Final answer:
The expression about Beowulf's men trying to open a path for his evil soul suggests efforts to guide his soul to the afterlife, reflecting beliefs of the culture about posthumous honor and the soul's journey.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the speaker in the passage from “Beowulf” states that Beowulf's men are “trying to open / A path for his evil soul”, it can be interpreted as the men attempting to assist Beowulf's soul in finding its way after death. Given the context of the time and the poem's themes, this could mean guiding his soul to an afterlife, possibly by avenging his death or through prayer and rituals to ensure his soul does not remain restless or turn malevolent. This line evokes the idea that actions in life, and the honor of one's death, were believed to affect the soul's journey in the hereafter according to the beliefs of the culture depicted in the epic.