Narrative Disjunctions in Beowulf

Abstract

ABSTRACTBeowulf includes numerous narrative discontinuities. These disjunctions enable the relatively short poem to possess the scope and breadth of an epic. The most obvious of these disjunctions is the abrupt transition between part I of the poem, Beowulf’s youthful deeds, and part II, his heroic death tale. This break, the only disjunction that calls attention to itself, signals a change of genre. Other discontinuities are more subtle, and some can escape the audience’s notice. Hroþulf appears late, and then disappears. A cowardly retainer becomes the trusted messenger. The dragon’s treasure is concealed by the last survivor, and also by ancient kings who curse it. Beowulf’s men do not expect to survive the night in Heorot, and yet they fall asleep. All these disjunctions contribute to the unusual narrative structure, and they serve as guideposts to the concerns of the poet and the meaning of the poem and its parts.