Beowulf

1. Contex: Beowulf is an Old English heroic Epic poem between 650 and 1000
A.D. consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines and was passed down through oral-formulaic
tradition. It was written in England sometime between the 8th and the early 11th
century. The author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet.
2. Historical background: The poem is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats
(southwestern Sweden), comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes (Scyldings).

3. Character:
 Shield Sheafson –
The legendary Danish king from whom Hrothgar is descended, Shield Sheafson is the mythical
founder who starts a long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish tribe’s highest values of
heroism and leadership. Shield Sheafson is the first of the Beowulf characters introduced in the
epic and is described as " That was one good king "(in line 11). The attributes that made him a
"good king" were his power, ruthlessness in battle, and strength as seen (in lines 4-8).

 King Hrothgar –
Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, built the Danes into a powerful military and social entity,
symbolized by the erection of his great mead-hall, Heorot, ( in lines 64-72).
Hrothgar has become famous for his leadership and generosity, important virtues that are closely
linked to Beowulf. “The noble Hrothgar; he was a good king.” (In line 862).
As a young king, he once protected Beowulf's now deceased father, Ecgtheow, (in lines 470-472).
However, though once a great warrior, he can no longer defend his people from Grendel, and his
sons also are too young to take up leadership of the Danes. Representing a potential threat to the
Danes and all other Scandinavian tribes: the lack of a king. Hrothgar's speech to Beowulf before
the Geats depart, known as "Hrothgar's Sermon," is important as it warns of the dangers of fame
and the mutability of time, (in lines 1700-1710). 
 Beowulf –

The reader is first introduced to Beowulf as he disembarks from his ship, having just arrived in the
land of the Danes from his home in Geatland. He is an impressive-looking man. The coastal guard
points out that he has never seen " A mightier man-at-arms on this earth " (In line 247) even
though he has held this office and served his king, Hrothgar, for many years, watching all kinds of
warriors come and go. Beowulf is huge and strong. We are soon told that he has the strength of
30 men in his handgrip. He has arrived to help the Danes, a mighty man-like ogre named Grendel
has menaced them for 12 years.

English novelist and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien ("Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics,”) argues that
the central structural motif of Beowulf is the balance between beginnings and endings, of youth
and age. The most dominating example of this is the life of Beowulf himself. When he arrives in
Hrothgar's kingdom, the hero of the epic is still a very young man. He is out to establish a name for
himself. Reputation is a key theme of the poem and central importance to Beowulf. For example,
when the coastal guard asks about Beowulf's lineage, he mentions his father's accomplishments
and reputation as well as his king, and his people, the Geats. (In lines 260-265) Moreover,
Beowulf once killed a tribe of giants and driven enemies from his homeland. He already has a
favorable reputation, but he is eager for more achievements that will add to his good name (In
lines 418 ff.). In the world of Beowulf, a man's good name is his key to immortality. It is all that
remains after death.

Part of the motivation for coming to the land of the Danes is to gain more fame. The poem uses
the word unabashedly, but a modern audience might feel uncomfortable with the concept, thinking
of empty trophies in a superficial frame. Within this world of heroic struggle, however, fame is
more than that. Reputation can protect a leader's people and settle a conflict before it comes to
blows, as Beowulf's reputation later does when he is the king of Geatland. Fame is a positive
quality, having to do more with earned respect than vanity.

A more important reason for coming to Hrothgar's aid is directly related to family debt. Years
before, Hrothgar sheltered Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, from a dangerous feud and purchased a
settlement of the conflict with the Geat's enemies. Beowulf has come to repay Hrothgar's
generosity.

