GROUP 5

Grade 10-Einstein

BEOWULF
I. Setting
Beowulf is set in Scandinavia, sometime around the year 500 A.D, in the
territories of two tribal groups, the Geats and the Scyldings, who really
existed and really lived in those areas during the period of the poem.
Setting (Time) · The main action of the story is set around 500 a.d.; the
narrative also recounts historical events that happened much earlier.
Setting (Place) · Denmark and Geatland (a region in what is now southern
Sweden)
II. Characters
Principal 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, ablest warrior around. In his youth, he personifies all of the
best values of the heroic culture. In his old age, he proves a wise and
effective ruler.
 King Hrothgar - The king of the Danes. Hrothgar enjoys military success
and prosperity until Grendel terrorizes his realm. A wise and aged ruler,
Hrothgar represents a different kind of leadership from that exhibited
by the youthful warrior Beowulf. He is a father figure to Beowulf and a
model for the kind of king that Beowulf becomes.
 Grendel - A demon descended from Cain, Grendel preys on Hrothgar’s
warriors in the king’s mead-hall, Heorot. Because his ruthless and
miserable existence is part of the retribution exacted by God for Cain’s
murder of Abel, Grendel fits solidly within the ethos of vengeance that
governs the world of the poem.
 Grendel’s Mother - An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems
to possess fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her
terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance—a
human motivation.
  The Dragon - An ancient, powerful serpent, the dragon guards a horde
of treasure in a hidden mound. Beowulf’s fight with the dragon
constitutes the third and final part of the epic.
Other Danes
 Shield Sheafson - The legendary Danish king from whom Hrothgar is
descended, Shield Sheafson is the mythical founder who inaugurates a
long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish tribe’s highest
values of heroism and leadership. The poem opens with a brief account
of his rise from orphan to warrior-king, concluding, “That was one good
king” (11).
 Beow - The second king listed in the genealogy of Danish rulers with
which the poem begins. Beow is the son of Shield Sheafson and father
of Halfdane. The narrator presents Beow as a gift from God to a people
in need of a leader. He exemplifies the maxim, “Behavior that’s
admired / is the path to power among people everywhere” (24–25).
 Halfdane - The father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, Halga, and an unnamed
daughter who married a king of the Swedes, Halfdane succeeded Beow
as ruler of the Danes.
 Wealhtheow - Hrothgar’s wife, the gracious queen of the Danes.
 Unferth - A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable
or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf.
 Hrethric - Hrothgar’s elder son, Hrethric stands to inherit the Danish
throne, but Hrethric’s older cousin Hrothulf will prevent him from doing
so. Beowulf offers to support the youngster’s prospect of becoming
king by hosting him in Geatland and giving him guidance.
 Hrothmund - The second son of Hrothgar.
 Hrothulf - Hrothgar’s nephew, Hrothulf betrays and usurps his cousin,
Hrethic, the rightful heir to the Danish throne. Hrothulf’s treachery
contrasts with Beowulf’s loyalty to Hygelac in helping his son to the
throne.
 Aeschere - Hrothgar’s trusted adviser.
Other Geats
 Hygelac - Beowulf’s uncle, king of the Geats, and husband of Hygd.
Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark.
  Hygd - Hygelac’s wife, the young, beautiful, and intelligent queen of
the Geats. Hygd is contrasted with Queen Modthryth.
 Wiglaf - A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the
fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away. Wiglaf
adheres to the heroic code better than Beowulf’s other retainers,
thereby proving himself a suitable successor to Beowulf.
 Ecgtheow - Beowulf’s father, Hygelac’s brother-in-law, and Hrothgar’s
friend. Ecgtheow is dead by the time the story begins, but he lives on
through the noble reputation that he made for himself during his life
and in his dutiful son’s remembrances.
 King Hrethel - The Geatish king who took Beowulf in as a ward after the
death of Ecgtheow, Beowulf’s father.
 Breca - Beowulf’s childhood friend, whom he defeated in a swimming
match. Unferth alludes to the story of their contest, and Beowulf then
relates it in detail.
Other Figures Mentioned
 Sigemund - A figure from Norse mythology, famous for slaying a
dragon. Sigemund’s story is told in praise of Beowulf and foreshadows
Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon.
 King Heremod - An evil king of legend. The scop, or bard, at Heorot
discusses King Heremod as a figure who contrasts greatly with
Beowulf.
 Queen Modthryth - A wicked queen of legend who punishes anyone
who looks at her the wrong way. Modthryth’s story is told in order to
contrast her cruelty with Hygd’s gentle and reasonable behavior.
III. Summary
Beowulf is a young warrior in Geatland, who comes to the aid of the
Scyldings. Hrothgar is the Danish king and he and his people have been
terrorized by a monster. Beowulf brings 14 of his finest men with him. He is
returning the favor, Hrothgar sheltered Beowulf's father during a deadly
feud. He also wants enhance his reputation and gather treasure for his king,
Hygelac. The monster, Grendel comes and attacks them, but Beowulf cuts off
his claw and the monster is mortally wounded. The mother of Grendel, not as
strong as her son, but deeply motivated, plans revenge. She sneaks in and
gets her son's claw. Beowulf and the men follow the trail of the mother and
are lead to a dark swamp. Beowulf dives in to find the mother. He tries to
fight her with his sword, but to no avail. He suddenly sees a magical sword
and slices through the neck and spine of the monster, killing her. When the
monster dies, he sees a great treasure, but he leaves it there, only bringing
the head of the monster back with him.
He returns home and ends up becoming king and rules for 50 years. He
has one last battle. This one is with the fiery dragon. He kills the dragon, but
is mortally wounded in the battle and dies.
Beowulf is the longest surviving Anglo-Saxon poems today. It is a literary
masterpiece. To know that a work of literature has lasted for this many years
is remarkable. This poem is considered one of the most important works of
literature today. It is truly one of the most amazing pieces of literature we
have in our use today.
IV. Conflict
The poem essentially consists of three parts. There are three central
conflicts: Grendel’s domination of Heorot Hall; the vengeance of Grendel’s
mother after Grendel is slain; and the rage of the dragon after a thief steals a
treasure that it has been guarding. The poem’s overarching conflict is
between close-knit warrior societies and the various menaces that threaten
their boundaries.
V. Theme
1. Heroic Code
The theme of the heroic code of chivalry is the leading theme of Beowulf. The
honorable behavior and manners have dominated the Anglo-Saxon culture.
Courage, bravery and the will to fight were considered basic norms of that
heroic code. Beowulf sticks to these norms from the very beginning as he
comes across the Danes. He fights against Grendel and kills him after
pledging that he will “settle the outcome in single combat.” These words
resonate again when he goes to find Grendel’s mother. When he is older, he
proves his bravery again when fighting the last enemy, the dragon. He
becomes a dragon slayer but at the cost of his own life. Wiglaf, his young
companion pays tribute to him saying, “vowed you would never let your
name and fame / be dimmed while you lived.” This heroic code lasts until
Beowulf’s death.

