Donaldsons Beowulf Essay -- Donaldson Beowulf Essays

Donaldson's Beowulf "Fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good" -Beowulf (Donaldson, 12) The passage that I analyzed spans the action when Beowulf returns to the halls of Heorot after a harsh battle with Grendel’s mother. He returns to king Hrothgar in the great hall of Heorot to say that he has successfully completed his boast and killed Grendel’s mother. Beowulf states that it has been a very difficult underwater battle and that he has barely escaped with his life, â€Å"The fight would have been ended straightway if God had not guarded me† (Donaldson, 29). Beowulf mentions this due to the fact that the sword given to him by Unferth, called Hrunting, was powerless against Grendel’s Mother. Hrunting is useless against Grendel’s mother due to the fact that she has the same charm upon her as Grendel did, which is that no normal sword can pierce her skin. Then, by chance, Beowulf finds an ancient sword on a wall during the battle and uses it against the monster. This sword, which was crafted by the giants, is able to pierce th e monster's skin and after one swing, the monster was cut in half. After using this ancient sword to murder the monster, Beowulf watches the blade of the sword melt away due to the toxicity of the monster's blood, until only the hilt was left. A hilt is the handle of a weapon or tool. The hilt is decorated with runic symbols and was given to King Hrothgar of the Danes as proof of Beowulf’s exploits. The King is also given the severed head of Grendel as further reassurance that their troubles at the great hall of Heorot is over. Hrothgar then tells Beowulf, â€Å"Lo, this may one say who works truth and right for the folk, recalls all things far distant, an old guardian of ... ...th for his murders. Beowulf, who is also responsible for the killing of Grendel, is killed as well. The dragon and the trolls, as well as Beowulf, are responsible for their actions. They are all killed: â€Å"He would repay Grendel for the many attacks he made on the West-Danes . . . devouring Danish† (Donaldson 28). This is another example of â€Å"wergild† being applied. Wergild was a part of the warrior code. After the death of Aeschere, Hrothgar’s great advisor and friend, Beowulf says to his lord, â€Å"Sorrow not, wise warrior. It is better to avenge his friend than much mourn† (Donaldson 25). Beowulf was composed during the most noble of times and we enjoy it for what it is. The greatest treasure Beowulf has to offer us is the escape from our reality into our history. Work Cited Donaldson, E. Talbot. Beowulf. Ed. Nicholas Howe. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2002.