At a banquet in the Geats' honor on the first day of their visit, a drunken, jealous Dane named
Unferth challenges Beowulf's reputation. When Beowulf was an adolescent, he engaged in a
swimming match on the open sea with another boy, Breca. Unferth asserts that Beowulf was vain
and foolish to enter such a dangerous contest and that Breca proved the stronger, defeating
Beowulf in seven nights. Unferth's point is that, if Beowulf could not win that swimming match, he
is surely no match for Grendel.
Beowulf's response to Unferth further establishes the hero's character and maturity. He remains
composed and in control, despite his youth. Beowulf uses wit and facts to correct Unferth. Beowulf
first points out that he and Breca swam for five nights, not seven. After the rough seas drove them
apart, Beowulf spent the rest of the fifth night fighting nine vicious sea monsters. Beowulf reminds
the gathering that Unferth's reputation is sparse because of the fact that he killed his own brothers,
for which he will be condemned to hell. He also says that " Unferth, if you were truly as keen or
courageous as you claim to be, Grendel would never have got away with Such unchecked
atrocity, attacks on your king." (In lines 590-595). The rebuttal is an enormous success; before
he ever faces Grendel, Beowulf proves that he is a man to be reckoned with.

The confrontation with Grendel not only clearly demonstrates Beowulf's great strength, but also
illustrates his sense of fair play. Beowulf refuses to wear armor or use weapons against the ogre
because Grendel will use no weapons himself. Ironically, the choice to eschew weapons ends up
helping Beowulf because Grendel is protected from them. The battle nearly destroys Heorot but
ends with a victory for Beowulf. He rips Grendel's right claw from its shoulder socket, mortally
wounding the beast and sending him scurrying in retreat. The claw hangs from Heorot's roof,
symbolizing a macabre trophy.

Beowulf's defeat of Grendel's mother demonstrates remarkable courage and perseverance.

Seeking to avenge the death of her son and recover his claw, the mother attacks Heorot the next
night, surprising everyone. In the morning, Beowulf tracks her to a dark swamp where Beowulf
defeats her with the help of a magic giant sword and returns with Grendel's head as trophies. In a
sermon, King Hrothgar warns the young warrior of the dangers of pride and the perils of old age,
designing to guide Beowulf through a life of leadership.

Beowulf's reputation spreads in the last third of the poem. He serves his king well until he is killed
in battle. When the king's son dies in a feud, Beowulf becomes king and rules successfully for fifty
years, like Hrothgar. However, his peace in his declining years is shattered by a fiery dragon.

A fiery dragon terrorizes the countryside because a thief has stolen a golden goblet from the
dragon's treasure trove. Beowulf insists on fighting the dragon alone even though the king's death
will leave Geatland vulnerable to attack from old enemies. Together, Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the
dragon, but the mighty king is mortally wounded. Some critics feel that, despite the warnings by
Hrothgar, pride and age have brought down the epic hero. Others point out that Beowulf did not
have long to rule anyway and deserved the right to choose a warrior's death.

 Unferth – Unferth represents the theme of envy in the epic, (in line 502).
Unferth accuses Beowulf, of entering a dangerous, foolish seven-night swimming match on the
open sea against Breca — and losing, (in lines 506-528).
In fact, Beowulf swam with Breca for five nights, not wanting to abandon the weaker boy. Rough
seas separated them, and Beowulf had to kill nine mighty sea monsters before going ashore the
next day, (in lines 544,574). Beowulf points out that Unferth's fame lies mainly in the fact that he
killed his own brothers, (In line 587). If the Dane could fight as well as he talks, says Beowulf,
King Hrothgar might not have such a problem with Grendel, (in lines 590-594).
Unferth later admits Beowulf's superiority after the defeat of Grendel and lends him a treasured
sword, Hrunting, for the battle with Grendel's mother. While the sword is ineffective,
(In lines 1165 and 1488).

 Grendel –
The ogre descended from the Biblical Cain, he has inherited the curse of the Biblical Cain,
“Cain’s clan, whom the creator had outlawed, and condemned as outcasts. For the killing
of Abel.” (In lines 106-114). “The God-cursed brute was creating havoc.” (In line 121).
“God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping.” (In line 711).
Grendel especially resents the light, joy, and music that he observes in Hrothgar's beautiful
mead hall. The clear song of a skilled poet especially harrowed him because it tells of the
beauty and light of God's creation. (In lines 90-98).
While Grendel's psychology is not explored in detail in Beowulf, there is a sense that he
attacks the Danes because of his own enforced isolation.” So, Grendel waged his lonely
war” (In line 165). Grendel continues to attack the Heorot every night for twelve years.
” For twelve winters, seasons of woe.” (In line 147).