2. Good against Evil

Good against evil is another major theme of this classic English epic. Epics
mostly used to demonstrate the themes of good and evil, encouraging future
generations to be virtuous. The good is demonstrated through the characters
of Hrothgar and Beowulf, and the evil can be seen through the three
antagonists Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. Good traits are connected
with the ideas of glory, loyalty, honesty and heroic feats. Hrothgar shows
generosity and fairness in his rule, while Beowulf shows bravery, courage,
and wisdom when fighting Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. Grendel and
his mother’s actions of killing the Danes must be considered evil.
3. Loyalty
The epic of Beowulf demonstrates the true characters of warriors. During the
war and on the battlefield it is crucial for every soldier to be loyal to their
country and comrades. Loyalty is one of the central themes of this epic poem
and also shows through the conflict between two major characters; Unferth
and Beowulf. Beowulf’s loyalty to King Hrothgar is due to the refuge and help
the King extended to his father. Unferth, on the other hand, taunts Beowulf
and proves disloyal companion to the king until he knows the truth. During
the battle with the dragon, Wiglaf proves his loyalty as he stands by Beowulf
throughout the fight against while the other warriors flee the scene in terror.
4. Bravery
Bravery is another element of medieval chivalry and theme of the epic,
Beowulf. Beowulf, himself, is an epitome of bravery and courage as he visits
the Danes and offers his services to King Hrothgar. He displays confidence
when telling the royal guards on the border that his father “was a famous
man.” He further adds, “We come in good faith” to prove his bravery and to
help the king. Then he demonstrates his bravery when fighting Grendel and
also goes under the lake to kill his mother. He finally locks horns with the
dragon despite knowing that these are his last days.
5. Revenge
Revenge can also be considered as one of the major themes of the epic of
Beowulf. Beowulf, though, comes to help the King Hrothgar, he, in fact, wants
to take revenge for the death of the Danes killed by Grendel. Grendel’s killing
spree is also to take revenge because the Danes singing disturbs his peace.
Moreover, Grendel’s mother seeks revenge against them for the brutal death
of her son. Beowulf, in his old age, heads to seek revenge against the dragon
because of its senseless killings. Surprisingly, the dragon’s madness is
revenge for the lost cup. Blind revenge ruled that period and was part of the
medieval culture.
6. Generosity
Generosity is another theme and the life-affirming value shown in Beowulf.
The first sign of generosity comes from the King Hrothgar who gives refuge
to Ecgheow, Beowulf’s father when he is at war with his enemy tribes. Then
Beowulf comes to pay back that generosity by saving the Danes from the
wrath of Grendel and his mother’s vengeance. The queen herself accepts
this generosity of Beowulf and praises him. Beowulf’s rule is also filled with
generous acts of rewarding his thanes. He also proves his love and
generosity by defending the people from the dragon.

