Beowulf
King hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king Shield Sheafson, enjoys a prosperous and
successful reign. He builds a great mead-hall, called Heorot, where his warriors can gather to drink, receive
gifts from their lord, and listen to stories sung by the scops, or bards. But the jubilant noise from Heorot angers
Grendel, a horrible demon who lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes
every night, killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. The Danes suffer many years of fear, danger,
and death at the hands of Grendel. Eventually, however, a young Geatish warrior named Beowulf hears of
Hrothgar’s plight. Inspired by the challenge, Beowulf sails to Denmark with a small company of men,
determined to defeat Grendel.
Hrothgar, who had once done a great favor for Beowulf’s father Ecgtheow, accepts Beowulf’s offer to fight
Grendel and holds a feast in the hero’s honor. During the feast, an envious Dane named Unferth taunts
Beowulf and accuses him of being unworthy of his reputation. Beowulf responds with a boastful description of
some of his past accomplishments. His confidence cheers the Danish warriors, and the feast lasts merrily into
the night. At last, however, Grendel arrives. Beowulf fights him unarmed, proving himself stronger than the
demon, who is terrified. As Grendel struggles to escape, Beowulf tears the monster’s arm off. Mortally
wounded, Grendel slinks back into the swamp to die. The severed arm is hung high in the mead-hall as a
trophy of victory.
Overjoyed, Hrothgar showers Beowulf with gifts and treasure at a feast in his honor. Songs are sung in praise
of Beowulf, and the celebration lasts late into the night. But another threat is approaching. Grendel’s mother, a
swamp-hag who lives in a desolate lake, comes to Heorot seeking revenge for her son’s death. She murders
Aeschere, one of Hrothgar’s most trusted advisers, before slinking away. To avenge Aeschere’s death, the
company travels to the murky swamp, where Beowulf dives into the water and fights Grendel’s mother in her
underwater lair. He kills her with a sword forged for a giant, then, finding Grendel’s corpse, decapitates it and
brings the head as a prize to Hrothgar. The Danish countryside is now purged of its treacherous monsters.
The Danes are again overjoyed, and Beowulf’s fame spreads across the kingdom. Beowulf departs after a
sorrowful goodbye to Hrothgar, who has treated him like a son. He returns to Geatland, where he and his men
are reunited with their king and queen, Hygelac and Hygd, to whom Beowulf recounts his adventures in
Denmark. Beowulf then hands over most of his treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewards him.
In time, Hygelac is killed in a war against the Shyflings, and, after Hygelac’s son dies, Beowulf ascends to the
throne of the Geats. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to Geatland. When Beowulf is an old
man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound, where a great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure.
Enraged, the dragon emerges from the barrow and begins unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats.
Sensing his own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in
killing the beast, but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him
moments after their encounter. The Geats fear that their enemies will attack them now that Beowulf is dead.
According to Beowulf’s wishes, they burn their departed king’s body on a huge funeral pyre and then bury him
with a massive treasure in a barrow overlooking the sea.
Characters
Beowulf
The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s
mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest,
King hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king Shield Sheafson, enjoys a prosperous and
successful reign. He builds a great mead-hall, called Heorot, where his warriors can gather to drink, receive
gifts from their lord, and listen to stories sung by the scops, or bards. But the jubilant noise from Heorot angers
Grendel, a horrible demon who lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes
every night, killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. The Danes suffer many years of fear, danger,
and death at the hands of Grendel. Eventually, however, a young Geatish warrior named Beowulf hears of
Hrothgar’s plight. Inspired by the challenge, Beowulf sails to Denmark with a small company of men,
determined to defeat Grendel.
Hrothgar, who had once done a great favor for Beowulf’s father Ecgtheow, accepts Beowulf’s offer to fight
Grendel and holds a feast in the hero’s honor. During the feast, an envious Dane named Unferth taunts
Beowulf and accuses him of being unworthy of his reputation. Beowulf responds with a boastful description of
some of his past accomplishments. His confidence cheers the Danish warriors, and the feast lasts merrily into
the night. At last, however, Grendel arrives. Beowulf fights him unarmed, proving himself stronger than the
demon, who is terrified. As Grendel struggles to escape, Beowulf tears the monster’s arm off. Mortally
wounded, Grendel slinks back into the swamp to die. The severed arm is hung high in the mead-hall as a
trophy of victory.
Overjoyed, Hrothgar showers Beowulf with gifts and treasure at a feast in his honor. Songs are sung in praise
of Beowulf, and the celebration lasts late into the night. But another threat is approaching. Grendel’s mother, a
swamp-hag who lives in a desolate lake, comes to Heorot seeking revenge for her son’s death. She murders
Aeschere, one of Hrothgar’s most trusted advisers, before slinking away. To avenge Aeschere’s death, the
company travels to the murky swamp, where Beowulf dives into the water and fights Grendel’s mother in her
underwater lair. He kills her with a sword forged for a giant, then, finding Grendel’s corpse, decapitates it and
brings the head as a prize to Hrothgar. The Danish countryside is now purged of its treacherous monsters.
The Danes are again overjoyed, and Beowulf’s fame spreads across the kingdom. Beowulf departs after a
sorrowful goodbye to Hrothgar, who has treated him like a son. He returns to Geatland, where he and his men
are reunited with their king and queen, Hygelac and Hygd, to whom Beowulf recounts his adventures in
Denmark. Beowulf then hands over most of his treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewards him.
In time, Hygelac is killed in a war against the Shyflings, and, after Hygelac’s son dies, Beowulf ascends to the
throne of the Geats. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to Geatland. When Beowulf is an old
man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound, where a great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure.
Enraged, the dragon emerges from the barrow and begins unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats.
Sensing his own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in
killing the beast, but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him
moments after their encounter. The Geats fear that their enemies will attack them now that Beowulf is dead.
According to Beowulf’s wishes, they burn their departed king’s body on a huge funeral pyre and then bury him
with a massive treasure in a barrow overlooking the sea.
Characters
Beowulf
The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s
mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest,
