Garcia, Joyce Nicole T.

3 BSE-English 1
BSEE 36: Survey of English and American Literature

Beowulf
Presenter: Kaye Salvador

Observation

Background and Facts

Beowulf is an Epic Heroic Poem written in an estimated time of the 8th - 10th century.
This poem uses alternative verse as its verse form, and it is composed of 3182 lines. The
language used in this poem was the West Saxon dialect of Old English. For that reason,
Beowulf is the longest epic poem in Old English. This piece is known as the oldest surviving
poem from the age of Old English Literature. In this age, literary pieces were influenced first
by the tradition of Germanic settlers. Although this heroic poem became well known literary
academic piece, its author remains unknown. Regardless of its author’s anonymity, there is
no question that Beowulf became known for reasons.

The original manuscript of the said poem was damaged in a fire in 1731. Although
the original manuscript was no longer available, its beauty did not fade.

Characters
The poem involves the following characters:
● Beowulf - is the protagonist in the poem. He is a great warrior from the land of
Greats. He sailed to Daneland to defeat Grendel.
● Grendel - a monster who is a big threat to the land of Daneland.
● Hrothgar - he is the king of Daneland.
● Grendel’s Mother - a female monster who wants to seek revenge to Beowulf for
killing her son Grendel.
● Great Slave - a slave from the land of Great who encountered a dragon who was
guarding treasures. He stole a golden cup.
● Dragon -he is the guarding treasures. When the dragon saw that someone stole a
golden cup, he killed people from the land of Great.

Plot
The story of Beowulf begins in Daneland. It was reigned by a noble king named
Hrothgar. He built a central gathering place for his people that was later on called Heorot. On
one occasion, there was a monster named Grendel who heard their reveling. It raged with
anger and ate people from the hall. For 12 years, destroying Daneland and its people
became Grendel's cycle. No warrior of the noble king was strong enough to defeat the
monster.

In the land of Geats, there was a great warrior named Beowulf. He heard the cruelty
of Grendel to Daneland. He decided to gather 14 companions, and they sailed to Daneland.
When they arrived, Hrothgar was pleased with his visitor. The king happened to know
Beowulf's father, and he warmly welcomes them. In return, Beowulf promised the king that
He kills Grendel.

On that night, Beowulf and his men shared a feast with King Hrothgar at Heorot. As
the night deepens, Beowulf's men fell asleep, but he decides to stay awake and wait for the
monster. Beowulf did not wait for too long. Grendel rips open the doors of Heorot,
approaches one of Beowulf's men, and kills him. Grendel then went in Beowulf's direction.
Beowulf fought the monster. With his great strength, he tore Grendel's shoulders from its
socket. Beowulf killed Grendel.

When the people heard the news, they celebrated. King Hrothgar gave Beowulf and
his men many gifts to express his gratitude. But the fight is not yet over. Grendel's mother
was burning with anger. She wanted to avenge Grendel. When Beowulf heard the news, he
went hunting for the female monster. He traveled so far. Then he met her near the sea
bottom. She drags him to her den, where her son is lying dead. After a few moments of
constant battle, Beowulf defeated the female monster. Beowulf brings home more treasures
and Grendel's head as his trophy from the battle.

After five decades, Beowulf became the king of the land of Geats. One day in his
reign, a slave stumbled across a dragon who guards treasures. The slave stole a golden
cup, and when the dragon learned about it. The dragon is furious, and he seeks revenge by
attacking the people of Geat. By this time, Beowulf was already around 70 years old. He met
the dragon for a battle. After the fight, Beowulf kills the beast. But before the dragon sinks,
its venomous teeth reach Beowulf's neck. Beowulf won the battle against the dragon, but he
also died that day.
Interpretation
1. Who is the king of Daneland?
- The king of Daneland was king Hrothgar.

2. Where did the story take place?

- The story was set In Daneland. It is where Beowulf defeated Grendel. A part
of the story is also set in the land of Geat where Beowulf came from and
became a king after defeating Grendel. In this place, Beowulf also defeated a
dragon, where he later on died.

