Modes within Beowulf

Within Beowulf, the passage on pages 54-55, starting at line 662 and ending at line 702, is a excellent example of both the shift and combination of Christian and heroic modes throughout the story.

Beowulf becomes both heroic and self-sacrificing as he prepares for his fight with Grendel. He is brave enough to confront Grendel with no armor or weapons, and instead plans to attempt on defeating Grendel with his bare hands. He mentions, however, that it is not just bravery that causes him to do this, but also trust in God, stating “And may the Divine Lord / in His wisdom grant the glory of victory / to whichever side He sees fit” (685-687). It is also mentioned that “the Geat placed complete trust / in his strength of limb and the Lord’s favor” (699-670). Beowulf is willing to risk his life fighting with Grendel but he is also confident in his abilities, which contrasts with the views of King Hrothgar’s men who believe that he is just another warrior who will soon fall prey to Grendel’s power. “None of them expected he would ever see / his homeland again or get back / to his native place and the people who reared him. / They knew too well the way it was before, / how often the Danes had fallen prey / to death in the mead-hall” (691-693).

The narrator then speaks to the reader, confirming Beowulf’s belief that the Lord is on his side. “But the Lord was weaving / a victory on His war-loom for the Weather-Geats. / Through the strength of one they all prevailed; / they would crush their enemy and come through in triumph and gladness. The truth is clear: / Almighty God rules over mankind / and always has.” (696-702). Though these lines are not the thoughts of a character or characters, the use of Christian and heroic modes are still prevalent (Christian in that the entire passage is about God; heroic in that they are hoping for victory in battle) and the omniscient narrator informing us of the outcome of the battle before it happens comes off as a form of divine intervention.

The assignment was to discuss the different shifts between the heroic and Christian modes, but in my opinion it would be more accurate to say that Beowulf combines the two, with the end result being that the main protagonist appears as a soldier sent by God, and the monsters he battles, such as Grendel (a descendent of “Cain’s clan”), represent sin.

1) Has it been stated what the exact setting of the story is? Specifically what part of Europe Heorot is supposedly located?

2) Who did the narrator choose to take so long to introduce Beowulf into the story? We don’t even learn his name until almost line 350.