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Stuart McNair's avatar

Jeremy, thanks for this great post! I wonder if perhaps the revelation of various cycles, both in microcosm and macrocosm, may be enhanced by the natural world as it surrounds and permeates the characters and events of the work. These are characters that live and act within nature, and are affected by weather, the ocean, the sky, and the seasons in ways that may be foreign to people of our era. Perhaps one aspect of the ecological environment prevalent in the work is the change that takes place all around as nature proceeds.

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Kate Wall's avatar

Your comments here really resonated with some of my own thoughts, especially those concerning fate. I interpreted that specific aspect of the book in its own particularity as a sort of "end all" for everyone, but I think you make a very astute observation that once fate is reached by one king/warrior/building/other, there is another waiting to take its place, even if unconsciously. An example of this is the way Wiglaf takes up the mantle of courage and heroism as he stands by Beowulf's side even as Beowulf's cycles (life and hero) come to an end. Great piece!

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