Question

How do the Danes react when Beowulf and his men arrive at the harbor to fight Grendel?

Answer 1

Answer:  

When the men along with Beowulf arrived at the harbor of the Danes-land, the guard questioned them, even suspecting them of being spies.

Explanation:

The epic narrative "Beowulf" revolves around the heroic deeds of Beowulf and his bravery in helping the Danes defeat the menacing monster Grendel and kill him. The poem is one of the oldest tales of epic narration about old-age chivalry, bravery, and heroism.

Chapter IV of the text narrates how Beowulf heard about Grendel terrorizing the Danes and decided to help them. So, he set out with fourteen men and set sail for Hrothgar's kingdom. In "Till twenty and four hours", they reached the Danes-land and immediately set foot to go to the king's court when the guard at the harbor went to meet them. He said, "Who are ye men here, mail-covered warriors / Clad in your corslets, come thus a-driving / A high riding ship o’er the shoals of the waters, / And hither ’neath helmets have hied o’er the ocean?" He questions them, even suspecting them of being "[...] treacherous spies to the land of the Scyldings".

This shows that Beowulf and his men were suspected of coming to spy on the Danes.