Finally, there is yet a third use of dramatic audience in the final fight with the dragon. The poet clearly foreshadows Beowulf's demise, but again there is a shift in perspective, this time to that of the companions. By shifting the focus of the external audience to the desertion scene and the heroism of Wiglaf, the poet builds suspense and introduces an unknown into the narrative of Beowulf's death, despite the inevitability of that death. The significance of Lumiansky's position is that it provides a specific example of a literary technique found in all three of the fight scenes and in both parts of Beowulf . The second thing to consider is the function of the differences.
Variation is as aesthetically important as repetition.
It follows that if the differences between the halves of Beowulf function as variations on a theme, this is evidence of its unity and careful authorship. The textual support for this view is strong. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, the scop chants the lay of Sigemund, in which Beowulf's future is foreshadowed, specifically, his fight with the dragon and his downfall. He forgets the future, unmindful of Fate. The poet has placed too many clues about Beowulf's future for part two to be substantially disparate.