The interactions of Beowulf’s characters allow readers to dig deeper into the
specific role each character plays and why first impressions can often be misleading. By
analyzing male-male interactions and male-female interactions, I am able to assess
various characters’ feelings toward Beowulf.
Interactions can be verbal, using dialogue, or nonverbal, using only the poet’s
narration to describe the characters’ relationship. Obviously, verbal interactions are easier
to analyze because both characters are able to speak their minds and give us a glimpse of
their intentions. On the outside, characters who challenge Beowulf, like Unferth, seem
villainous, but there are underlying reasons for the appearance of hostility. Readers are
also able to see female characters who are typically considered weak in a completely
different context. They are subtly powerful and are keenly aware, attuned to the needs of
their respective kingdoms. Without an analysis of these and other interactions, characters
like Unferth and Grendel’s mother are misunderstood and quickly stereotyped.