The structure of the Beowulf narrative is difficult to figure out. After reading it, I have decided that the original intend of the poem was to have interlacing stories come together, all adding to the glory of Beowulf's adventures and life. There are so many random names and characters that only show up for a few lines in the poem- this leads me to believe that they had their own songs, their own poems that told of their lives. This makes sense to me because if I were someone living back then when this poem was recited, the poet would speak a name and I'd know their story, and why they were significant to Beowulf's story.
However, with the 'lost in translation' elements which I'm sure there are many, and the effects that Christianity had in warping the poem to fit different beliefs, I feel like I understand this narrative best by thinking of it simply as a three part story about a heroic warrior. The three parts of course being his battle with Grendel, and then Grendel's mother, and finally the dragon.
Trying to figure out the details of what happens in between gives me too much of a headache with all its contradictions and repetitiveness.
However, speaking of contradictions, I still don't FULLY believe that is the correct structure. If it were, then the battles would be the center of the poem, and they definitely are not (in my opinion at least). The battles are somewhat anticlimactic, even the feasts are more detailed than the fights.
Either way, the base of the Beowulf story is a wonderful one. It's become a template for many other stories and plots, I think, and for good reason.
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