In Beowulf's speech to Hrothgar (1383-1396) Beowulf reprimands the King for his fears, and reminds him of the heroic code by which they lead their lives. For the first time Beowulf snaps at the Hrothgar, harsher than I believe was necessary: "Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.""(1395-96) Did Beowulf scolds Hrothgar because Hrothgar voiced Beowulf's innermost fears and misgivings? Is that why Beowulf dared to lash out at a king? Could Beowulf be doubting himself, is he apprehensive about tempting fate a second time? I think that Hrothgar unknowingly voiced Beowulf's fears and doubts, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Beowulf's ultimate demise.
This excerpt is pivotal, I thought, to the direction that the tale took from this point forward. I think Beowulf resented Hrothgar for saying what he dared not, this is the point in the story that Beowulf faced his own mortality and rejected it. Until Grendel Beowulf remained undefeated, and Grendel was his greatest challenge, so once he was "dead- Beowulf and the rest of Heorot were lulled into a false sense of security. .
Enter Grendel's mother, who attacks Heorot to avenge her son. For many reasons there's something wrong with this picture: first, it isn't typical for women to be brutal fighters, since they're typically nurturers, and second she doesn't fight like a woman should, women are usually sneaky and use poison. When she arrives at Heorot, which is virtually unprotected, instead of going on a mad bloody killing spree, she kills just one man. For all I know he's the only one she intended to kill; a life for a life, and I can't know for certain because the author never wrote from her point of view. .
Thirdly, is Grendel's mother, a monster kin to Cain, following the honor code? According to the honor code the death of a family member must be avenged. Now there is a permeable boundary line between right and wrong.
