The passage I would like to focus on takes place in lines 438-441. This is a small passage but it is evident that the heroic and the Christian mode are present. The context of this passage comes from when Beowulf and the Geats have arrived at Heorot. Beowulf, speaking about his upcoming fight with Grendel, boasts that "hand to hand, is how it will be,"(439-440). Not only is he claiming that he has enough power and strength to defeat Grendel, but he will do so, weaponless, a perfect example of the heroic mode created by many Anglo-Saxons. The confidence in his speech leads you to believe that he will have no problem playing the role of the hero and that he will do it with no faults along the way, even though he knows it will be a "life-and-death"(439) situation. As I suggested earlier, there is not only a heroic mode, but there is also a Christian mode. "Which ever one death fells must deem it a just judgement by God."(440-441). Beowulf is acknowledging God's plan, and accepting that even if he dies, that it was meant to be by the hand of God. He respects the choice God makes no matter the outcome because the Christian mode sees God as the supreme ruler and whatever he says will be carried out.
This passage and the reading as a whole leaves me with a few questions. First, does Beowulf have complete faith in God so much that he will always have his back in battle or does he know that he could fall easily? Does he see himself truly as an invincible being, or does he have some doubts in himself? Is his arrogance a device to hide the little doubt he has?
Joe, great questions there, and questions I think you could begin to answer in your blog response. You do a great job identifying the different modes, and I especially appreciate your specificity and use of quotes with line numbers. While your questions are great for discussion, and certainly ones you could voice, I think you are in the place where you could wrestle with these questions in your blog. What do you think the answer is? Myself, I think Beowulf is much more dependent on his own strength than any deity's be it Christian or pagan. But that is just my own interpretation and I could certainly be wrong. Keep developing your ideas because you are on the right track.
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