The lines show the bravery of Beowulf which characterizes his qualities as a warrior. Beowulf wants a permission from his king to fight with the monster named Grendel. He claims that he is not afraid of that monster although he is horrific and dangerous. Beowulf praises his strength and claims that it is going to be a great advantage in the battle with Grendel.
In the pages 141-175, Beowulf had shown his objective to slay Grendel. Beowulf may have been fatherless in an early, but he had developed to be a brave warrior. He was also arrogant and had shown off that he can kill any creatures, even the ones that appeared to be impossible to defeat.