Beowulf Questions 

Beowulf and Grendel

Rise of the Danish Nation

1. Shield Sheafson became the founder of the Dane’s royal line and he was founded as an infant out on sea.  His funeral consisted of his loyal men paying tribute and casting his body away in a boat with the riches that he earned as a noble king. Hrothgar is a descendent within the line of royalty under Sheafson. 

Heorot is Attacked

1. Hrothgar built a monument for his success and it was called Heorot where men drank and sung merrily in the hall. Grendel, a villain, attacked the men in Heorot and slaughtered them each night for twelve years. The Danes grew into a state of panic that was heard of all over and they desperately called for help to defeat the mysterious creature.

The Hero Comes to Heorot

1. Beowulf, after hearing the distressing news, decides to sail over to Hrothgar’s kingdom and help out their problem for he was a great and mighty warrior.

2. Beowulf and his men are stopped by a couple of Danish guards before entering the kingdom and demands to know why they were there. To this, Beowulf announces from whence he came from and who he was and why they had come (to slay the beast). They believe his story, much by their appearance, and they enter the kingdom.

3. Hrothgar’s herald, Wulfgar, approaches the men and asks that they state their business with the king. Beowulf replies that he must speak to Hrothgar immediately. Taking the response with haste, Wulfgar tells Hrothgar of the traveling warrior. Hrothgar tells Wulfgar that he remembered Beowulf when he was young, declaring that he knew Beowulf’s father as well. It is a small world, isn’t it?

4. Beowulf offers to kill Grendel unarmed. Hrothgar tells of the story of how his father was in gratitude of him. He had sent money to the Wulfing tribe to fix a feud after Beowulf’s father killed a member of the Wulfing tribe.

Feast at Heorot

1. A Dane, Unferth, accused Beowulf of losing a swimming match against Breca and was determined that Beowulf would lose to Grendel. Beowulf tells of the story of how it really happened and boasts of killing eight monsters underwater whereas Unferth would fail in doing. His cockiness shows his character and increases his honor and valor. He accuses Unferth of being drunk.

2. Queen Wealhtheow offers a ceremonial goblet to everyone in the room and thanks God for sending the brave and mighty Beowulf. Beowulf, of course, boasts in response.

The Fight With Grendel

1. Instead of gearing up with armed weaponry, Beowulf removes all of his armor and weapons and claims that he is just as mighty as Grendel with his bare hands. He waits for Grendel while the other men rest for the night.

2. Once Grendel enters, he immediately devours one of the Geats and goes for Beowulf, who grips his arm in response with remarkable strength. They begin to wrestle each other around the hall, creating a ruckus that wakes up the men. No weapon pierces Grendel and Beowulf’s mighty strength tears Grendel’s arm off. Grendel saunters away, fatally wounded, and heads back to his swamp. Beowulf

Celebration at Heorot

1. Beowulf is much like Sigemund because he has slewed the beast (or dragon in Sigemund’s case) with much valor and was a brave hero for doing so, gathering the beast (dragon’s) riches. This, of course, is foreshadowing for Beowulf in the third part of the epic. His is not like Heremond because he is not an evil king who is against his own people. This also foreshadows Beowulf becoming king in Gaet.

2. Hrothgar is very much thankful for Beowulf’s deed and promises to lavish Beowulf with rewards and riches. He also expresses how much of a son Beowulf is to him in his heart. Unferth is completely disproved by Beowulf’s glorious deed and his claims on Beowulf before were wrong.

3. In the tale of Finn, the Danes had battled the king of Frisians, Finn, and lost. Danish Princess Hildeburh, who is married to Finn, is upset by the battle and demands that her dead brother, who worked on the Danish side, and her dead son, who was a soldier for the Frisians, be burned together. The Danish, later on, declare another battle on the Frisians and the Frisians lose horribly to them. Hildeburh is returned to Denmark.

