BEOWULF (A SUMMARY)
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,
listen to stories sung by the
scops and bards.
The jubilant noise from Heorot
wakes
up and angers Grendel, a 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 on the hands of
Grendel
But 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 to
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
Dame named Unferth
accuses Beowulf of not
worthy of his reputation
Beowulf responded with a
boastful description of his
past accomplishments. His
confidence cheered 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.
The torn arm was hang on the
mead-hall as a trophy of victory.
Overjoyed, Hrothgar showers
Beowulf with gifts and
treasures at a feast in his
honor. Songs are sung in
praise of Beowulf, and the
celebration lasted late into the
night. But another threat is
approaching. Grendel’s
mother, a swamp-hag who
lives on a desolate lake,
comes to Heorot seeking
revenge for her son’s death.
She murders Aeschere, one of
Hrothgar’s 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 now
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 treasures to Hygelac, who in
return , rewards him. In time,
Hygelac was killed during a war
against the Shylfings, and after
Hygelac’s son died. Beowulf
ascends to the throne of the
Geats. He ruled wisely for fifty
years, brought prosperity to
Geatland. When Beowulf is an old
man, a thief disturbs a barrow, or
mound where the great dragon
lies guarding the horde of
treasure.
Enraged, the dragon emerges from the barrow and began
unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats. Sensing his
own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon.
With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeded in killing the beast
but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck
and its fiery venom kills him moments after they
encounter. The Geats fear that their enemies will attack
them now that Beowulf is dead. According to Beowulf
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.
