reinstated
So the slave didn't use the treasure for his own freedom, he just wanted to be forgiven and reinstated from his master, so he wasn't greedy when he stole nor was he seeking to better his own life. https://www.shmoop.com/beowulf/lines-2101-2396-summary.html
Happened to find the hoard open, The burning one who hunts out barrows, The slick-skinned dragon, threatening the night sky With streamers of fire
It seems to me that Beowulf feels that he has no purpose in life until he discovers the dragon to battle, because he is recognizing his mortality and limited time.
And so he mourned
This reminds me of part 2, where Beowulf advises against mourning people/life circumstances for Hrothgar.
I am left with nobody To bear a sword or burnish plated goblets, Put a sheen on the cup.
Beowulf has no family/offspring to leave anything to. Almost like now he recognizes the more important thing is family or close connections in different relationships.
The sleeping dragon; that drove him into rage,
So the dragon was relatively peaceful and seemed to mind his own business before someone stole something from him.
I heard he presented Hygd with a gorget, The priceless torque that the prince’s daughter, Wealhtheow
Beowulf seems to re-gift some of his precious treasures (also seen with the sword being given back to Unferth), so he's clearly not greedy about keeping his treasures.
Skimming ahead; as she heaved forward
The ship is personified to be a woman.
The seafaring Geats won’t find a man 1850 Worthier of acclaim as their king and defender Than you
Foreshadowing that Beowulf will become king of the Geats?
You are strong in body and mature in mind, Impressive in speech.
It's interesting that this is said because it seems to contradict what was said earlier; with mentions of Beowulf being impatient and warning Beowulf to not become overconfident and too prideful.
overweening
Showing excess confidence or pride. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overweening
That could have gone badly; if God had not helped me,
Another reference to religion.
Beowulf cut the corpse’s head off.
An unnecessary act of cruelty.
Was impatient to be away and plunged suddenly
Perhaps a major flaw for a hero/warrior?
If this combat kills me, take care 1480 Of my young company, my comrades in arms.
Shows that Beowulf does display kindness and cares about his men- and is loyal to them-like an idealized hero.
He was not man enough
Interesting statement about Unferth,instead of just saying that Beowulf is a more talented swordsman, battle skills are connected to manhood/masculinity.
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow
This is repeated several times in this story- like Beowulf's father/family gives him a more prestigious title/reputation.
At that moment was of no small importance:
Foreshadowing that this weapon will be what kills Grendel's mother?
It is always better To avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.
This could be connected to the idea at that time of a glorified warrior and also tied to the belief that men should not show emotion.
And be the man I expect you to be.
I feel that you could connect this to the statement said earlier about mourning.Like "Be a man- don't spend your time being wasteful and mourning, lead and fight instead".
She had pounced and taken one of the retainers In a tight hold, then headed for the fen.
She takes one of Hrothgar's most beloved warriors and takes it to her lair.
Her onslaught was less Only by as much as an Amazon warrior’s In less than an armored man’s When the hefted sword, its hammered edge And gleaming blade slathered in blood, Razes the sturdy boar-ridge off a helmet.
It mentions the Grendel's mother is technically weaker than Grendel but still a powerful revenged filled monster- like an Amazon Warrior. "Razes the sturdy boar-ride off a helmet", signifies the cutting to the crest (the horsehair) part of the helmet. https://www.shmoop.com/beowulf/strength-skill-quotes-3.html
Grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge.
This is a interesting use of diction to describe Grendel's mother. They try to depict her similarly to Grendel- being a evil monster- but the use of "grief-racked" almost allows the reader to pity Grendel's mother, because its painful to imagine a mother losing her only son.
Grendel’s mother, Monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs.
I think there's significance with Grendel's mothers having no name. Having no name helps rid her of any humanity or connection to the human world, where Grendel clearly displayed human emotions and longed for companionship.
Committing evil until the end came, Death after his crimes
It is Grendel who dies that night and pays from his crimes.
one man 1240 Lay down to his rest, already marked for death.
The man marked for death could be Beowulf (foreshadowing)? Or it could be Grendel who we already know is fatally wounded and is dying.
torque,
A torque= a tool that causes a turning motion
The chieftain went on to reward the others: Each man
Connects with the common belief that the good is always rewarded and the bad is always punished.
If you could have seen the monster himself 960 Where he lay beaten, I would have been better pleased.
Even after Beowulf is being celebrated by everyone, he still desired to have had Grendel's body and not have Grendel flee. It connects to Beowulf's addiction of sorts to his heroic acts, with how he preferred to have the body to prove and show he was the one who defeated Grendel.
He grabbed and mauled a man on his bench, 740 Bit into his bone-lappings, bolted down his blood And gorged on him in lumps, leaving the body Utterly lifeless, eaten up Hand and foot.
Very descriptive imagery.
Spurned and joyless
Spurned= To reject with disdain; scorn https://www.dictionary.com/browse/spurned
The mention of being "joyless" connects Beowulf to his human side with his emotions being present.
breast-webbing
"Breast-webbing" is the chain-main/mesh-ringed armour they wore. (It's a kenning). https://emilylit.weebly.com/kennings.html
mail-shirts
"Mail-shirts" the metal ringed armoured mesh that was commonly worn at the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_mail
mightiest man on earth, High-born and powerful.
"The mightiest man on earth, High-born and powerful". Beowulf is depicted as a born leader and future king, no one tries to stop him from going on this journey and he is easily depicted as the "chosen-one" from a higher power/force.
Where these reavers from Hell roam on their errands.
In some parts of the text Grendel has human qualities, he's isolated and alone knowing he will never be a part of that world, and he desires friendship.companionship.However Grendel is continuously described in a way that makes him a sort of demonic unearthly demon.
But not the common land or people’s lives.
Shows that Hrothgar is a fair king to his people, giving away material rewards but never someone's livelihood or own life.
The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar. Friends and kinsmen flocked to his ranks, Young followers, a force that grew To be a mighty army. So his mind turned To hall-building:
The sentenced is phrased in a interesting way, "The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar", creating the idea of a divine force that decides he is the rightful king. After his army is built he begins building a mead hall (a feasting hall), which is interesting because it's a place for the common people not a superior isolated throne one usually thinks of with a king. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead_hall
And they set a gold standard up
It's interesting to me the burial ritual at the time. Loading the ship with gold and treasures was a honorary commemoration, but at the same time gold and treasure was the representation of wealth and economic gains. With the gold and treasure being burned the people themselves are losing their own sense of materialism/ prosperity from the king's reign.