An Explication of Beowulf’s Monologue About His Past

Katie Taylor EH 215 Volf 4 February 2013 Beowulfs Past Beowulf is an expansive poesy that is filled with episodes and digressions that domiciliate a better understanding of the poem as a whole. In one of the episodes, Beowulf speaks of his past, and the reader can come across about his upbringing as a child and how it has affected him as an adult. This monologue also gives approximately information about King Hrethel and his give-and-takes. The main purpose of this anecdote, however, is to describe how and when Beowulf began his career of combat and fame.Within Beowulfs monologue, the originator utilizes alliterations and kenning to help the poem flow and to emphasize the strength and valor of Beowulf as an epic hero. One such(prenominal) example is the kenning used at the beginning of the episode. It reads, Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke (2425). Instead of the phrasing reading Beowulf spoke, this develop adds vigor to the beginning. It reinforces the idea that Beowulf is se en as an extremely powerful hero that can take on some(prenominal)thing that comes his focal point as opposed to just Beowulf. If son of Ecgtheow were not used, Beowulf would seem almost boring compared to the magnificent, heroic watch that comes to mind when this phrase is employed. Alliteration is also used to allow the poem to flow and also to provide an interesting element to otherwise bland sentences. While I was in his ward he do by me no worse as a wean is referring to King Hrethels adoption of Beowulf later his give died (2432).The repetition of the W sound allows easy movement through the story that Beowulf tells, and it keeps the reader interested in what is being said. Another example of alliteration is the lines 2479-2480 My avouch kith and kin avenged these evil events, as everybody knows Without any sound repetition, the reader would become bored with the story, but the author strategically places these examples of alliteration in the epic to provide more exciti ng details. Along with these rhetorical devices, this passage gives significant details bout Beowulfs upbringing. The reader learns that Beowulfs father Ecgtheow dies when Beowulf is only seven years old. King Hrethel takes him in, though, and treats him like one of his own sons. Later, the kings oldest son Herebeald is accidentally killed by his younger brother Haethcyn. King Hrethel is so deject that he lay down and dies from grief. Afterward, on that point is a battle between the Swedes and the Geats, in which Hrethels son Haethcyn, the new king, is killed in battle.Hygelac, the last son of Hrethel and now the new king of the Geats, gave Beowulf treasure and land for conflict alongside them. This battle seems to be one of the first that Beowulf participated in. He says, I marched ahead of him Hygelac, always there at the front of the line and I shall fight like that for as long as I live (2497-2499). After that first battle, Beowulf launched himself into a flavour of war and fame, constantly craving the recognition and treasures that came after a successful battle or killing.Beowulfs monologue about his past allows readers into his mind so that they can understand why he fights the way he does and where he came from in the first place. Without this episode, the poem as a whole would suffer because there would be no back story to excuse Beowulfs desire to defeat monsters and achieve the fame that he thinks he deserves. Perhaps he is making up for the fact that his father died when he was so young he is trying to live a life that would make his father proud that Beowulf was his son.