Journal 3

The epic closes on a somber, elegiac note—a note of mourning. What words or images contribute to this tone?

The epic closes on a somber, elegiac note. The end of the Beowulf Epic ends with pride, sadness, and the inspiration that Beowulf gave his people. There are several statements that some the mourning of what’s about to happen with Beowulf. The mourning began when Wiglaf found Beowulf bleeding to death. Knowing that his death was coming Beowulf gazed sadly at the gold and gave his final wishes. After he dies, the past memories of Beowulf and how he risked his life to make a community a better pace to live in starts to come back. He gave the opportunity to his community to hope again and not live in fear. He was one of the earliest heroes to be created in English literature and his story is the foundation of all the heroic stories created today. He sacrificed his own life and happiness for the people. He gave meaning to the true definition of what heroic means.