Beowulf

composed between 700 and 750.

 Summary
Beowulf begins with the great king’s Shield Sheafson funeral, the great-grandfather of Hrothgar. Grain, Sheafon’s Son had one kid: Healfdene.
Healfdene had four kids: Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halgaand Yrse. Hrothgar became king and he won many battles, so he decided to build a mead-hall,
the greatest the world had ever seen. He named the mead-hall: “Herot”. People were happy however the joy of people echoed in Grendel cave.
Grendel terrorizes the Danes and they suffer many years of fear, danger, and death at the hands of Grendel. People were so scared and tired of
Grendel attacks that they even called to the Devil for help.

Beowulf who was the strongest of men alive in that day, heard of Danes problem so he sailed to Denmark with a small company of men,
determined to defeat Grendel. Hrothgar and his people celebrated the coming of the warriors in Herot. During the feast, an envious Dane named
Unferth taunts Beowulf and accuses him of being unworthy of his reputation, saying that he didn’t won a race against Breca and that Beowulf will
meet with defeat for a second time when he faces Grendel in the mead-hall. Beowulf responses that he found himself pulled under by a monster, so
he couldn’t win the race. After the fest, Beowulf took his army off and went to sleep. When Grendel came in the mead-hall he woke up and fought with
Grendel using only his hands. Beowulf tool Grendel’s arm off and told Hrothgar that he killed Grendel.

People were happy and celebrated Grendel’s death, but they didn’t know that Grendel had a mother, who was also a monster, a powerful one
who lives in a desolate lake. She murders Aeschere, one of Hrothgar’s most trusted advisers because she wants to revenge her son’s death. The next
day, Beowulf came to the lake the female monster was living in. Unferth apologizes and present Beowulf his great sword, Hrunting. Then, Beowulf
enters the lake and dive in a cave full of gold and treasures. 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.

Years later, our hero ascends to the throne of his homeland where he rules wisely for over 50 years. When a would-be thief disturbs a dragon,
it threatens his land. Knowing he has lived a full life and seeing his death before him, Beowulf charges into the action and defeats the dragon, but not
before being bitten in the neck. The dragon’s venom kills him.
Beowulf
Beowulf is the most powerful Geat warrior.
He is also a good person because he wanted to help
the king of Danes although he hasn’t asked him for
help. Beowulf is also a revengous person because
he kills Grendel mother with anger because she
killed his friend. A last feature of him is that he is a
good leader
Hrothgar
Is a great king. He won a lot of battles and
created a powerful army. Even if some people say
he is cowered, I think he is a good king because he
shares his treasures with his people and army and
he is a great mentor, because Beowulf thinks of
Hrothgar like his father.
 Wiglaf
Wiglaf is Beowulf most trusted soldier. He is the
only one who comes to help Beowulf in the battle with
the dragon. In the poem Wiglaf calls the other 10
soldiers who fought with Beowulf against Grendel, but
no one comes.
Before entering in dragon’s cave Beowulf tells
Wiglaf that if he dies, he want Wiglaf to become king
of Geats. Wiglaf has all features a good warrior needs:
strength, courage and loyalty.
Grendel
Honestly I am sorry for him. I know he is a
bad monster, but he is what it is because of his
mother and father: descendant of the biblical Cain,
the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother
Abel out of jealousy. He attacks danes because he is
jealous, that’s why he only comes when he hears
them partying.
I think (like many people does) that Grendel
is the most interesting character in the epic.
 Grendel’s mother
Grendel’s mother never disturbed people
before Grendel’s death. I think she is a selfish evil
and mother, because she keeps Grendel in a cave
and she not raise him correctly.

On the other hand, if we put ourselves in her

shoes we can say she is a good mother, because she
miss Grendel when he is killed and seeks revenge.

Beowulf fighting Grendel. (in the poem its said that Beowulf fought with
Grendel without weapons and the fight took place in the mead-hall, but this
image helps us imagine Grendel)
 My personal opinion about the significance of the three
monsters
The tree monsters follow Beowulf through his life.

From this text : “The parallels between monsters and

heroes are not lost on the poet. There’s an Old English word that’s
used a number of times in the poem to describe Grendel: ‘aglæca’
.The same term is later used of Grendel’s mother and the dragon . But
here’s the thing: it’s also used to describe Beowulf . How should we
translate a word that somehow encapsulates both the best and the
worst of characters? “*, we understand that the tree monsters can be
seen as powerful evil creatures, but under the monster soul it is
hidden a good one.

In conclusion, the tree monsters gave Beowulf fame, but

also killed him.About their significance: they are isolated monsters
who kill people, but are also complex characters. Grendel’s mother
terrified him even after her death, so she is pure devil. The dragon
just wanted to stay in his cave, but a thief stole his gold, the dragon
represent death and Beowulf’s last fight.

*https://www.bl.uk/medieval-literature/articles/monsters-and-hero
es-in-beowulf