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DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE:
Beowulf's Last Boast
The Wonder-Father wields the fate
Of all mankind and I must move
Beyond this middle-yard. For a hundred
Half-years, I guarded the Geats with Hrunting’s
Blade, the strongest sword. I gored
Grendel, defeated his devil-mother
Who bore him in the dark moors.
They were kin to the giants who ruled middle-yard
In the long gone days a bad clan.
They lived for man-slaughter until I laid them low
Wrecked their plunder-plans tore their limbs to pieces.
They did not welcome Hrunting’s harm.
Before I ended their blood-thirst, Grendel
Murdered Aeschere and many good Danes.
I came to save our friends in Dane-land
Sailed the swan-road with many thanes.
Hrothgar, the Danes’ king, lost his strength
When too many years in middle-yard
Weakened his weapons stopped his strong spear.
He was a good king. Every man must
Face his fate and welcome a younger
Hearth-companion with hearty arms.
Hrothgar helped my father, Ecglaf
In the old days and when I watched
The burial ship carry my father
Over the whale-road with all his weapons,
Sailing off to Elsewhere until the ship
Was a small gull on the haze-horizon,
I boasted in my mind never to shame
Ecglaf, as he never shamed our kin.
I gave my word to help his friends
Far over the waves and I helped our own
Folk, the Geats a good tribe.
I never killed my kin never failed my father’s
Friends never harmed a hostage, never
Had to pay wergild.
When Ecglaf’s burial ship disappeared
I stood on the sea-cliff alone with my thought-hoard
And boasted not to follow the Swedes, those plunder-swine
Or those war-wolves the battle-hungry Heatho-bards
Always taking treasure sailing their ships
Only to capture women to pillage the mead-halls
Of peaceful tribes. I protected the women
Of the Geats and the Danes honored their queens
Never used the strength of my arms to hound
The weak and those who bore the burden of many half-years.
This was the Wonder-father’s will and I can boast now
That I was a hostage only to him.
Last night in the mead-hall with Wiglaf and the young thanes
I boasted before the women to kill the dragon.
He woke from his long sleep, discovered
His treasure plundered. Flaming with fury
He scorched the crops and the folk-farms
Harmed the honey-hives wreaked havoc
Melted the bone-houses of warriors not ready to die
Caused the Geat people to suffer and starve.
A human stole his treasure, a well-wrought
Cup of gold. It lay in the dragon’s trove
For hundreds of winters as the dragon slept;
His fire-furnace slumbered. It is wrong for a man
To steal another’s treasure. He brought shame
To the Geats, fed the slaughter-wolves
Brought horror back. Singing stopped
In the mead-hall. The Wonder-father
Does not wish this.
But I was the first to boast from the mead-bench
With Wiglaf and the young thanes as the women watched
Shaking with fear as they smelled the stench
Of burning bones heard the hiss of angry wings.
I unlocked the word-hoard “I will kill the dragon.”
I shouted, holding Hrunting high.
I gave courage to Wiglaf of the Waegmundings
To the other young thanes; though terror rattled
Their life-houses, they stood one by one, boasted
Before the women “I will kill the dragon
I will slay him with my strong ash spear
Tear him to pieces with my slaughter-sword
Wrought for my father by skillful smiths.”
We all boasted and a man must never betray his boast
Not break his word to the women.
Tomorrow when the world-candle wrings light from the dream-den
I must face my fate. Though my bone-house has weakened
With the weight of too many winters,
As Hrothgar’s did when I came to save the Danes,
I will breathe bold breaths, hold Hrunting
Until both hands fail stab the dragon deep
In his fire-belly though he burns me
With the power of a funeral pyre.
The wood-workers will build my burial-ship
But first I will deal the dragon’s death-blow
Though I may weaken and need help from Wiglaf
Help from the young thanes wielding old weapons
The ones who will guard the women when I am gone.
I will give up my life-house for the Geat folk
Wiglaf of the Waegmundings will be their good king
A young warden true in his words.
I will sail off to Elsewhere
With Hrunting beside me in my burial-boat
On my last voyage over the gull-waves.