3. When was the story took place?

- The story took place in the early 6th century in Scandinavia.

4. How did Beowulf defeat Grendel?

- Beowulf defeated Grendel by tearing Grendel's shoulders from its socket.

5. What happened after Beowulf defeated Grendel?

- After defeating Grendel, Beowulf became the king of the Geats.

6. How can you classify heroism according to the epic heroic poem Beowulf?
- According to the story of Beowulf, heroism is the willingness to sacrifice
yourself to save even just one person. It is being selfless for the sake of other
people. I saw that heroism does not only apply on battlefields but can also be
seen in our family. Our provider is our hero. They sacrifice their time to
provide for the family. In that simple way, a person is a hero.

7. What is your opinion about seeking revenge?

- Seeking revenge was never a great intention. Revenge doesn’t always end
well. Revenge is caused by extreme negative emotions, and with that, we
commit impulse decisions. And impulsive decisions create unacceptable
actions.

8. Can we measure the effectiveness of king Hrothgar’s leadership in dealing with

Grendel?
- There is no question that Grendel was a strong monster, but am wondering
why it took him so long to ask for help from the neighboring land. Although the
poem mentions that Hrothgar tried to look for a warrior who can defeat the
 monster, but in my perspective, his leadership lacks something. It lacks the
courage to take risks and explore different ways to defeat Grendel. If only the
king took that risk, they might not need a warrior from Geat to defeat the
monster pestering their land.

9. Describe the pros and cons of being a hero?

- Being a hero is an honor, but a great responsibility. Praises and glory from
victory are good, but when a hero fails people mock them as if they did not do
anything right. There is a great expectation from people that you need to
meet. Though this might cause a hero to tire themselves out, there is still that
joy after serving the people.

10. How do you develop heroism and great leadership?

- In my perspective leadership and heroism goes hand in hand. They both
need courage, wisdom, and love for people. The sad reality, a lot of people
wants to be a hero and a leader. They thought bravery, strength, money, and
power are enough qualifications to be a great leader and a hero. Love is the
greatest foundation of leadership and heroism. If you love your people you
will gather courage. With love, you will find a way to gain wisdom. It is not
power, strength, or money that makes a leader. It is love. And if you are a
leader that is full of love, you are a hero.

Reflection

Beowulf embodies heroism. But taking on a different lens, I saw the importance of
leadership. And its effect on the people you are leading. Leadership is a vital element in a
fruitful land. The land of Geat lived long because of Beowulf’s leadership. Applying it to
today’s time, leadership is influential. With the pandemic striking the whole world, it takes a
leader who loves his people. In moments of uncertainty, we need a leader who will make us
feel safe.

Just like in Daneland, king Hrothgar’s leadership was seen as he deals with a
pestering monster. It is less challenging if a leader is dealing with a monster. Sadly, in our
country, it is our leaders who were pestering our land. They are the ones stealing people’s
money, taking advantage of people’s poor situation, and earning power through threats.
 I hope that in the upcoming election, Filipinos will be smart enough to choose a new
set of leaders. I pray that everyone will take these candidates’ love for the country and its
people as they vote. We need a new set of leaders who are full of love than full of broken
promises. We have a chance to give our country a Fresh start. Make this change a good
one.

Another lesson that I saw was forgiveness. The story had few intentions of revenge.
If the female monster and the dragon choose forgiveness, violence is not needed. In life,
forgiveness is tough. It is hard to forgive people who hurt you. But it is easier to live life
violence-free and with no grudge.

Beowulf might be an old piece. But its values can still be used in any generation. It
has a timeless beauty and exceptional style. It is indeed a masterpiece worthy of attention.

REFERENCES:
Beowulf | Study Guide. (n.d.). Course hero. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Beowulf/things-you-didnt-know/
The History Behind Beowulf. (n.d.). CSIS. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from
http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf20004d/History.html
LitStop. (2017, April 9). Summary of Beowulf. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Gw1xajOcw&t=156s
(2021, August 20). Beowulf. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Beowulf