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'Irony In The Epic Of Beowulf'

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A shield to the onset; only with hand-grip
I, too, shall disdain to use any.
The foe I must grapple, fight for my life then,
Foeman with foeman; he fain must rely on
The doom of the Lord whom death layeth hold of.
Hrothgar throws a feast for the warrior brave enough to take on the hideous monster. At the feast, Unferth, a Danish warrior becomes jealous of the attention given to Beowulf. He mocks him about his past defeats. Beowulf responds to his mockery with a story of his own strength. He declares that Grendel will learn to be afraid of the Deats. When the festivity ends, the Danes leave the hall to Beowulf and his men. As they wait for Grendel to arrive, Beowulf’s men begin to fall asleep. When the monster arrives he marvels at his prey. …show more content…

Many believe him to be the next successor of the Danes. A Danish bard sings of Beowulf’s victory and an infamous hero named Sigemund who slaughtered a mighty dragon. Hrothgar thanks Beowulf for defeating Grendel. He declares Beowulf is now like a son to him. While Beowulf is content that he saved the town from Grendel’s wrath he also regrets not killing him. The king pays Beowulf in gold for his noble service to the kingdom. Hrothgar’s scop then tells the people a tale from the reign of Hrothgar’s father. Hnæf, the Dane’s general, was attacked while staying at Finn’s castle. The Danes establish a truce with the Frisians. The treaty lasts until the spring, when the Danes turn on the Frisians and kill Finn. Following the story, Queen Wealhtheow enters the scene and presents Beowulf with a torque and a set of armour. As the celebration roars on, Beowulf is presented with accolades of every …show more content…

Grendel’s mother appears, a creature more attricious than even Grendel himself:
Devil-shaped woman, her woe ever minded,
Who was held to inhabit the horrible waters,
The cold-flowing currents, after Cain had become a
Slayer-with-edges to his one only brother,
The son of his sire.
Grendel’s mother grabs Æschere, Hrothgar’s advisor, before she wakes the soldiers and flees with her victim and Grendel's arm. Hrothgar is distressed over the death of Æschere. He describes the dark cavern, known as the moors, that Grendel’s mother lives in. He then requests the help of Beowulf once again in the riddance of the horrible creature.
Beowulf begins on his journey to slay Grendel’s demonic mother. He travels on horse to a magical lake. Placed on the edge of the cliff, Beowulf’s troop spots the gory head of Æschere. Looking down into the murky water, Beowulf’s troop is able to see the serpents and sea

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