Beowulf LRJ#1

The Danes valued Heorot as a central meeting hall for every member of the town. Knowing this, "Grendel ruled in defiance of right,/ one against all, until the greatest house/ in the world stood empty, a deserted wallstead" (Heany 144-146). The Danes would drink, tell stories accompanied by music, and even sleep in the mead hall. Grendel knew to attack the center point of their society. With all the Danes routinely enjoying themselves in the mead halls, it spurred Grendel to attack that easy target. How could Beowulf possibly claim glory for all of his epic battles? With a trophy, of course. "Clear proof of this/ could be seen in the hand the hero displayed/ high up near the roof" (Heany 832-834), as Beowulf had mounted the torn arm of Grendel to the wall of the mead hall. This arm acted as a display of Beowulf's dominance. This was important in the Dane society.

Alliteration is used at times when the author was seeking emphasis on certain characteristics or ideas. Grendel is described as "Greedy and grim" (Heaney 122). The feeling that Grendel is vile and dark is brought out. Beowulf sailed on on the boat "as captain,/ a canny pilot along coast and currents" (Heany 208-209). His leadership and sailing abilities are shown with the repetition of the letter "c".

Kennings add variety to words commonly used to describe something. As with the us of "Whale-road" (Heany 10) to describe the sea. This is a more interesting way of describing the sea. "war-gear" (Heany 214) replaces the use of weapons when they are being loaded onto the boat. That description makes them seem more prepared for battle and conflict on their journey. "Bone-lappings" (Haney 817) is used to describe muscles and tendons, leaving a much more graphic image.