23. "It is a great wonder how Almighty God in His magnificence favours our race with rank and scope and the gift of wisdom; His sway is wide. Sometimes he allows the mind of a man of distinguished birth to follow its bent, grants him fulfillment and felicity on earth and forts to command in his own country." (1724-1731)
Every fate is ordained by God. If a king rules his people well and consistently, it's not necessarily because he's skilled, but because God has allowed his skills to flourish.
24. "Inside Heorot there was nothing but friendship. The Shielding nation was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal." (1016-8)
Most of the time, the "evil" in Beowulf consists of inherently depraved fantastic creatures – demons like Grendel, sea monsters, and dragons. Occasionally, however, we get hints that another kind of evil could come from inter-tribal feuding.
Yes - the inter-tribal feuding with be throughout the text. It's a commentary on the nature of a violent culture. Violence is circular.
ReplyDelete