Beowulf arrives at King Hrothgar’s because he has heard about their
problems with the monster Grendal. Beowulf’s epic warrior reputation precedes him
which poses a threat, literally and figuratively, to Unferth’s previously-undisputed place
in Hrothgar’s hierarchy of being sort of a bard or soothsayer (line 499). Unferth is
envious, or shall we say jealous, of Beowulf’s reputation for bravery. Beowulf has
offered to slay Grendal, something Unferth has not been able to do.
Unferth challenges Beowulf (line 506) and brings up a long-ago story in front of
everyone about Beowulf’s swimming contest with someone named Breca. For all to hear,
Unferth tries to discredit Beowulf to all who would listen that Beowulf lost. Unferth
further tries to discredit Beowulf by predicting Beowulf will lose if he goes after Grendal.
Not to get into the mud slinging, Beowulf answers Unferth by bragging he is the
strongest swimmer, and he tells the same tale only he won under extreme circumstances.
Beowulf says no one has ever matched his prowess and he says he has never heard
anything close to that about Unferth, except that he heard that Unferth killed his own
brothers. Unferth is silent after that.
It is after Beowulf kills Grendal that Unferth seems to have a change of heart.
After Beowulf hangs Grendal’s arm over the door, “No man was more silent than
Ecglaf’s son” (lines 980-984). As Beowulf prepares to do battle with Grendal’s mother, Unferth presents the sword Hrunting to him which appears to everyone to be a sincere
gesture to make amends and he acknowledges that Beowulf is the better fighter. Beowulf
graciously expresses gratitude for the loan, he believes that Unferth is sincere, and says to
the king that if he does not return, his own sword goes to Unferth (lines 1455-1472).
It is not until doing battle with Grendal’s mother that Beowulf realizes he has
been betrayed by the sword Hrunting, loaned to him by Unferth, as it is useless against his
foe. He grabs a magic sword from Grendal’s mother’s hoard of treasure and beheads her
with it. He then takes the same magic sword and cuts off Grendal’s head, whose blood
melts the metal and only the hilt remains. Beowulf carries this hilt back to Hrothgar, who
in turn for his gratitude, bestows upon the victorious hero, many gifts, one of them being
the sword Naegling, which is a family heirloom.
After a night’s celebration of Beowulf’s triumphant killing of Grendal’s mother,
Beowulf returns the sword Hrunting to Unferth, praising Unferth and the sword (even
though it was useless against Grendal’s mother) and expresses gratitude for the loan.
Unferth attempted to set Beowulf up for failure and certain death by loaning him a faulty
sword, however, Beowulf did not discredit Unferth in front of Hrothgar and others.
Without meaning to, Beowulf poses a threat to Unferth’s long-held position with
Hrothgar. Unferth makes personal attacks on Beowulf’s reputation hoping to discredit
Beowulf before he even gets started in his quest to get rid of Grendal. The exchange
between Unferth and Beowulf provides heightened tension to enhance the plot, as if the
man-eating, village-raiding monster isn’t enough! Ungerth’s taunts do the opposite of
what one might think. It ignites Beowulf into action thus glorifying him in Hrothgar’s
eyes, when he kills Grendal and his mother, and saves Hrothgar’s village and people.
