51. "They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame." (3180).
It's a warrior's job to be the keenest to win, not a king's job. So this shows that Beowulf was more greatest as a warrior than a king.
52. "They let the ground keep that ancestral treasure, gold under gravel, gone to earth, as useless to men now as it ever was." (3166-3169).
Beowulf thought he was leaving his people with all this gold and that the nation would survive because of it, but he is instead buried with it, so the gold is useful to no one.
53. "A Geat woman too sang out in grief; with hair bound up, she unburdened herself of her worst fears, a wild litany of nightmare and lament; her nation invaded, enemies on the rampage, bodies in piles, slavery and abasement. Heaven swallowed the smoke." (3150-3155).
Women and children go through the aftermath of war. They become slaves to the other nation.
54. "...but the raven winging darkly over the doomed will have news, tidings for eagle of how he hoked and ate, how the wolf and he made short work of the dead." (3028-3030).
Raven, eagle, and wolf are all symbols of doom.
55. "...once princes from beyond get tidings of how you turned and fled and disgraced yourselves. A warrior will sooner die than live a life of shame." (2888-2890).
Once other nations hear of Beowulf's death, the Geat nation will die off. If they didn't defeat the dragon, the Geat nation would survive.
Good. Now start to think about what essays you want to write, and then start outlining and writing them.
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