4. After Hrothgar wanted to adopt Beowulf as his son instead of his own. Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar not to deprive one of her sons the right to rule after him.

5. Wealhtheow presents to Beowulf necklace and asks him to protect and guide her sons after Hrothgar dies. 

6. It’s a REALLY bad idea for the men to sleep in the beer hall because unbeknownst to them, another monster is lurking in their midst as vengeance for her son’s death. They believe there is not another dangerous creature out there now that Grendel is gone.

Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother

Another Attack

1. Like I said, Grendel’s mother came to Heorot to avenge her son and not JUST to feast on delicious human flesh much like Grendel had.

2.  Hrothgar is devastated when realizing that Grendel’s mother has taken his friend and councilor, Aeschere. He immediately tells Beowulf the news and pleads for him to go slay the beast for he will reward Beowulf with more riches.

3. The mere is said to be a swampy and horrible. There is also a magical eminence to it. The water is said to burn and the bottom of the mere has never been reached before. Even the animals are afraid of the water.

Beowulf Fights Grendel’s Mother

1. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he accepts to hunt down Grendel’s mother and he assures him that she will not escape his clutches. He gives him his honor.

2. The men find Aeschere’s severed head near the mere and it was a horrifying sight. At the cliff’s edge is an endless amount of sea monsters and serpents in the murky water where Grendel’s mother is said to be. Beowulf slays one of the beasts in the water with an arrow.

3. Beowulf arms up with his weapons and Unferth hands him the seasoned sword Hrunting, which is said to never have failed in battle.

4. When Beowulf enters the mere, Grendel’s mother immediately senses him and attacks him, but Beowulf’s armor protects her attacks. She drags him to a battle-hall where the water’s heat could not harm him, which is surprising and much of an advantage on his behalf.

5. Beowulf swung the sword he brought with him at Grendel’s mother but the sword does not harm her and fails to pierce her. He angrily throws it aside for it was useless to him.

6. As Grendel’s mother comes down to stab at Beowulf from beneath her with the dagger, the mail shirt he wore protected him. Beowulf escapes her hold on him and rises back up.

7. Once back up, he saw a very large sword hanging near him and grabs it in his mighty hands. He decapitates Grendel’s mother and she falls dead at his feet. Angrily, he goes to the dead body of Grendel and decapitates the beast, bringing back the severed head. In response, the sword begins to melt from Grendel’s blood but Beowulf still saves the hilt of the sword.

8. When Beowulf emerges from the mere, his sees that the Geats were still waiting for him with hope. The Danes had given up and gone home but the Geats had loyally waited for their leader.

Further Celebration at Heorot

1. Beowulf gives Hrothgar Grendel’s severed head and the hilt of the sword.

2. Hrothgar gives Beowulf advice on how to be a great king by choosing eternal rewards rather than earthly. He mentions Heremond once again by contrasting Beowulf with him. He predicts a great future with Beowulf by using Heremond as an example of him being the exact opposite of what Beowulf will be.

3. Beowulf gives Unferth the hilt of the sword before he leaves so as to give it back to him.

Beowulf Returns Home

1. I already mentioned this but Hrothgar predicts that Beowulf will have an excellent future.

2. Hygd is the wife of King Hygelac and she is lovely and wise. She is contrasted with Queen Modryth who was very terrible to her subjects by killing innocent people. She is said to have improved in behavior after marrying King Offa.

3. Beowulf believes that the engagement will bring a feud between the Danes and Heathobards instead of peace. He is reminded of the Finn story with the unhappy engagement that turned into a lengthy battle and predicts that it may happen again, thus breaking the intended peace among them. It is a very ironic side brought to his character because we are seeing something other than his glory side and he seems rather more worried about the other kingdoms.  

4. When Beowulf explains his victorious triumph over Grendel and his mother, he tended to exaggerate the ferocity of the beasts and the rewards he received over there. So, he wasn’t EXACTLY accurate.

