Question

2. Short-response prompt (15 points)
Read the following excerpt from Beowulf.

Far off in his homeland Hygelac's thane,
good man of the Geats, heard about Grendel;
he was the strongest of all living men
at that time in this world,
noble and huge. He ordered made ready
a good wave-rider, announced he would seek
the warrior-king, famous ruler,
across the swan's riding, since he needed men.
Against that journey all sensible men
said not a word, though he was dear to them,
but encouraged such heart, observed the omens.
The mighty man had carefully chosen
from tribes of the Geats champions, battlers,
the best he could find, the acknowledged brave.
A group of fifteen he led to his ship;
the sea-skilled man marched down to the shore.

Select two words from this excerpt that have strong connotations. Explain the connotative meanings of each of these words. Then analyze how the words contribute to the reader’s understanding of Beowulf and his army. Be sure to use specific details from the excerpt to support your ideas.

Answer 1

The word "mighty" has a strong connotation about Beowulf. It is a connotative word because it relates to the context. Without the context, it wouldn't be clear what it actually means. In this case, it means that Beowulf is known to be brave and widely honored. The word "sensible" has a strong connotation about Beowulf's chosen warriors. It means that they are afraid of the journey's outcome, but they nevertheless keep their opinions to themselves. They kept silent "though he was dear to them" - although they anticipate that something bad might happen.