BEOWULF READING NOTES

• As confusing as the epic poem was, even in modern English version, one point was very clear: It was a very old epic story of a king, his height of prosperity, his son, and his death and burial.
• The poem not only describes the story of a respected and honored king, but also the importance of gaining that respect through bravery, kindness and earning the people's trust.
• Considering it to be one of the oldest poems, it contains a lot of drama and fiction. The king of Danes, Hrothgar, is brought to his defeat not by killing him physically but emotionally - creating fear for him in the hearts of his people.
• "Strangers were a potential for danger in Anglo-Saxon times." This just reminded me of Stranger-Danger that our parents teach us in our younger years. It is amazing to know how the perspective of strangers and protection against them had been introduced in such an earlier time period.
• "Their leader appears to him (Hrothgar) a very strong warrior." This phrase could go against the statement described earlier about strangers based on who and how interprets it. The word "appears" could indicate that Hrothgar was not aware of how good a warrior Beowulf was but because he himself was desperate, he made a decision that Beowulf "appears" to be a "strong warrior."
• Beowulf assisting Hrothgar in his war against Grendel is similar to what countries do a lot nowadays - become allies. And that's exactly what Beowulf (Geats) was to Hrothgar (Danes).
• It is also one of the typical hero epic, where the hero is faced with multiple problems. Like with Beowulf, he had to face the sea, the whale, had to swim and stay alive and protect his tribe.
• Beowulf's characteristics can inspire any individual in any time period because although he knew his life was at risk because of the battle with Grendel, he was determined, courageous, and committed to go through it and that too without weapons. People can learn from this to face their problems rather than run away from them.