The closer analysis of an ambiguous passage shows Unferth’s motivation for his verbal attack on Beowulf to be the cause of honour in general, not his own honour. He is not envious but disappointed at the rhetorical weakness of the hero’s first promise to kill Grendel. Unferth’s taunting words create a rhetorical opening for Beowulf and have as objective the raising of his emotional level and the strengthening of his public commitment to effective action. Implications of this interpretation for the understanding of the name Unferth and of the function of the court officer, þyle, are explored.

中文翻译：

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修辞胁迫与英雄承诺：贝奥武夫在赫罗特的招待会

对一段模棱两可的段落进行更仔细的分析表明，恩弗斯对贝奥武夫进行口头攻击的动机是为了获得一般的荣誉，而不是他自己的荣誉。他不是嫉妒，而是对英雄第一个杀死格伦德尔的承诺在言辞上的弱点感到失望。Unferth 的嘲讽为 Beowulf 创造了一个修辞开场，客观上提高了他的情绪水平，并加强了他对有效行动的公开承诺。探讨了这种解释对理解 Unferth 名称和法院官员 þyle 职能的影响。