Question

Which character is described in these lines? "but weapons of victory Swords and suchlike he had sworn to dispense with" Beowulf Grendel Hrothgar Higelac

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. This description applies to Beowulf.

At this point in the poem, Beowulf is about to battle Grendel. Because Grendel is charmed such that no human weapon can harm him, Beowulf must do away with "weapons of victory," such as swords. Beowulf goes down to battle Grendel without taking any weapons with him.

Once there, however, he finds the sword forged by giants, which he uses to slay Grendel. Because this sword was not made by human hands, it can be used to kill Grendel.

Answer 2

The lines describe Beowulf. What it means is that Beowulf has chosen to fight Grendel without any weapons. This coincides with the fact that Grendel is immune to weapons.