Journal #3

In the story of Beowulf, a young hero is summoned to save the fate of a threatened community. This hero is Beowulf, from the land of the Geats. In the end of the story, Beowulf is killed in the process of defeating a dragon that was terrorizing the town. After this devastating event, the poem ends in a very somber mood, one of mourning for the death of their king. Many words and images that are present within the last parts of this epic poem reveal this poignant tone. It is said that the “champions in battle, all of them [were] distraught, changing in dirges, mourning his loss as a man and a king” (Heaney 830-831). This statement shows that all of the people that resided in the town, even the champions, were troubled by the event of Beowulf’s death. The poem then says that they “gave thanks for his greatness” (Heaney 834), because Beowulf was a man whom the Danes regarded as “a prince whom [they] held dear” (Heaney 835). Beowulf is described as a man with heroic qualities such as “gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame” (Heaney 841-842). Throughout the ending of this epic poem, the tone of Beowulf is one filled with catastrophe and mourning of the death of Beowulf.