In the story, it was the time of the Night or Rebirth when all creatures diet. The moon changes from young and beautiful(she was described as mesmerizing and luminescent) to old and weak(she became a sprinkle of sparkling dust, or the title "embers of moonlight" itself)
Hrothgar felt a strong and unending sorrow that he had no power to overcome. It affected both him and his subjects.
Mark Antony describes Brutus as "the noblest Roman of them all" because Brutus is the only conspirator who acted for the good of Rome, rather than out of jealousy, bitterness, or a thirst for power.
In a standard dictionary, you can find the key to pronunciation marks in an appendix.
