Which Interpretation of Beowulf Does the Passage Best Support?

This essay will argue that the passage from Beowulf quoted below best supports the interpretation of the poem as an elegy. The evidence for this interpretation will come from the content of the passage itself, which describes the death of the heroic Beowulf in mournful tones, as well as from the context of the poem as a whole.

The passage in question comes from lines 2660-2690 of the poem, and reads as follows:

"So Beowulf lay dead, and his body was borne to the ship. The Geats mourned him sorely, and their grief was very great. They mourned him as a man who wasNote 1 mighty in battle and had done great deeds, as a king who was kindly and generous to his people. They mourned him as a man who had fought against fate and had conquered many foes. But now fate had conquered him."

The first thing to note about this passage is its content. Beowulf has just died, and the Geats are grieving for him. They mourn him as a great warrior and king, but also as someone who fought against fate and ultimately lost. This passage, then, clearly supports the interpretation of Beowulf as an elegy, or a poem about death and mourning.

But this interpretation is further supported by the context of the poem as a whole. The poem begins with a description of the monster Grendel, and how he terrorized the kingdom of the Geats. Beowulf comes to fight Grendel, and succeeds in defeating him. But Grendel's mother then attacks, and Beowulf is only able to kill her by resorting to cheating. This victory comes at a cost, however, as Beowulf is mortally wounded in the process. The poem then ends with Beowulf's death, and the Geats mourning him.

Taken together, the content of the passage and the context of the poem as a whole support the interpretation of Beowulf as an elegy. This is a poem about death, and the heroic Beowulf's struggle against fate. The Geats mourn him as a great warrior and king, but also as someone who fought against fate and ultimately lost.

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In the passage, Beowulf explains his motivation for fighting Grendel by saying that he wants to protect his people from the monster and make sure that no one else suffers from Grendel's attacks. He says that he has heard of the monster's attacks and how Grendel has terrorized the people living in Heorot, and he wants to put an end to it. Beowulf also says that he wants to gain fame and glory by defeating Grendel, and he knows that this will be a great challenge.

The passage suggests that Beowulf and Hrothgar have a strong relationship. They are clearly friends and have a lot of respect for each other. Hrothgar even goes so far as to call Beowulf his "true friend and companion." This is a very strong statement, and it shows how close the two men are.

The passage mentions Beowulf's courage several times. It says that his courage was what made him a great leader, and that it was also what made him successful in battle. It also says that his courage was what allowed him to overcome his fears and to face his enemies with confidence.

The passage implies that Beowulf's strength is very important to him. He is a young warrior who is brave and strong, and he wants to show everyone how strong he is. He is also very proud of his strength and wants to use it to help others.