Apart from the narrator, three voices have the last say about the death of Beowulf.
Wiglaf is still trying to revive the old king with water a third time when the other ten warriors come back, probably drawn by the silence to peek over the hill and see if the dragon is dead or alive. Wiglaf repeats his previous sentiments: when Beowulf gave out war-gear to you, he just threw it away. No one stood by him when he needed it, and he himself, a young man, was barely able to help enough to kill the dragon. Wiglaf’s speech makes clear that the warriors all knew that when the king needed them, his instructions to stay back were not supposed to be followed. Given the dual duty to support and to obey, obeying was a lesser duty to giving him defensive support.
Wiglaf commands a messenger, perhaps one of the shame-faced warriors, to go and tell the rest of the earls, who have stayed back even further. The messenger’s speech is largely covered in the following section, as it deals with Geatish political matters. His meaning is clear, however: the death of the king is nothing short of disaster to the people. A modern audience, accustomed to smooth changes of power, would wonder why. But Beowulf is leaving no firm power structure behind him, since he has no son. Wiglaf is clearly very young, perhaps too young to rule, and while his status as dragon-slayer may help him, in the end he may not have either the solidly loyal support or the actual fighting prowess to carry it off. If another earl begins to rule, then there may be divisions and rivalries until his dynasty is established (meaning that he’s killed or driven off rivals).
In the meantime, enemies all about will want to take advantage of this weakness. Very likely, the Geatish nation has not been growing in importance; they have depended on the personal strength of Beowulf. With him gone, they face a future with no certainties but those of war on every side.
The messenger’s second theme is the plan for the funeral. Beowulf will be burned, of course, as befits a noble warrior. But with him will go most or all of the dragon-hoard, indirectly the cause of his death. Beowulf had intended the treasure for his people, but the messenger here expresses what may be a universal sentiment, that they cannot bear to own and wear these things. The messenger even implies that they would do best to put all of their gold, the things they already own, into the fire with the king. After all, what awaits them but slavery for the women and death for the men? His last image is grim, as the raven, eagle and wolf divide the Geatish corpses in shares.
The assembled Geatish earls return to the scene of battle, and it is all as we left it, only now we see it through their eyes. Beowulf, mangled, blackened, and pale, covered with blood, is propped against a wall. The dragon lies as he fell, hacked and twisted. There is a hasty pile of treasures next to the old king, and Wiglaf still sits nearby. Wiglaf explains what happened and begins to give directions. It is possible that Wiglaf’s clear ownership of Beowulf’s war-gear, in addition to his near kinship, has indicated to them that he is the heir apparent. As young as he is, he tells them what to do, and how to carry out treasures and build the king’s pyre. He appoints the ones to go into the barrow, and he sets others busy finding dry wood. Some of the treasure will be burnt with Beowulf, and some will be piled into his new barrow.
The last voices speaking about the death of Beowulf are those of an old woman and twelve earls. The old woman stands up as the flames leap up to consume the king’s body, singing a song of lament about the coming defeat of their people. After the flames die out and the barrow is built, twelve noble earls ride slowly in a circle around it and sing a song of lament. They praise Beowulf’s deeds over his lifetime. Beowulf’s final epitaph is not, as he predicted, that he refrained from killing his kinsmen, but that he was gentle and kind, and earnestly seeking for fame. To yearn for fame was a good thing; it didn’t mean wanting “fifteen minutes of fame” in a cheap way, it meant wanting to be so great that fame would come. Beowulf wanted to be praised and tried hard to be the kind of man that would merit it.