BEOWULF

Anonymous

SUMMARY:
The poem opens with a brief genealogy of the Scylding (Dane) royal dynasty, named after a mythic hero, Scyld
Scefing, who reached the tribe's shores as a castaway baby on a ship loaded with treasure. Scyld's funeral is a
memorable early ritual in the work, but focus soon shifts to the reign of his great-grandson, Hrothgar, whose successful
rule is symbolized by a magnificent central mead-hall called Heorot. For twelve years, a huge man-like ogre named
Grendel, a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain, has menaced the aging Hrothgar, raiding Heorot and killing the
king's thanes (warriors). Grendel terrorizes Heorot because he is envious of the people’s happiness. His jealousy
consumes him, and he decides to attack Heorot. Grendel rules the mead-hall nightly.

Beowulf, a young warrior in Geatland (southwestern Sweden), comes to the Scyldings' aid, bringing with him
fourteen of his finest men. Hrothgar once sheltered Beowulf's father during a deadly feud, and the mighty Geat hopes to
return the favor while enhancing his own reputation and gaining treasure for his king, Hygelac. At a feast before nightfall
of the first day of the visit, an obnoxious, drunken Scylding named Unferth insults Beowulf and claims that the Geat
visitor once embarrassingly lost a swimming contest to a boyhood acquaintance named Breca and is no match for
Grendel. Beowulf responds with dignity while putting Unferth in his place. In fact, the two swimmers were separated by
a storm on the fifth night of the contest, and Beowulf had slain nine sea monsters before finally returning to shore.

While the Danes retire to safer sleeping quarters, Beowulf and the Geats bed down in Heorot, fully aware that
Grendel will visit them. He does. Angered by the joy of the men in the mead-hall, the ogre furiously bursts in on the
Geats, killing one and then reaching for Beowulf. Beowulf knows that no weapons forged by mortals can destroy
Grendel, so he will fight the monster using his bare hands. With the strength of thirty men in his hand-grip, Beowulf
seizes the ogre's claw and does not let go. The ensuing battle nearly destroys the great hall, but Beowulf emerges
victorious as he rips Grendel's claw from its shoulder socket, sending the mortally wounded beast fleeing to his mere
(pool). The claw trophy hangs high under the roof of Heorot.

The Danes celebrate the next day with a huge feast featuring entertainment by Hrothgar's scop (pronounced
"shop"), a professional bard who accompanies himself on a harp and sings or chants traditional lays such as an account
of the Danes' victory at Finnsburh. This bard also improvises a song about Beowulf's victory. Hrothgar's wife, Queen
Wealhtheow, proves to be a perfect hostess, offering
Beowulf a gold collar and her gratitude. Filled with mead, wine, and great food, the entire party retires for what they
expect to be the first peaceful night in years.

But Grendel's mother — not quite as powerful as her son but highly motivated — climbs to Heorot that night,
retrieves her son's claw, and murderously abducts one of the Scyldings, Aeschere, who is King Hrothgar’s wisest
councellor, while Beowulf sleeps elsewhere. The next morning, Hrothgar, Beowulf, and a retinue of Scyldings and Geats
follow the mother's tracks into a dark, forbidding swamp and to the edge of her mere. The slaughtered Aeschere's head
sits on a cliff by the lake, which hides the ogres' underground cave. Carrying a sword called Hrunting, a gift from the
chastised Unferth, Beowulf dives into the mere to seek the mother monster.

Near the bottom of the lake, Grendel's mother attacks and hauls the Geat warrior to her dimly lit cave. Beowulf
fights back once inside the dry cavern, but the gift sword, Hrunting, strong as it is, fails to penetrate the ogre's hide. The
mother moves to kill Beowulf with her knife, but his armor, made by the legendary blacksmith Weland, protects him.
Suddenly Beowulf spots a magical, giant sword and uses it to cut through the mother's spine at the neck, killing her. A
blessed light unexplainably illuminates the cavern, disclosing Grendel's corpse and a great deal of treasure. Beowulf
decapitates the corpse. The magic sword melts to its hilt. Beowulf returns to the lake's surface carrying the head and hilt
but leaving the treasure.
 After more celebration and gifts and a sermon by King Hrothgar warning of the dangers of pride and the
mutability of time, Beowulf and his men return to Geatland. There he serves his king well until Hygelac is killed in battle
and his son dies in a feud. Beowulf is then named king and rules successfully for fifty years. Like Hrothgar, however, his
peace is shattered in his declining years. Beowulf must
battle one more demon.

A fiery dragon has become enraged because a lone fugitive has inadvertently discovered the dragon's treasure-
trove and stolen a valuable cup. The dragon terrorizes the countryside at night, burning several homes, including
Beowulf's. Led by the fugitive, Beowulf and eleven of his men seek out the dragon's barrow. Beowulf insists on taking on
the dragon alone, but his own sword, Naegling, is no match for the monster. Seeing his king in trouble, one thane,
Wiglaf, goes to his assistance. The others flee to the woods. Together, Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon, but the mighty
king is mortally wounded. Dying, Beowulf leaves his kingdom to Wiglaf and requests that his body be cremated in a
funeral pyre and buried high on a seaside cliff where passing sailors might see the barrow. The dragon's treasure-hoard
is buried with him. It is said that they lie there still.

A. Arrange the following events in “Beowulf” in chronological order. Write numbers 1 to 5 on the blanks provided.
___ Grendel’s mother took revenge, but later was killed by Beowulf.
___ The great hero, Beowulf, died by the gruesome corpse of the dragon.
___ Hrothgar built a magnificent hall called Heorot where celebrations were held.
___ Beowulf came to fight against Grendel and successfully killed him.
___ The hideous and fearsome monster, Grendel, attacked the hall nightly and left it devastated.

B. Write YES if the statement is a fact based on the epic poem. Write NO if otherwise.
_____ 6. Hrothgar built a magnificent central mead-hall called Heorot that symbolized his successful rule.
_____ 7. Grendel attacked the mead-hall because he wanted to steal the treasureof the kingdom.
_____ 8. Grendel’s father and mother created another monster to avenge the death of Grendel.
_____ 9. A fiery dragon attacked and burned several houses in the countryside because a lone fugitive had stolen the
dragon’s valuable cup.
_____ 10. Wiglaf became Beowulf’s successor when the great hero died.

C. Answer the following guide questions on your answer sheet.