Introduction to Beowulf

Introduction to Beowulf
1)    Part One of Assignment:

•    Poem starts off with genealogy of the Danes, ending with Hrothgar, the current king of the Danes. Poet sings of all his great works.
•     King Hrothgar builds a great mead-hall called Heorot as a symbol of his success.
•    An ogre named Grendel, who is a descendant of Cain, abhors the sound of merry making. He appears on the scene by crashing the party at the mead-hall and violently murdering 30 men.
•    He returns the next night, after which Hrothgar closes the mead-hall. 
•    Grendel terrorizes the kingdom for the next 12 years.
•    We finally meet Beowulf, from the land of the Geats, who hears of the Danes’ monster and comes from across the sea to destroy him.
•    King Hrothgar welcomes the hero with a feast at the mead-hall, during which Beowulf tells of his heroic exploits. Unferth, a top thane of the king’s, takes the role of Debbie-Downer and calls Beowulf’s reputation into question.
•    Once the party’s over, the Geats stay in the mead-hall, awaiting the arriving of Grendel.
•    Grendel inevitably appears, and Beowulf rips his arm off with his bare hands, causing Grendel’s death.
•    A huge party is held for the kingdom’s savior. Various warriors and chieftains from other lands come to praise Beowulf. He and his men are showered with gifts, while a bard (a scop) sings hero stories in honor of Beowulf.
•    Unbeknownst to the celebrators, Grendel had a mother, who comes to seek revenge. The night after the ogre’s death, she raids the hall, which is full of happy, sleeping men. She takes Grendel’s arm, Beowulf’s trophy, and kills Hrothgar’s “dearest warrior,” Aeschere.
•    Beowulf travels to the ogre’s murky lair to rid the kingdom of yet another monster. Unferth, humbled by Beowulf’s victory, gives him his sword, Hrunting.
•    Beowulf jumps into the water to find Grendel’s mother, but she finds him first and drags him to her underwater cave.
•    The great sword Hrunting is useless against her, and Beowulf’s bare hands and raw strength are useless against her. He miraculously spots a mighty sword nearby, fashioned by giants, which he can barely lift. But one strike of the sword fells the evil ogre, and she dies.
•    Beowulf presents the hilt of the melted giant-sword and the head of Grendel to the king and his people, as trophies of his killings.

2)    Part Two of Assignment:

I really like this passage in Beowulf:

“My one request…
Is that you won’t refuse me…
The privilege of purifying Heorot,
With my own men to help me, and nobody else.
I have heard moreover that the monster scorns
In his reckless way to use weapons;
Therefore, to heighten Hygelac’s fame
And gladden his heart, I hereby renounce
Sword and the shelter of the broad shield,
The heavy war-board: hand-to-hand
Is how it will be, a life-and-death
Fight with the fiend. Whichever one death fells
Must deem it a just judgment by God” (lines 429-441).

I believe this passage is very important because it gives us a look into the character of this epic hero. The whole story is focused around this one character, so I want to get to know him before I think on his actions and why he does what he does throughout the course of this story. Yes, perhaps his whole motive in defeating this monster is for his own glory and renown, but he says he seeks his king’s glory and happiness with his own exploits. This shows a people’s loyalty and love for their own kind during that period in history. They didn’t just seek their own good; they sought the good and fame of others within their circle. Realizing that fighting hand-to-hand with an ogre who killed 30 men in one attack sounds like an impossible victory, he ends his speech by placing ultimate trust in the decision of God. He doesn’t find it shameful to die, as if he failed. It is simply his time to die. He can’t fight God’s plan.

3)    Part Three of Assignment:


http://www.abdn.ac.uk/english/beowulf/whoswho.htm

This page is really helpful to me because not only does it give me a quick description of the characters, but it also tells me how to pronounce the names in Old English. So now I sound nerdier than ever! Hope this helps!