It is my fate to face the fire
The Wonder-father knows I have kept my word.
Of all mankind and I must move
Beyond this middle-yard. For a hundred
Half-years, I guarded the Geats with Hrunting’s
Blade, the strongest sword. I gored
Grendel, defeated his devil-mother
Who bore him in the dark moors.
They were kin to the giants who ruled middle-yard
In the long gone days a bad clan.
They lived for man-slaughter until I laid them low
Wrecked their plunder-plans tore their limbs to pieces.
They did not welcome Hrunting’s harm.
Before I ended their blood-thirst, Grendel
Murdered Aeschere and many good Danes.
I came to save our friends in Dane-land
Sailed the swan-road with many thanes.
Hrothgar, the Danes’ king, lost his strength
When too many years in middle-yard
Weakened his weapons stopped his strong spear.
He was a good king. Every man must
Face his fate and welcome a younger
Hearth-companion with hearty arms.
Hrothgar helped my father, Ecglaf
In the old days and when I watched
The burial ship carry my father
Over the whale-road with all his weapons,
Sailing off to Elsewhere until the ship
Was a small gull on the haze-horizon,
I boasted in my mind never to shame
Ecglaf, as he never shamed our kin.
I gave my word to help his friends
Far over the waves and I helped our own
Folk, the Geats a good tribe.
I never killed my kin never failed my father’s
Friends never harmed a hostage, never
Had to pay wergild.
When Ecglaf’s burial ship disappeared
I stood on the sea-cliff alone with my thought-hoard
And boasted not to follow the Swedes, those plunder-swine
Or those war-wolves the battle-hungry Heatho-bards
Always taking treasure sailing their ships
Only to capture women to pillage the mead-halls
Of peaceful tribes. I protected the women
Of the Geats and the Danes honored their queens
Never used the strength of my arms to hound
The weak and those who bore the burden of many half-years.
This was the Wonder-father’s will and I can boast now
That I was a hostage only to him.
Last night in the mead-hall with Wiglaf and the young thanes
I boasted before the women to kill the dragon.
He woke from his long sleep, discovered
His treasure plundered. Flaming with fury
He scorched the crops and the folk-farms
Harmed the honey-hives wreaked havoc
Melted the bone-houses of warriors not ready to die
Caused the Geat people to suffer and starve.
A human stole his treasure, a well-wrought
Cup of gold. It lay in the dragon’s trove
For hundreds of winters as the dragon slept;
His fire-furnace slumbered. It is wrong for a man
To steal another’s treasure. He brought shame
To the Geats, fed the slaughter-wolves
Brought horror back. Singing stopped
In the mead-hall. The Wonder-father
Does not wish this.
But I was the first to boast from the mead-bench
With Wiglaf and the young thanes as the women watched
Shaking with fear as they smelled the stench
Of burning bones heard the hiss of angry wings.
I unlocked the word-hoard “I will kill the dragon.”
I shouted, holding Hrunting high.
I gave courage to Wiglaf of the Waegmundings
To the other young thanes; though terror rattled
Their life-houses, they stood one by one, boasted
Before the women “I will kill the dragon
I will slay him with my strong ash spear
Tear him to pieces with my slaughter-sword
Wrought for my father by skillful smiths.”
We all boasted and a man must never betray his boast
Not break his word to the women.
Tomorrow when the world-candle wrings light from the dream-den
I must face my fate. Though my bone-house has weakened
With the weight of too many winters,
As Hrothgar’s did when I came to save the Danes,
I will breathe bold breaths, hold Hrunting
Until both hands fail stab the dragon deep
In his fire-belly though he burns me
With the power of a funeral pyre.
The wood-workers will build my burial-ship
But first I will deal the dragon’s death-blow
Though I may weaken and need help from Wiglaf
Help from the young thanes wielding old weapons
The ones who will guard the women when I am gone.
I will give up my life-house for the Geat folk
Wiglaf of the Waegmundings will be their good king
A young warden true in his words.
I will sail off to Elsewhere
With Hrunting beside me in my burial-boat
On my last voyage over the gull-waves.
It is my fate to face the fire
The Wonder-father knows I have kept my word.
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