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A Royal Mess// Haylee Lynd

     Did anyone else notice the rather juicy subplot that's foreshadowed in the story? While I am unsure of whether it actually occurs within the epic as I cannot recall, it appears that Hrothulf, King Hrothgar's nephew is going to usurp the throne from Hrothgar's eldest son, his rightful heir. Just to refresh your memory of the characters:

Hrothgar is king of the Danes.

Hrothulf is Hrothgar's nephew. 

Hrethric is Hrothgar's eldest son.

Hrothmund is Hrothgar's second son.

Wealhtheow is Hrothgar's wife, the queen.

The epic foreshadows a lot. In fact, it almost foreshadows everything. Thus, when the text states, "...and Wealhtheow came to sit...between two good me, / uncle and nephew, each one of whom still trusted the other..." I know almost for certain that something is going to happen between the two men(1161-1164). The uncle is Hrothgar and the nephew is Hrothulf. After this statement is made, Wealhtheow gives a speech in which she advises Hrothgar to retire while he may and give his kingdom to is kin. Then she exclaims, "I am certain of Hrothulf. / He is noble and will use the young ones well. / He will not let you down. Should you die before him, / he will treat out children truly and fairly. / He will honor, I am sure, our two sons..." (1179-1183).  It appears that Hrothgar's two sons are not yet old enough to take the throne if Hrothgar were to die, so Hrothulf would take the throne. Wealhtheow's overconfidence in Hrothulf gives me a sense that he is not going to treat her two sons very well. It appears he is going to betray their family. I say this with the knowledge that the epic foreshadows everything. For example, they praise and praise their relief from Grendel but then have to deal with his mother. In addition, this speech comes after a story told about treachery, so it only feels right that it occur in their lives.

P.S. I commented on Hailey Morgan's and Rachel's post.

Comments

  1. Ian BlairFebruary 23, 2021 at 7:54 AM

    Oooh I like a good theory, especially one that leans more on the dramatic side of things once the Grendel/grendel's mother problem is dealt with. Perhaps there is a story out there of what happen in Denmark after Beowulf leaves for the final time? Good deduction nonetheless!

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  2. Emmett BryantMarch 1, 2021 at 4:35 PM

    I am glad someone else noticed it because this being my first time reading through Beowulf, I was almost waiting for some kind of coup d'etat to take place. My favorite narratives have always been the ones that allow the mind to wander and imagine what the other pieces of the story are. It's as if the stories engage me and allow me to contribute.

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