, gory the hall: I had heroes the less."
• possibly a frank evaluation of the situation, but also very likely dramatized to bring the (overly?)confident Beowulf back down

Chapter VIII

• emulous: motivated by the spirit of rivalry
• Beowulf is boastful, although it may be justified by his actions

Chapter IX

• multiple references to characters' "battle-boast"
• What is the cultural significance of this?
• "Never to any man erst I trusted, since I could heave up hand and shield, this noble Dane-Hall, till now to thee."
• oddly quick to trust, although Beowulf does have a reputation

Chapter X

• what is a "hero-train"?
• "Let wisest God, sacred Lord, on which side soever doom decree as he deemeth right."
• Why would he think God would side with Grendel?
• could be a formality, or pre-battle tradition