Dialectical Journal:


Example: "Beowulf got ready, donned his war-gear, indifferent to death; his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail would soon meet with the menace underwater" -lines 1441-1444

This is showing the way in which Beowulf prepared to meet with his late enemy's mother. It foreshadows that he will be battling underwater.

This  just repeated exactly what the line said.  There is not interpretation here.  One thing you could think about here is how the 1st part of the book there is a motif of water: Shield comes from the sea to set up the Danish dynasty; Shield returns to the sea in his funeral;  Beowulf crosses the sea to confront Grendel and save the Danes; Beowulf recounts his swimming match with Brecca and how he wore armor and carried a sword; Beowulf swims for the better part of a day to meet Grendel's mom; Beowulf leaves Denmark by sea; also Grendel and his Mom live at the bottom of a really deep pond or lake.  Okay what is going on here with water?  What does water symbols?   You could compare this with the 2nd part of the book that deals with EARTH AND FIRE.  Or think about how the Brecca episode links with the Grendel episode.

"Hygelac the Geat. grandson of Swerting, wore this neck-ring on his last raid; at bay under his banner, he defeated the booty, treasure he had won." -lines 1202-1205

Hygalec, who is the king of the Geats at this time is being foreshadowed that he will eventually die wearing this neck-ring that has been given to Beowulf as a prize for defeated Grendel. This shows a link between the past, present, and future; also showing that war is a positive thing if you die, you must go out strong and try your hardest no matter what to fight for your people.
 
This is better.  Note, most of the digressions link past, present and future.  The question is why?  How does this relate to a larger theme?

Also note, the entry says "Hygelac the Geat. grandson of Swerting, wore this neck-ring on his last raid; at bay under his banner, ". Banner here can be connected to the banner in the treasure at the end of the book. How?  Why?  In what way?

"But generally the spear is prompt to retaliate when a prince is killed, no matter how admirable the bride may be." -lines 2029-2031

I think this quote is saying that if someone's kin or someone of power is killed, "the sword" meaning like maybe society or some power will somehow get revenge for their death

This oversimplifies the line.  There is much more going on here.  What about the second half of the quote?



Think about what Beowulf is foreshadowing in this quote and think about the major themes of the book.

27. “After his death Sigemund’s glory grew and grew because of his courage when he killed the dragon, the guardian of the hoard. Under the grey stone he had dared to enter all by himself to face the worst without Fitela.” - lines 885-888.

This section recounts the tale of Sigemund, legendary dragon slayer. He is paralleled by Beowulf later in the book. Both are dragon slayers. Sigmund enters “all by himself… without Fitela.” It would be, I think, a safe guess to assume Fitela is a Pagan god. By emerging victorious without Fitela’s help, it can be inferred that Pagan gods have no influence on the outcome of fate. This is why there are conflicting ideologies of “fate” and “wyrd” in the poem. 

When Beowulf, on the other hand, enters, he attempts to take on the dragon by himself. This is an example of overstepping one’s bounds as a result of too much pride. Perhaps by giving way to the sin of pride and attempting to single-handedly defeat the dragon, Beowulf effectively forsakes God's help in the fight. This, in combination with the desertion of all his retainers but one, proves fatal for the legendary warrior.

This being so would point once more to Beowulf’s reliance on God’s hand in the favor of fate, reinforcing the importance of faith.

 Above is outstanding.


THINGS TO KNOW FOR THE BEOWULF TEST:

Texts: "The Death of Conchobhar", "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr", "The Seafarer", "The Wanderer", "The Battle of Maldoon" and Beowulf

Characters:
Hrothgar
Grendal
Beowulf
Shield Sheafson
Wulfgar
Ecgtheow
Hildeburg
Unferth
Siegmund
Hygelac
Wealtheow
Finn
Hengest
Heremod
Modthyrth
Aeschere
Freawaru
Eofor

SYMBOLS: Heorot, the fiery lake, Grendal, the dragon, Hrunting, the giant's sword, 1-2 others of your choosing.

Allusions: Cain, Christ

Themes: Pride, The Cycle of Violence, The Role of Women, The Role of Kings and Warriors, Christianity vs Paganism, Exile, Wergild and Wyrd, Kin Killing

Define and give 3-4 examples of Litotes, Kenning, Appositive, Flytes, Epic Boasts

Be able to explain the following digressions and how the digression reinforces a major theme and moves the story forward:  The Swedes-Geats Conflict, Sigemund the Dragon Slayer, Hygelac's Raid against the Friscians, Heremod and Modthyrth.

Structures: 3-part structure, 2-part structure, parallelism

You might also want to know the answers to the following questions:

1. Describe Heorot
2. What is important about the descriptions of Shield Sheafson?  What was his childhood like? What was has burial like?
3. Discuss the manner in which Beowulf addresses the sentinel guarding the coast?  What is odd about it?
4. Give two reasons Beowulf comes to Denmark.
5. Why does Grendal attack Heorot?
6. How is Heorot symbolized before Grendal’s coming?
7. How long has Heorot remained empty?
8. What is the significance of Grendal being descended from Cain?
9. Give four examples of Kennings in the story.
10. Give four examples of Alliteration in the story.
11. Discuss wergild and how it has worked so far in the story.
12. Discuss how the following themes have appeared in the story: Loyalty, Reputation, good vs. evil, Christianity vs. Paganism, role of women, role of Kings, role of the Warrior, Beowulf as a anti-war poem.  Give examples of scenes that back up each

14.  How does Beowulf become king?

15.  Who are the Geats sworn enemies?

16.  What are some of Beowulf’s heroic exploits after Grendel and before the dragon?
17.  How does Pride get the best of Beowulf?
18. Which of Hygelac’s sons was killed by his brother?  What theme does this reinforced?
19. How does the role of the warrior vs. the role of the king work in these pages?
20. What purpose does the comparison between Beowulf and Siegmund serve? The comparison between Beowulf and Hermod?
21. Why is the story of Finn included just before Welthow appears?
22. Describe the lake.
23. What does Hrothgar warn Beowulf about in his speech?

24.  Why are their ancestors so important to the warriors in Beowulf?

25.   Identify and discuss the Christian influences on the poem.

Remember that you have a quiz tomorrow on either "The Seafarer" or "The Wanderer".  Studying for the quiz should help you with the Beowulf Test.