Theme Of Tone In Beowulf

In writing, authors use different types of tone. Tone is an expression of a writer's attitude toward a subject. An author may use specific words or phrases to convey their intended tone. The author of "Beowulf" uses a variety of tone to express their attitude towards certain characters and events. This author's tone adds more depth to the plot and provides entertainment for the reader. The types of tone the author uses in "Beowulf" are sorrow, admiration, and disapproval.

The first type of tone the author uses is sorrow. In the epic poem, the author wrote " At daybreak, with the sun's first light, they saw How well he had worked, and in that gray morning Broke their long feast with tears and laments For the dead"( lines 41-44). The author's use of words such as gray, tears, laments, and dead creates a solemn atmosphere. Similarly, the author's choice of words puts an emphasis on the grief the characters and the author felt. After Grendel's attack, the people of Hrothgar cry out, implying the author feels that this event is sad and emotional. Although the author doesn't personally experience losing someone, he conveys having a heavy heart.

The author wrote "Then old and young rejoiced, turned back from that happy pilgrimage, mounted their hard-hooved horses, high-spirited stallions, and rode them slowly toward Herot again, retelling Beowulf's bravery as they jogged along" ( lines 375-379). Unlike the solemn and depressing tones of the lines stated previously, the tone of these lines is admiring and joyous. When the author used words such as rejoiced, happy, and high-spirited, the author displayed personal joy and pride. Also when the author wrote "retelling Beowulf's bravery", it conveys the pride the author felt because of Beowulf's heroic deeds. The bright atmosphere during this part of the story expresses how the protagonist's achievements can affect the author's