 Grendel’s mother – Her son has returned to their cave mortally wounded, one of his two
arms ripped from its shoulder socket and hanging. Instead of cowering in grief, the mother
seeks revenge. “But now his mother. Had sallied forth on a savage journey, grief-racked
and ravenous, desperate for revenge.” (In lines 1276-1278).

 The dragon - A fire-breathing dragon who discovered a lost tribe's treasure and
moved into the barrow housing the gold. After a thief steals from the dragon's goblet
(In lines 2218-2222), the dragon goes on a rampage and terrorizes the Geats.

 Wiglaf - Wiglaf is a young warrior in the service of his king, the one retainer who
comes to Beowulf's aid in the battle against the dragon representing the theme of
loyalty.
4. Summary:  The poem opens with a brief introduction of the legendary Danish king, Shield
Sheafson. 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
ogre named Grendel, a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain, has raided Heorot and killed
the king's warriors. Beowulf, a young warrior in Greats, comes to the Danes' aid. Hrothgar
once sheltered Beowulf's father during a deadly feud, and Beowulf hopes to return the favor
while enhancing his reputation and gaining treasure for his king, Hygelac. 

First battle: Grendel At a feast before nightfall on the first day of the visit, Unferth insults
Beowulf and claims that he once embarrassingly lost a swimming contest to 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 return to safer sleeping quarters, Beowulf and the Geats bed down in Heorot.
Grendel is angered by the joy of the men in the mead hall, the ogre killing warriors, and then
reaching for Beowulf. With the strength of 30 men in his handgrip, Beowulf seizes the ogre's claw
and does not let go. The battle nearly destroys the mead hall, but Beowulf emerges victorious as
he rips Grendel's claw from its shoulder, sending the mortally wounded beast fleeing to his
fen(swamp). The claw trophy hangs high under the roof of Heorot.

Second battle: Grendel's mother The Danes celebrate the next day with a huge feast
featuring entertainment by Hrothgar's scop, But Grendel's mother climbs to Heorot that night and
murders Hrothgar's most trusted advisor. The next morning, Beowulf follows the mother's tracks
into a dark, forbidding swamp. Carrying a sword called Hrunting, a gift from Unferth, Beowulf dives
into the mere to seek Grendel's mother. She attacks Beowulf, and he fights back once inside the
dry cave, but the gift sword fails to penetrate the ogre's hide. Suddenly Beowulf spots a magical,
giant sword and uses it to cut through the mother's spine at the neck, killing her.

After more celebration and gifts and a sermon by Hrothgar warning of the dangers of pride and the
mutability of time, Beowulf and his men return to Geats. There he serves his king well until the
king is killed in battle and his son dies in a feud. Beowulf is then named king and rules
successfully for 50 years. Like Hrothgar, however, his peace is shattered in his declining years.

Final battle: The dragon A fiery dragon has become enraged because a thief discovered the
dragon's treasure trove and stole a valuable cup. The dragon terrorizes the countryside at night
and burns several homes. Beowulf and eleven of his men seek out the dragon's barrow. Beowulf
insists on taking on the dragon alone, but his sword is no match for the monster. Seeing his king
in trouble, one thane, Wiglaf, goes to his assistance. Together, Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon,
but the mighty king is mortally wounded. 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.

5. Symbols:

 Heorot –

Hrothgar's great mead-hall, Heorot. The Old English epic poem was written sometime between the
8th and 11th centuries and is set in Scandinavia, where mead halls truly did exist. In the poem,
when Grendel attacks Heorot, he's not only attacking the people within; he's attacking an entire
way of life.

Symbolically, Heorot represents the achievements of the Danes, specifically Hrothgar, and their
level of civilization. The hall is a home for the warriors who sleep there and functions as a seat of
government. The hall also symbolizes the concept of comitatus, the honor code that exists
between the king and his warriors. Warriors swear devotion to their leader and vow to fight boldly,
to the death. If the leader should fall, his life must be avenged.

