Unferth accuses Beowulf of "wantonly tempting the waves" and risking his life for a "silly boast." Given what Beowulf and the narrator say about Unferth, how is Unferth's comment a reflection back on himself? How does it apply when we think about Grendel? Consider Hrothgar's comments on his men (lines 363-371). Why is it important for him to disparage on Beowulf's actions as being foolhardy?
First of all, be very clear that no one here will do your work for you. If you have specific questions about your assignment, be sure to ask them.
These sites should be helpful; study the sections on the characters(Broken Link Removed)
http://cla.calpoly.edu/~dschwart/engl512/beowulf.html
and
http://lone-star.net/literature/beowulf/
and
http://www.studyguide.org/beowulf.htm
and
http://www.enotes.com/beowulf
Let us know your thoughts; then someone here will be able to help you.
I needed help tying the first question into the second one--like how does the fact that Unferth is jealous of Beowulf apply when thinking about Grendel?
Did you notice this brief description in the third link above?
"Unferth -- rude, unpopular drunkard with a rotten boil; believer in Grendel"
Does Unferth want Beowulf to succeed? Why or why not? How do people often behave when the DON'T want certain other people to succeed in whatever they've set out to do?