Essay about A Summary of Beowulf - 662 Words

Beowulf begins with a history of the great Danish King Scyld (whose funeral is described in the Prologue). King Hrothgar, Scylds great-grandson, is well loved by his people and successful in war. He builds a lavish hall, called Heorot, to house his vast army, and when the hall is finished, the Danish warriors gather under its roof to celebrate. Grendel, a monster who lives at the bottom of a nearby mere, is provoked by the singing and celebrating of Hrothgars followers. He appears at the hall late one night and kills thirty of the warriors in their sleep. For the next twelve years, the fear of Grendels fury casts a shadow over the lives of the Danes. Hrothgar and his advisors can think of nothing to calm the monsters anger.†¦show more content†¦He tears off the monsters arm at the shoulder, but Grendel escapes, only to die soon afterward at the bottom of his snake-infested mere. The Danish warriors, who have fled the hall in fear, return singing songs in praise of Beowulfs t riumph. Hrothgar rewards Beowulf with a great store of treasures. After another banquet, the warriors of both the Geats and the Danes retire for the night. Unknown to the warriors, however, Grendels mother is plotting revenge (see Grendels Mothers Attack). She arrives at the hall when all the warriors are sleeping and carries off Aeschere, Hrothgars chief advisor along with her sons claw. (Click here to see the infamous claw!) Beowulf offers to dive to the bottom of the lake, find the monster and destroy her. He and his men follow the monsters tracks to the cliff overlooking the lake where Grendels mother lives. They see Aescheres bloody head sitting on the cliff. While preparing for battle, Beowulf asks Hrothgar to protect his warriors, and to send his treasures to his uncle, King Hygelac, if he doesnt return safely. Before Beowulf goes into the sea, Unferth offers him his sword, Hrunting. During the ensuing battle Grendels mother carries Beowulf to her underwater home. After a terrible fight, Beowulf kills the monster with a magical sword, probably put there by the Al-Weilder, that he finds on the wall of her home. He also finds Grendels dead body, cuts off the head, and returns toShow MoreRelatedBeowulf s Legacy : A Summary859 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf’s Legacy: A summary of what the story of Beowulf taught the Anglo-Saxons to become a better people You’re on the ground. You’re bleeding, blood gushing out as though it was a geyser. You can’t hear anything, vision is failing you, and you’re just now realizing where you are. The setting is a battlefield. Gore and loss are mixed with the scent of gunpowder and smoke. You look toward what you think was the enemy; a tank. It’s barreling toward you, but you are petrified. You glance behindRead MoreA Summary of Beowulf Essay981 Words   |  4 Pages Beowulf begins with a history of the Danish kings. Hrothgar is the present king of the Danes. He builds a hall, called Heorot, to house his army. The Danish soldiers gather under its roof to celebrate and have fellowship with each other. Grendel, who lives at the bottom of a nearby swamp, is awakened and disgusted by the singing of Hrothgars men. He comes to the hall late one night and kills thirty of the warriors in their sleep. For the next twelve years Grendel stalks the mead hall knownRead MoreSummary Of Heaney And Beowulf1322 Words   |  6 PagesIn this era that Beowulf is in, its prime time for warriors, and the culture displayed in each poem forwards it. In this time warriors hold the power, possibly even more than kings, and in this way of life Beowulf thrives, and people take notice. Eventually, he obtains a position of power and leads his people to a time of peace. However, the peaceful time is cut short when Beowulf dies and leaves his people with no hair to take over . Beowulf protected his people so well he shielded them from theRead MoreA Summary of the Epic of Beowulf Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pages Beowulf is a story that takes place in medieval Europe, the main part of the story is about a knight, Beowulf, who has to fight evil creatures such as a dragon. No one is exactly sure who wrote Beowulf, Paleographers believe that the soul surviving manuscript was copied down in the late tenth century or early eleventh. This early copy of Beowulf is still around today. This single manuscript can be found in the British Library in London. Scholars believe that the story itself was written betweenRead MoreBeowulf, The Epic Hero1373 Words   |  6 PagesJoyner December 12, 2015 Beowulf, The Epic Hero In Anglo Saxon times, Beowulf is considered a well known epic hero. â€Å"Epic heroes are literary characters from ancient mythology and other stories, which were written down in the form of long, narrative epic poems. The hero is the main character, or protagonist of the poem†(Epic Hero: Definition, Characteristics Examples.). The epic hero usually battles for accomplishments to a set of tasks to complete important goals. Beowulf is described as an epicRead MoreBeowulf s Last Battle Of The Epic Hero954 Words   |  4 Pagesmother, the epic hero, Beowulf, faces his third and final monster, a dragon that has been attacking Geatland. But this last battle will be completely different than the ones before, and spells the end for our epic hero. !!!Beowulf s Last Battle Starting around line 2200 of the great epic poem __ Beowulf __, we have the entrance of the last of the monsters that Beowulf must overcome as part of the epic hero cycle. But this battle is unlike the earlier battles Beowulf faced as a young warriorRead MoreAnalysis Of Beowulf And The Three Battles 725 Words   |  3 PagesBingaman Mr. Strausbaugh British Literature 18 September 2015 Beowulf and the Three Battles According to Michael Delahoyde Kings should display the heroic ideal and be known for an extraordinary and courageous feat or for success in war, all preceded by some boasting. In the epic poem, Beowulf eventually became king and even before that time, the people looked up to him for his bravery and courage. Beowulf bragged often and although battling certain enemies seemed grueling, he keptRead MoreTheme Of Evil In Beowulf996 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf versus Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚   Heroes can be in our everyday life or someone you’ve seen only once but all of our heroes have something in common. Their heroic traits make up who they are and some character traits my heroes have in common are kindness, courage, intelligence, and empathy. Beowulf is also a hero in my eyes because he possesses all of these traits and more. What traits do your heroes have in common? Robert Nye’s long poem, Beowulf: a New Telling, is a fictional long poem about a hero, BeowulfRead MoreWhy Is Beowulf Considered A Hero?983 Words   |  4 PagesMay 2016 Why is Beowulf considered a hero? Beowulf, an epic hero of his time, has some people that don’t think he should be considered a hero, but I think otherwise. He killed many monsters, and creatures from various places, saving the people who live(d) there, and this is the definition of a hero, â€Å"a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.† That definition really describes Beowulf because of the outstandingRead MoreHeroes : A Comparison Of Beowulf And Wolverine750 Words   |  3 PagesFrom the medieval times to the aftermath of World War II we have two different but extremely similar hero figures in history. One was Beowulf, an inexperienced warrior who turned into a developed king. The other was what some would call abnormal who was later turned into a science experiment known as Wolverine. Beowulf and Wolverine are very harsh and pitiless when it comes to conflict. From ripping limbs off with crude strength to tearing their enemies into pieces, it goes to show just how