7. Hospitality
Hospitality is a minor theme of this epic. King Hrothgar extended his
hospitality to Beowulf’s father and offered him refuge. Beowulf expresses his
gratitude to King Hrothgar as he enjoys his hospitality. His words “Here we
have been welcomed / and thoroughly entertained. You have treated us well”
show his joy. Later, Beowulf also repays the hospitality by putting his life in
danger for King Hrothgar and other Danes when fighting Grendel.
8. Denying Defeat
The epic of Beowulf shows that heroes of the medieval period do not accept
defeat. They are trained to win even at the cost of their own death. Beowulf
wins two battles against Grendel and his mother, and the third victory costs
him his life. Despite his death, he doesn’t display cowardice or retreats while
fighting the dragon. That is why the Geats remember him after his death as
the king “kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.” The defeat is
considered an act of shame during the medieval time. Hence, this is one of
the reasons that denying defeat is minor and yet prominent themes of the
epic.
9. Death
Despite winning fights and battles, heroes face death. Beowulf, too, faces
death during the battle with dragon though he kills it. Beowulf’s death
becomes legendary, as he passes all the responsibility to Wiglaf. However,
during Wiglaf’s era, the kingdom of the Geats sees its end due to the
onslaughts of other tribes and nations. Therefore, death not only means the
end of life but also an end to an era or a kingdom.
10. Ruler’s Obligation
The ruler must keep his people safe and rule justly. The two most important
examples of this theme are King Hrothgar and Beowulf. Both are very
popular among their people. Hrothgar felt obligated to entertain his Danes,
so he builds the mead-hall where all Danes can enjoy and sing. Beowulf took
responsibility for the safety of all the Geats’ tribes for several years. His
obligation to costs his life when he fights the dragon. Hence, rulers at any
periods or position are obligated to protect their people.
VI. Reflection
 The story of Beowulf is clearly an epic of mass proportions. It takes its
readers through an immense journey of great battles with horrific beasts and
also manages to teach about pride and honor. The main character Beowulf
faces many challenges throughout the epic but conquers them in the end,
giving the word "epic hero" its true meaning.
The story tells us about the ventures and heroic exploits of a Geat warrior
and hero named Beowulf. The epic sees him as a real example of a true hero
– valiant, noble, brave and fearless even of death itself.
The story of the hero’s adventure started with the slaying of the evil
demon that killed people in the kingdom of King Hrothgar – Grendel. It was
because of King Hrothgar’s good history with Beowulf’s father that drew
Beowulf toassist the desperate king. As a result, Beowulf did kill Grendel. But
his adventure did not end just like that. Grendel’s mother avenged her son’s
death and attacked King Hrothgar’s kingdom at the time when his soldiers –
which includes Beowulf – was too inebriated. But then, Beowulf followed her
on her cave underneath the lake and killed her as well.
The last adventure which Beowulf undertook happened in Geatland
where a savage dragon was attacking people. At that time, he was the King
of Geatland. Beowulf tracked the dragon’s lair and with the help of his best
mateWiglaf, killed it but on the processhe was gravely wounded as well. To
some versions of the story, Beowulf’s intention of killing the dragon was
merely because of the great treasures that lied within the creature’s lair. But
I tend to oppose because of the obvious fact that he was the king of
Geatland and he had all the treasures he could probably wish to acquire
within his kingdom. His intention was purely because of his honor, pride and
legacy as a real hero to protect his people since it’s his duty to do so. It also
reflects the kind of society the epic was created. When we go through the
rich history of the Anglo Saxon period, the time could be described as very
crucial to those people who live in small villages since often, they try to fend
their places from invaders, thus, stories of heroes with their heroic deeds are
a thing to consider in their literature.
When finally Beowulf died, he was given a funeral pyre bounded by
treasures. The pyre just symbolizes Beowulf’s heroism and the honor he had
during his time.