In last night's reading ("The Hero Comes to Heorot"), Hrothgar tells Beowulf about how his father killed a Wulfing and was banished. Hrothgar said that he stopped the fued by paying and that Ecgtheow acknowledged him oaths of alligiance. My question is, does Beowulf feel obligated to help Hrothgar get rid of Grendel because Beowulf’s father was helped by Hrothgar?
--Laura C.
4 comments:
Hey Laura,
That’s a good question!! I’m just taking a guess but I don’t think he feels obligated to help out Hrothgar because as a mythic hero Beowulf feels that that is his mission. He has to go and destroy Grendel, that is the journey/quest he is sent on, not because he feels the need to “return the favor” to Hrothgar. I also have a question, it is from the reading last night, it is just a vocab. term but what does “the giver of rings” mean? Its on the bottom of page 39 line 353.
~Kelley B.
I was confused about that too. I looked it up online and it said that giver of rings is another way of saying lord or king.
It didn't seem to me like Beowulf knew hrothgar helped ecgtheow. I think Beowulf is just trying to show he is a true warrior and can defeat anything.
Post a Comment