Unferth is jealous of Beowulf. He is a great lord, yet is unable to kill the monster, Grendel, without outside help from this arrogant young man. With a combination of shame, jealousy and drink, he verbally assaults Beowulf because deep inside he knows Beowulf is the better man.
Unferth challenges Beowulf's reputation by bringing up a swimming contest where Beowulf lost to a childhood friend named Breca. Unferth implies that Beowulf is not as great or heroic as he claims to be, by suggesting that he didn't win the contest fairly.
Unferth challenges Beowulf's reputation by bringing up an incident where Beowulf lost a swimming match to Breca. Unferth questions Beowulf's bravery and boasts about his own abilities, trying to diminish Beowulf's accomplishments. Beowulf responds by defending his honor and recounting his past victories in battle.
Unferth is considered two-faced because his behavior is deceitful and hypocritical. He initially criticizes Beowulf but later assists him in the battle against Grendel. This inconsistency in his actions and words earns him the reputation of being two-faced.
Beowulf is ethical in the way he went to Hrothgar and asked for permission to kill Grendel. Another ways is when he instead of winning the swimming match with Brecca, Beowulf fight the sea monsters and cleans out the seas. A third way Beowulf is ethical is that Beowulf is merciful of Unferth, because Beowulf know that Unferth is drunk when he called Beowulf's victories luck.
Beowulf most definitely braggs, it was part of the custom of the pre-medieval European tribal cultures. As a warrior, bragging is a way of letting other men know his worth. Boasting of deeds he has done and how great he is elevates his apparent glory. In turn it is seen amongst such cultures that other men will contest the value of the deeds. This can be seen in Unferth's (of Hrothgars hall) actions. Unferth does not deny that Beowulf swam in the great swimming race but tries to belittle it as stupid childish risk taking. Beowulf counters by explaining how awesome he was when everything went wrong for him in the race and then derides Unferth by implying he has done nothing to further his own glory but to kill of his own kinsmen (or something like that it's been a while since I've read or listened to Beowulf but I have read 2 translations and listened to an audio version of a third.)
Beowulf also uses his knowledge of Grendel's vulnerability to not be harmed by weapons, as Grendel had bewitched all blades to be ineffective against him. This allowed Beowulf to grapple with Grendel and ultimately rip off his arm, mortally wounding him.
memorize it lazy ---!!! ----------- You are not allowed to say that.
To show that he wasn't immortal
Beowulf was written long before the Danes were Christians and does not reflect Christian values in any way shape or form.
Hrothgar tells Beowulf to not let pride get in the way of being an effective king. However, Beowulf does not listen to his advice. Beowulf's hubris becomes his downfall, which Hrothgar foreshadowed in his speech in the Hall of Heorot."Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. For a brief while your strength is in bloom but it fades quickly..." (1759-1762)For more on Hrothgar's important speech to Beowulf, see the related links section below.
Hrothgar promises Beowulf treasure as a way of showing appreciation and gratitude for Beowulf's heroic deeds in defeating the monster Grendel. This is a common practice in the medieval heroic code where warriors are rewarded for their bravery and accomplishments. The promise of treasure also serves to strengthen the bond between Beowulf and Hrothgar's people.
In the novel Beowulf, the character Beowulf asks for a tower to be made for him because in that time period, it was a symbol of importance and power. By having his own tower, Beowulf would always be remembered as powerful and intimidating.