BEOWULF ANALYSIS

Beowulf is an Old English epic story which is considered to be the highest

achievement and the oldest surviving long story of the Old English literature. The epic,
Beowulf, deals with the events of the early 6 th Century and is believed to have been
written during circa. 700 – 750 AD. The epic story tells the story and adventures of the
great hero, Beowulf.
The story started by introducing King Hrothgar of Denmark who enjoys a
prosperous and successful reign in his land. King Hrothgar builds a great mead-hall,
called Heorot, where his warriors can gather to drink, receive gifts, and listen to stories
that produces a jubilant noise which then angers Grendel, a horrible demon who lives in
the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes every night which
then made the Danes suffer many years of fear, danger, and death at the hands of the
demon until a young Geatish warrior named Beowulf offered a helping hand to the King
Hrothgar and explained how he owes the king for helping his father in the past. King
Hrothgar then gratefully accepts his offer to help.
The next time that Grendel attacks the Heorot hall, Beowulf is waiting for him.
Beowulf then challenged Grendel to a hand-to-hand combat where Beowulf showed his
strength by beating Grendel and by tearing off Grendel’s arm at the shoulder which
resulted to a wound that caused the death of Grendel. After Beowulf’s victory over the
demon, Grendel, King Hrothgar decided to throw a celebration at the Heorot Hall.
Unfortunately, Grendel has an overprotective mother who decided to avenge her son by
attacking the Heorot hall when all the warriors are sleeping. Because of this attack, the
warriors together with Beowulf then started looking for Grendel’s mother to take revenge
for what she has done. The warriors tracked Grendel’s mother and found out that she is
in her own lair which is a cave located underneath a nearby lake.
After finding the lair, Beowulf then dives into the lake and finds the cave where he
takes on Grendel’s mother in a one-on-one battle that resulted in him killing Grendel’s
mother using the giant’s sword he saw. Beowulf then looked for Grendel’s body and
decapitated his head as a sign of victory. After obtaining Grendel’s head, Beowulf then
returns to the surface bringing with him Grendel’s head. King Hrothgar then again throw
another party for Beowulf’s victory against Grendel’s mother.
Finally, the Geats together with Beowulf say their goodbye to King Hrothgar and
take their leave from Danes to sail back to their own kingdom. King Hygelac of the
Geats and all his relatives then died in different blood-feuds, leaving Beowulf to succeed
the thrown and become the new King of the Geats. Beowulf reigns as a king for fifty
years, protecting the Geats from all of its enemies. Beowulf lived as an honorable and
heroic warrior and king. But one day, Beowulf finally meets his match: a dragon, that is
woken by a thief stealing a goblet, who burns the villages and slaughters the people of
Geats. Beowulf then takes a group of eleven trusty warriors with him to the dragon’s lair
for a final showdown. When they see the dragon, all but one of the warriors flee in
terror. The only man, Wilgaf, that is left remains at Beowulf’s side during the fight. With
Wilgaf’s help, Beowulf is able to defeat the dragon, but is wounded in the process
resulting to his death. After Beowulf’s death, the Geats build an enormous funeral pyre
for him and burned his body the way that he wished the people to do.

Canterbury Tales
1. Pardoner’s Tale