It is a place of light, warmth, and joy, contrasting with Grendel's morbid swamp as well as the dark
and cold winters. The hall is also symbolic in that it is the setting of Beowulf's first great battle, the
defeat of Grendel. When Grendel invades the hall, he knows that he strikes at the very heart of the
Danes. That lends special meaning to his victories and Beowulf’s eventual liberation of the hall
from the ravages of the ogres.

 The Cave – The cave where Grendel and his mother hide from the world is symbolic of their
lives as outcasts. The cave also represents their heritage. As descendants of Cain, they are
associated with sorcery, black magic, demons, ancient runes, and hell itself. When Grendel's
mother fights Beowulf in the cave, she has a distinct advantage. So, Beowulf’s victory is even
more significant. The cave itself represents a world alien to Heorot. One is high and bright and
full of song and joy, towering as the Danes’ greatest achievement. The other is dark and dank
and full of evil, beneath a mere in the middle of a fen and the symbolic home of resentful
outcasts.
 Grendel's Claw and Head – When the mortally wounded Grendel flees to the swamp,
the claw is hung high beneath Heorot's roof as a symbol of Beowulf's victory. Grendel's
mother also sees it as a symbol, representing her loss and mankind's macabre sense of what
might be an appropriate trophy. Grendel's head, Beowulf ignores the vast treasure in the
cave, instead choosing to carry the magnificent, huge head as symbolic of his victory over
both ogres.
 The Dragon's Treasure Trove – The dragon's treasure trove represents the vanity of
human wishes as well as the mutability of time. Beowulf gives his life defeating the dragon
and gaining this impressive treasure for his people, but they won't benefit from it either. The
 treasure is buried with the great warrior in his funeral barrow and, we are told, remains there
still, a mighty horde of riches that is of absolutely no use to anybody.

6. What do they value?

 Family and Tribe

In Beowulf, family and tribal allegiances determine one's identity. Characters are constantly
identified as the son, wife, or daughter of a particular man, and as members of this or that tribe.
Men or beings without tribes such as Grendel are described as lonely and joyless. Without a
community or family, these men are incomplete. All the cultural institutions described in Beowulf,
from the giving of gold and gifts to the emphasis placed on loyalty above any personal desire, exist
to preserve and strengthen the family and tribe.

The importance placed on family and tribe also leads to the incredible number of inter-tribal feuds
in Beowulf. Preservation of a family or tribe within a hostile environment demands not only unity
within the tribe, but also the willingness to defend and protect the tribe from outsiders. The
necessity of tribal and family self-defense created a set of formal rules of vengeance between
individuals and feuding between tribes.

 Loyalty

In Beowulf, the major themes reflect the values and motivations of the characters. One of the
central themes of Beowulf, embodied by its title character, is loyalty. At every step of his career,
loyalty is Beowulf's guiding virtue.

Beowulf comes to the assistance of the Danes for complicated reasons. One of the major
motivations is a family debt that Beowulf owes to Hrothgar. Beowulf is devoted to the old king
because Hrothgar came to the assistance of Beowulf's father years before. Hrothgar sheltered
Beowulf's father in a blood feud and settled the feud by paying tribute to their enemies. The tie
between the families goes back many years, and Beowulf is proud to be able to lend his loyal
services to Hrothgar.

When the hero returns to Geatland, he continues his loyalty to his uncle and king, Hygelac. After
Hygelac is killed, Beowulf could become king then, but he is more loyal than ambitious. Beowulf
refuses the throne and serves the young king faithfully until he is killed. Beowulf does become king
and rules with honor and fidelity to his office and his people for fifty years.

In Beowulf’s last battle with the fiery dragon, although the elderly king insists on taking on the
dragon alone, he brings along the eleven warriors in case he needs them. When it is apparent that
Beowulf is losing the battle to the dragon, all but one warrior run and hide in the woods. Only
Wiglaf, who has great respect for his king, remains loyal. He stands beside Beowulf to fight to the
death — theirs or the dragons. Although they kill the dragon together, the king dies. As he dies,
Beowulf passes the kingdom on to the brave and loyal Wiglaf. In his final test, the burden of loyalty
will rest on other, younger shoulders.

