Week 11 Reading Diary: Mr. Beowulf

This is a pretty interesting section thus far. Beowulf is seeming to be a force to be reckoned with. He is unappreciated by his counterparts just because he doesn't excel in different actives that they do. Little do they truly realize that his is great in his own right. Some of the pieces that stuck out to me in particular in this story are shown below. Each of these excerpts show his evolution from a young boy to the stage his is at now.

-"As a small boy, Beowulf had shown such strength of body that Hygelac had early named him one of his thanes. So his mother and father gave him up, and young Beowulf went to live with his uncle to learn the arts of war and the handling of ships."

-"As the years slipped by and he grew to manhood, he became more and more sullen in his strength, and his companions dubbed him "The Silent." His movements were clumsy. He tripped over his sword. He broke whatever he touched. The other youths laughed at him for his awkwardness, but in secret they envied the immense spread of his shoulders and the terrible swiftness of his stride when he hunted in the forests."

-"At the feet of the royal couple sat Beowulf, at a table especially prepared for the king's earls. These were the most favored and beloved of all the warriors of Geatsland. But many were the murmurs of jealousy and discontent among the lords when they beheld young Beowulf in such a place of honor."

--From these excerpts, it is clear to see that Beowulf had a gift, that he grew into over time. With that gift, also came jealousy.

 (Picture of Beowulf)

This story is part of the Beowulf unit. Story source: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).