Top 4 Beowulf quotes
“And a young prince must be prudent like that,
giving freely while his father lives
so that afterwards in age when fighting starts
steadfast companions will stand by him
and hold the line. Behaviour that’s admired
is the path to power among people everywhere.”
Lines 20 - 25
These lines found at the beginning of the poem are talking about the political prudence that needs to be practiced when transitioning from warrior prince to ruler. The narrator talks about Beaw as a talented ruler that succeeded his father, the formidable warrior, Shield Sheafson. This difference between warrior and king is a key theme of the poem and continues to be explored through the characters of Hrothgar and Beowulf.
“Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better
to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.
For every one of us, living in this world
means waiting for our end. Let whoever can
win glory before death. When a warrior is gone,
that will be his best and only bulwark.”
Lines 1384 - 1389
These lines form the beginning of Beowulf’s response when Hrothgar summons him and informs him about the death of his close friend, Aeschere. Beowulf tells his king that there is no point in grieving over his death since the warrior's way tells us that vengeance is necessary. He reminds Hrothgar that we are all just waiting for death and that we should aim to achieve as much glory as we can before death halts us. Finally, Beowulf believes that this glory won in death is the only thing that remains of us in death. This viewpoint of the heroic code is a central point of contention with the Christian author, who admires this outlook but sets out to prove it fallacious through the unstable situation of Beowulf’s people after his death.
“Beowulf got ready,
donned his war-gear, indifferent to death;
his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail
would soon meet with the menace underwater.
It would keep the bone-cage of his body safe
His helmet was of beaten gold,
princely headgear hooped and hasped
by a weapon-smith who had worked wonders,”
Lines 1442–1452
These lines are about Beowulf’s preparation for the fight against Grendel’s Dam. Armour and weapons are an important feature of Beowulf’s poetry, and the poet repeatedly indicates that the merit in these items lay in the manner of their preparation as well as the reputation of their maker. A parallel can be found in the concept of establishing identity in the Scandinavian warrior culture, which is a crucial theme of the poem.
“O flower of warriors, beware of that trap.
Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part,
eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride.
For a brief while your strength is in bloom
but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow
illness or the sword to lay you low,
or a sudden fire or surge of water
or jabbing blade or javelin from the air
or repellent age. Your piercing eye
will dim and darken; and death will arrive,
dear warrior, to sweep you away.”
Lines 1758 - 1768
These words of wisdom are offered to Beowulf by king Hrothgar after Beowulf has successfully defeated both Grendel and his Dam. Hrothgar takes a turn from extolling pagan values and imparts Christian teachings to the brave warrior. He asks him to focus on the eternal rewards rather than the material rewards of earth, which is an extremely confusing idea to the pagan warrior society that did not believe in the after-life. Hrothgar also advises Beowulf against the seduction of pride, which is another Christian ideal, “Pride goeth before the fall.”
