BEOWULF
Lesson Proper
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, and listen to stories sung by the scops, or bards. But the
jubilant noise from Heorot angers Grendel, a horrible 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 at the hands of
Grendel. Eventually, however, 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 for 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 Dane
named Unferth taunts Beowulf and accuses him of being unworthy of his reputation. Beowulf
responds with a boastful description of some of his past accomplishments. His confidence
cheers 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. Mortally wounded,
Grendel slinks back into the swamp to die. The severed arm is hung high in the mead-hall as a
trophy of victory.
Overjoyed, Hrothgar showers Beowulf with gifts and treasure at a feast in his honor. Songs are
sung in praise of Beowulf, and the celebration lasts late into the night. But another threat is
approaching. Grendel’s mother, a swamp-hag who lives in a desolate lake, comes to Heorot
seeking revenge for her son’s death. She murders Aeschere, one of Hrothgar’s most 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 again 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
treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewards him.
In time, Hygelac is killed in a war against the Shylfings, and, after Hygelac’s son dies, Beowulf
ascends to the throne of the Geats. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to
Geatland. When Beowulf is an old man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound, where a
great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure. Enraged, the dragon emerges from the barrow
and begins unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats. Sensing his own death approaching,
Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in killing the beast, but at
a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him moments after
their encounter. The Geats fear that their enemies will attack them now that Beowulf is dead.
According to Beowulf’s 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.
