BEOWULF

PART I

BY:
AGUILAR, GUINEVERE N.
CHUA, ALICIA IVY L.
LOZADA, IVY GAYLE R.
RESERVA, HILLARY OLGA

SUMMARY

The building of Heorot and the Emergence of Grendel

Beowulf comes to Denmark
Unferths Challenge and the Story of the Swimming Race
The Battle with Grendel

CHARACTERS
Beowulf- the Hero of the Anglo-Saxon poem
Hrothgar- King of the Danes; a wise and aged ruler.
Grendel- one of the three antagonists of this epic poem.
Wulfgar- King Hrothgars herald; brings the message of Beowulfs arrival
Unferth- King Hrothgars retainer; envious of Beowulfs fame
Breca- Beowulfs childhood friend who competed with him in a swimming
match
Wealhtheow- The Kings wife, from the Wulfing Clan.

The Building of Heorot and the Emergence

of Grendel
King Hrothgar built a very tall hall where he and his men can feast and
celebrate for their glorious victories.
In the darkness, a monster lives in his fetid hole. The monster is called
Grendel.
He heard the songs of the scops in Heorot and gets angry.
He leaves his lair and goes to Heorot and brings misery.
Grendels attack becomes a repetition that the hall becomes abandoned.

Beowulf comes to Denmark

The news of Grendels attacks eventually reaches Beowulfs ears.
He then sailed for Denmark to aid King Hrothgar.
As they arrive, they are challenged by the watchman on the shore and
Beowulf explains the reason why they have come.
Beowulf and his men heads up to Heorot when they are stopped by Wulfgar
and Beowulf states his mission. Wulfgar brings Beowulfs message to the king
to grant them an audience.
The kind and Beowulf meets and announced that he will defeat and kill
Grendel, and they held a feast.

Unferths Challenge and the Story of the

Swimming Race
As the party is being held, Unferth interrupts the celebration by asking
Beowulf if he is the same man who lost in a swimming race against a man
named Breca.
He questions Beowulf capacities if he can really kill the monster since he cant
even win in a swimming race.
Beowulf sets the story straight and explains why he lost.
After explaining, Beowulf challenged back Unferth and the king calmed him
down.

The Battle with Grendel

As the celebration ended, all of the men slept except for Beowulf who stayed up to guard.
Grendel soon lurks in the dark and arrives at Heorot.
The monster grabs the man nearest to him and tore him to pieces and ate him.
Grendel grabs the next sleeping man when the mans hand met his and grip him strongly.
Beowulf pinned Grendels arm down and they wrestled fiercely. Beowulfs men rush for his
aid but no iron weapon can wound the beast.
Grendel tried desperately to shake Beowulf off but the warrior grips more tightly. He tore
off Grendels arm and the monster flees from the hall.

Alliteration
Line 8: Graved with runes and deeds of dead heroes
Line 24: The hall of Heorot rang loud and long
Line 25: With woe of warriors and grief of the great king
Line 28: Came Grendel, gross and grim, famish for flesh
Line 31: And many a meal he made of warriors.

Kenning
Line 12 & 13: Fiend from hell, Misbegotten son of a foul mother
Refers to: Grendel
Lines 36 & 37: A youth of valiance abounding, mightiest yet mildest of men
Refers to: Beowulf
Lines 95: Lord of the rousing war-song
Refers to: Hrothgar
Line 266: Gray-haired giver of treasure
Refers to: Hrothgar
Lines 271 & 272: Son of most favored, and fortunate of mothers
Refers to: Beowulf

END