5. Beowulf is generously given much of the treasure and land by Hygelac. He is praised by the entire kingdom for his brave deeds.  

Beowulf and the Dragon

The Dragon Wakes

1. Fifty Years have passed since Beowulf’s been king. After Hygelac died, Beowulf suggested that his cousin Heardred, Hygd’s son, rule the kingdom. However, Heardred was killed in a war and Beowulf took over the kingdom. Now the kingdom is wracked with fear because there is a dragon living beneath them with a great deal of treasure.

2. Centuries ago, the last survivor of an ancient race hid the treasure of the dragon in the barrow when that person realized that the treasure was useless to him upon realizing he will die one day. The dragon took the place in guarding it for over three hundred years. However, a thief slave had stolen a goblet for his master and fled, causing the dragon to be in a rage.

3. The dragon, in a fiery rage, burns down Beowulf’s throne-hall that evening and Beowulf is upset.

4. Beowulf had asked why his home was burnt down and realized that he must be punished by God. With no fear, he orders a new shield to go and fight the dragon himself with only a handful of people by his side. His high level of valor is the only thing he is dependent on and I’m afraid that it may not be enough.

5. Hygelac died while fighting against the Franks in Juteland. Hygd tried to bestow the throne to Beowulf but he did not accept it and let her son, Heardred, rule the kingdom.

6. Heardred was killed in a war against the Swedes and Beowulf becomes king. Beowulf avenged Heardred’s death by ending the feud between them.

7. Beowulf takes eleven men with him when he goes to slay the dragon.

8. Hygelac’s brother, Herebeald, was accidentally killed by his other brother, Haethcyn. In response, King Hrethal retires from the throne and eventually dies. (In progress...)

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon

1. Beowulf tells his companions to be strong and ready for battle when the opportunity comes and also wishes them luck.

2. Beowulf underestimates his strength as it weakens against the dragon’s strong features. In terror, his companions flee all except for one. Wiglaf is the only loyal companion to have stuck by Beowulf’s side. He scorns against the other companions for their cowardly ways of abandoning their leader. Wiglaf bravely fights alongside Beowulf.

3. Upon another attack, Beowulf slashes at the dragon but the sword breaks. The dragon bites Beowulf on the neck and Wiglaf assists him. Wiglaf stabs the dragon but his hand is scorched and it does nothing to the dragon. In desperation, Beowulf pulls out a dagger and stabs the dragon in a fatal blow.

4. Dying, Beowulf tells Wiglaf to grab a portion of the treasure for him to see. Beowulf thanks God for bringing wealth to his people upon seeing the glorious treasure. He tells Wiglaf to take care of the Gaets and asks for them to build him a barrow labeled Beowulf’s Barrow overlooking the sea.

Beowulf’s Funeral

1. When the cowardly companions return, Wiglaf bitterly scolds them for their immoral behavior. He predicts that their cowardice will be greater than Beowulf’s life. He backs this up by saying that now foreign countries are more likely to invade easier now that their great leader was dead.

2. The messenger tells the city of the predictions Wiglaf had told them. He assures that it is now more likely that they will be attacked by those foreign kingdoms. In Ravenswood, the Ongentheow rounded the Geats and taunted them. When the morning came, Hygelac arrived to save their men. 

3. Wiglaf tells the people of how Beowulf would like to be buried. He readies them to start building a funeral pyre.

4. As for the dragon, the Geats hurl the dragon’s body into the water to be swept into sea.

5. They build the pyre and Beowulf’s body is laid in it. They set him on fire while the woman lament over his death and of the predicaments that it will cause with upcoming wars. They then place his remains in the barrow on the cliff for all eyes to see.

6. They continue to describe Beowulf as kind king to his people and the best to have ever lived who was open to his people and so deserving of praise. In a way, describing a military hero of such is fairly accurate because a hero fights with his heart and his mind set on the goal at hand. He is one who never gives up, which is another good hero trait.