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as a fighter. They illustrate Beowulf attacking back, instead of bowing out. Conversely, "useless" and "tossed" assert Beowulf's confidence in relinquishing Hrunting. In this passage, the arm motif reappears, symbolizing Beowulf's heroic strength. However, in this battle, relying solely on arm strength becomes more of a challenge. After Beowulf attacks Grendel's mother with his body, she tears back at him. When he notices another sword hanging on her wall, he seizes it and "[lifts] it high over his head/ And [strikes] with all the strength he [has]" (640-641). However, this sword is not an ordinary sword; it is not one an ordinary man can simply clutch onto for protection. In this instance, the sword echoes Beowulf's arm strength. In order to lift the sword, he must rely on his inner strength to exert force into his arm. Through the phrase "[strikes] with all the strength he has," the poet indicates that Beowulf's strength continues through the sword. The sword serves as a mere helping mechanism; Beowulf does not draw his power from it. In the battle between Grendel's mother and Beowulf, the sword and arm motifs intertwine more, making the symbolic significance of the arm appear less obvious. Initially, the arm serves as a concrete symbol of Beowulf's unfaltering power, but when Grendel's mother lashes back, it appears to refute the infallibility of the arm. However, Beowulf uses his powerful arms to strike with a massive sword, illustrating that while a hero must possess inner strength, swords can also be a source of power. Beowulf uses the battle with Grendel's mother to illustrate how material objects can serve as helping mechanisms if one does not rely on them as a hearth of power. The sword is powerful only when one's arm wields it. Thus, the poet suggests that one must acquire power from within himself to use the sword effectively. Material objects that not bolstered by one's inner strength become useless.

Not only does the final battle between Beowulf and the Dragon illuminates the disparity between the power of the sword and the power of the arm, but this battle introduces another theme highlighted by the arm and sword. This battle suggests that the eventually both the sword and arm both die and hero's quest must be abandoned or aided by other men. Beowulf's elderly presence gives him no shame in using armor and sword. However when he pierces the dragon with his sword, "The ancient blade [breaks, bites] into/ The monster's skin, [draws] blood, but [cracks]/

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