 Fame, Glory, and Reputation

Another motivating factor for Beowulf and a central theme in the epic is reputation. From the
beginning, he introduces himself to the Danes by citing achievements that gained honor for him
and his king. When Unferth verbally assaults Beowulf at the first banquet, at issue is the hero's
reputation. Unferth's slur is the worst kind of insult for Beowulf because his reputation is his most
valuable possession. Reputation is also the single quality that endures after death, his one key to
immortality. That's why Beowulf later leaves the gold in the cave after defeating Grendel’s mother,
preferring to return with Grendel's head rather than treasure.

In Beowulf's later years, as he prepares to meet the dragon, King Beowulf again considers his
reputation. He insists on facing the dragon alone even though his death will leave his people in
jeopardy. Hrothgar's sermon warned Beowulf of the dangers of pride, and some critics have
accused him in the defense of his reputation. The final words of the poem, state that " He was the
man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.” (In line
3182). Might be best understood by remembering that, in Beowulf's world, fame is synonymous
with reputation.

 Generosity and Hospitality

King Hrothgar and Queen Wealhtheow embody the themes of generosity and hospitality. The
code of the comitatus is at the heart of the Beowulf epic. In this system, the king provides land,
weapons, and a share of the treasure to his warriors in return for their support of the leader in
battle. The leader's generosity is one of his highest qualities. King Hrothgar is “the gray-haired
treasure-giver”. (In line 607)

When Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel's mother, he receives great riches as his reward.
Such generosity is emblematic of Hrothgar's character. In turn, Beowulf will present these
treasures to his own king, Hygelac, who will then honor Beowulf with appropriate gifts. Generosity
is, thus, a crucial part of the political, military, social, and economic structure of the culture.

Wealhtheow shares in gift-giving and is the perfect hostess. When she serves mead in Heorot, it is
an act of propriety and diplomacy, attending first to her king and then to various guests, paying
special attention to Beowulf.
7. Discuss the significance of the heroic code
 Strength (662)
“And the Geat placed complete trust. In his strength of limb and the Lord’s favor.”
 Brotherhood (794-98)
“Beowulf’s warriors worked to defend. Their lord’s life, laying about them
As best they could with their ancestral blades. Stalwart in action, they kept striking out
On every side, seeking to cut Straight to the soul.”
 Deference (340 ff)
 Courage
“The man whose name was known for courage. The Great leader, resolute in his
helmet. Answered in return: “We are retainers from Hygelac’s band.”
 Vengefulness (Finn Episode, 1070ff)
 Proud Talk (632-44)
8. Where does one seek refuge?
(In the great halls of the great lords. See lines 68-73.)
“To hall-building: he handed down orders. For men to work on a great mead-hall.
Meant to be a wonder of the world forever. It would be his and there he would
dispense. His God-given goods to young and old---But, not the common land or
people’s lives.”

9.   How does the poet use the theme of revenge in the poem?
Consider the motivation of characters such as Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the
dragon, as well as Beowulf.

Revenge serves as a motivating factor for several characters throughout the poem, initially stirring
Grendel and his mother. Grendel seeks revenge upon mankind for inheriting the curse of the
Biblical Cain. He delights in destroying Heorot because it is the symbol of everything that he
detests about men such as their success, joy, glory, and favor in the eyes of God.

Grendel's mother's revenge is more specific. She attacks Heorot because Beowulf killed her son.
Although she is smaller and less powerful than Grendel, she is motivated by a mother's fury. When
Beowulf goes after her in the mere, her revenge peaks because this is the man who killed her son.
Only Beowulf's amazing abilities as a warrior and the intervention of God defeat her.
Beowulf's final battle is the result of vengeance. A dangerous fire dragon seeks revenge because
a thief has stolen a valuable goblet from the treasure trove. His raids across the countryside
include the burning of Beowulf's home. Beowulf then seeks his own revenge by going after the
dragon.