Beowulf Question?

Question

In the story "Beowulf", in the beggining, when it says "...A powerful monster, living down In the darkness, groled in pain, impatient As day after day the music rang Loud in that hall" does it mean that the loud music that they were playing in the hall was what was causing the monster pain, or was the monster already in pain? I guess what I am trying to ask is: Is the loud music in the hall what caused the monster to come up and attack?

Answer 1

No, it wasn't the music that drove the monster's pain--it was the revelry.

Answer 2

This question is a rib tickler. I thought about it and having read the book many many years ago I thought upon it and then transferred it to an everyday situation. How would I feel if the people upstairs were playing heavy metal all the time. I would be howling in pain too and go up there like a bear with a sore head and abuse someone, sure. So I say they were the reason he was howling and in pain.

Answer 3

Contemporry opinion holds the view that the Vikings were playing heavy metal and turned the volume on the amplifiers up too high.

NB: I am not convinced, I never believed that the Vikings ever played the guitar. What musical instruments did the Vikings have?

Answer 4

I don't think the music has anything to do with it. I do believe the music stands for his anger each days passing. What monster isnt in pain by the way.

Answer 5

The previous answerers are correct. It was not the music itself, but the joy and revelry that produced the music. Because of his dark, evil heart, Grendel couldn't take the music and what it respresented, and decided to end it with his attack.

Answer 6

He wasnt angered by the music, he was already angry and the music was mocking him.