Secondo Compito di Inglese

II quadrimestre

Beowulf and Grendel: the fight – The Analysis

Version with teacher’s corrections

The extract is taken from the epic poem Beowulf. The narrative text is divided into three paragraphs. It deals with the fight between Beowulf, the protagonist, and Grendel, the monster. The intelligent reader must remember that the extract is a contemporary revision of the poem, that was originally written in Old English (a German dialect).

Section one is interesting to bring to surface the narrative strategy adopted by the narrator to describe Grendel and his attack. He is voracious, immediate, fast, strong and last but not least greedy. All this is suggested by the language used. The composer wants to underline how voracious the monster is by describing the attack in it’s its details. From how he grabbed the man, bit him into his bone-lappings, ate him and left his body utterly lifeless. All the attack is marked by the repetition of the alliterative sound –b (bone-lappings, bolted, blood, body). But, also in this the same paragraph the narrator wants the intelligent reader to understand the prominent position that Beowulf has. He is powerful and to him are attributed superman powers the powers of a hero. He will survive where others won’t and he has the strenght strength to defeat the voracious monster. He is a true hero. When Grendel and Beowulf meet from the hero’s handgrip, the monster understands immediately [from the hero’s handgrip] how powerful he is, and he’s intimidated from him (-every bone in his body quailed and coiled).

Section two is interesting to bring to surface the narrative strategy adopted by the narrator to describe Beowulf’s warriors and their battle against the monster. The warriors are courageous and loyal, two important values in the Anglo-Saxon society. Characteristics that are suggested by the language used. The narrator wants to underline not only their loyalty towards their lord but also the fact that they were going towards a demon who could have only been defeated from by Beowulf, the protagonist. The intelligent reader can notice this from expressions like – no blade on earth, - no blacksmith’s art could ever damage their demon opponent. All is even more marked from by the use of the word “ever”, which stands implies that no one could never ever defeat him with those human weapons.

The third and last paragraph is interesting to bring to the surface the narrative strategy adopted by the narrator to describe Grendel’s death and Beowulf’s victory. The demon opponent has been defeated and the composer wants to underline this the deed by describing the monster’s tremendous wound of his shoulder, his split sinews and his burst bone-lappings. The narrator talks tells of Beowulf’s victory as if it was were something that had been gifted to him for his strength.

Revised Version

The extract is taken from the epic poem Beowulf. The narrative text is divided into three paragraphs. It deals with the fight between Beowulf, the protagonist, and Grendel, the monster. The intelligent reader must remember that the extract is a contemporary revision of the poem that was originally written in Old English (a German dialect).

Section one is interesting to bring to surface the narrative strategy adopted by the narrator to describe Grendel and his attack. He is voracious, immediate, fast, strong and last but not least greedy. All this is suggested by the language used. The composer wants to underline how voracious the monster is by describing the attack in its details. From how he grabbed the man, bit him into his bone-lappings, ate him and left his body utterly lifeless. All the attack is marked by the repetition of the alliterative sound –b (bone-lappings, bolted, blood, body). But, also in this the same paragraph the narrator wants the intelligent reader to understand the prominent position that Beowulf has. He is powerful and to him are attributed the powers of a hero. He will survive where others won’t and he has the strength to defeat the voracious monster. He is a true hero. When Grendel and Beowulf meet, from the hero’s handgrip the monster understands immediately how powerful he is, and he’s intimidated from him (-every bone in his body quailed and coiled).

Section two is interesting to bring to surface the narrative strategy adopted by the narrator to describe Beowulf’s warriors and their battle against the monster. The warriors are courageous and loyal, two important values in the Anglo-Saxon society. Characteristics that are suggested by the language used. The narrator wants to underline not only their loyalty towards their lord but also the fact that they were going towards a demon who could have only been defeated by Beowulf, the protagonist. The intelligent reader can notice this from expressions like – no blade on earth, - no blacksmith’s art could ever damage their demon opponent. All is even more marked by the use of the word “ever”, which implies that no one could ever defeat him with those human weapons.

The third and last paragraph is interesting to bring to surface the narrative strategy adopted by the narrator to describe Grendel’s death and Beowulf’s victory. The demon opponent has been defeated and the composer wants to underline the deed by describing the monster’s tremendous wound of his shoulder, his split sinews and his burst bone-lappings. The narrator tells of Beowulf’s victory as if it were something that had been gifted to him for his strength.

By = complemento d’agente e di causa efficiente.