IX: Unferth Taunts Beowulf explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Pride and Arrogance

  Unferth's taunt stems from jealousy and pride, as he cannot bear that another man might achieve greater glory than he.

• Heroism and Valor

  Beowulf's recounting of his youthful exploits demonstrates his heroic strength and courage, even in the face of deadly sea monsters.

Characters to notice

• Unferth

  Taunts Beowulf about his swimming match with Breca, questioning his strength and predicting failure against Grendel.

• Beowulf

  Defends his honor by recounting the swimming contest with Breca and his victory over sea monsters.

• Ecglaf

  Mentioned as Unferth's father.

Key passages

• “Art thou that Beowulf with Breca did struggle, On the wide sea-currents at swimming contended, Where to humor your pride the ocean ye tried, From vainest vaunting adventured your bodies In care of the waters?”

  Are you the same Beowulf who competed with Breca in a swimming contest on the open sea, where out of pride you risked your lives in the water?

  Unferth accuses Beowulf of acting out of arrogance in the swimming match.

• “Then I ween thou wilt find thee less fortunate issue, Though ever triumphant in onset of battle, A grim grappling, if Grendel thou darest For the space of a night near-by to wait for!”

  I expect you will have less success if you dare to face Grendel in a night-long fight, even though you have always been victorious in battle.

  Unferth predicts Beowulf's defeat against Grendel.

• “My good friend Unferth, sure freely and wildly, Thou fuddled with beer of Breca hast spoken, Hast told of his journey! A fact I allege it, That greater strength in the waters I had then, Ills in the ocean, than any man else had.”

  My friend Unferth, drunk with beer, you have spoken wildly about Breca's journey. I declare that I had greater strength in the water than any other man.

  Beowulf dismisses Unferth's words as drunken nonsense and asserts his own superiority.

• “To the bottom then dragged me, A hateful fiend-scather, seized me and held me, Grim in his grapple: ’twas granted me, nathless, To pierce the monster with the point of my weapon, My obedient blade; battle offcarried The mighty mere-creature by means of my hand-blow.”

  A hateful sea monster dragged me to the bottom and held me in its grip, but I was able to stab it with my sword and kill it with my blow.

  Beowulf describes his victory over a sea creature during the swimming contest.