Beowulf LRJ #1

There are a few values that are present in the first reading of Beowulf. For instance, a man really isn't a man unless he is a warrior. A man has to earn his honor by fighting epic battles, otherwise he is a nobody. This is known because throughout Beowulf, there are many small paragraphs which describe warriors: how merciless they appear and how they prove themselves. " There was a shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes... he would flourish later on as his powers waxed and his worth was proved" (Heney, line 4)
Another value presented in Beowulf is the importance of god and religion. There are many paragraphs which make references to the Bible, such as the story of Cain and Abel. Grendel was said to be evil because he was a monster who was part of Cain's clan. "Grendel was the name of this demon haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain's clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts" (102)
There are many alliterations used in Beowulf. some of the alliterations used are to emphasize
certain details, like when describing Cain as an evil outcast: "Cain got no good from committing
that murder because the Almighty made him anathema and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elves" (109) The repetition of vowels emphasizes how evil Cain is.
There are a few kennings in Beowulf which are used to make important objects seem more important. Grendel is referred to as "the God-cursed brute" (121) which makes him seem truly evil. Also, mead (a drink which most warriors drank in their free time) is referred to as "God-given goods" (72), which emphasizes the importance of mead during that time.