Beowulf Questions

(Prologue)

1.  It was unusual the way Shield came into power because, like most powerful kings or princes, he wasn’t born into a royal blood line or something like that. He was a forgotten child who eventually grew into a strong and powerful man. His funeral was very emotional. They people respected him and made a tribute to him by sending his body on a boat into the sea just as he floated into power. Shield was Hrothgar’s grandfather.

 

(Herot is attacked)

 

1. Hrothgar created a great land and kingdom which was visciously and drastically attacked by the trecherous and monsterous dragon Grendel. After the attacks started, Grendel terrorizes Herot and leaves fear in the minds and hearts of every citizen living in the village. The attacks lasted a whole year, but the Danes didn't know what to do. They even had council meetings but men were too scared to try and defeat Grendel.

 

(The Hero Comes to Herot)

 

1. When Beowulf hears of Grendel's attacks, he quickly demands a boat filled with him and the bravest men of the Geats to travel to Herot and slay the beast.

2. The men meet Hrothgar's leiutenant, also the watchman, when they arrive at Herot. He demands to know their family's history and why they are on the sands of Herot. Beowulf then explains who he is and why he has come to their village.

3. Hrothgar’s herald, Wulfgar, is known for being the wisest men in Herot. When he meets Beowulf and his gang, he’s impressed with him so he goes to Hrothgar and tells him about Beowulf. Hrothgar says that he remembers Beowulf as a little boy and recalls his own friendship with Beowulf’s father. I’m a little surprised that he remembers Beowulf for their villages are a long ways apart from each other and it can be easy to forget something that happened so long ago.

4. Beowulf meets with Hrothgar and tells his memories of his past with Hrothgar and his father. When Beowulf’s father Heatholoaf, a member of the Wulfing tribe, Hrothgar sent treasure to Beowulf’s father to praise him for his victory.

 

(Feast at Herot)

1. Unferth accuses Beowulf of losing a swimming match against Beca. Beowulf then accuses Unferth of drunkness and describes what really happened that day and told him the truth. He says that Unferth’s accusations show how idiotic he is when he says that Beowulf won’t be able to beat Grendel. This scene is a symbol of the poem as a whole by showing how confident and heroic Beowulf is.

2. Queen Wealhteow gives a toast to Beowulf and his men and praises them for their bravery and thanks them for helping her village.

(The Fight with Grendel)

 

1. Beowulf, cocky as he is, decides to lay down his weapons and fight the demon unarmed, the way that the demon will be fighting him.

2. Beowulf waits for Grendel to approach him, and then wrestles him. Grendel ends up getting away, but not without getting his arm ripped off.

 

(Celebration at Heorot)

 

1.When the Danes and Geats return from following Grendel's tracks to the mere, someone sings in Beowulf's presence, comparing him to Sigemund and saying that he was not like Heremod (lines 883-914). How is Beowulf like Sigemund? How is he not like Heremod? (Be alert for inserted stories such as this one. Beowulf contains many of them, most much more complex that this one.)

2. Hrothgar praises him and offers to make him an adopted son.

3.  In general, what happens is that the Finns and the Danes have enmity towards each other, and they battle. The Finnish king is married to a Danish woman, and kills her family. In the end, she ends up being able to be returned to her family once her husband has been killed.

4. She wants her children to be treated kindly after his death.

5. She asks him to be friends with her children.

6.They were drunk, so they probably just felt inclined to sleep there. It was a mistake because soon, Grendel’s mother would come upon the hall and they were not prepared for that.

 

BEOWULF AND GRENDEL'S MOTHER  

 

(Another Attack)

 

1. Grendel’s mother was grieving because Grendel died, and came back seeking revenge upon the first sleeping man she saw, and carried him away.

2.Hrothgar’s response was to be distraught because the person Grendel’s mother killed was his trusted adviser. He commissions Beowulf on another quest.

3. Mere is a dark, mysterious, magical swamp. No one knows how deep it is, and most natural beings seem to fear it.

 

(Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother)

 

1. Beowulf assures Hrothgar to trust him because he will not let Grendel’s mother escape this time.

2.  The counselor was decapitated before they could reach the mere.

3. Beowulf prepares this time by arming himself. Unferth lends him the sword named Hrunting, which legend says has never once failed in a battle.

4. Beowulf tells Hrothgar to take care of his people if he does not make it back. The demons live on the bottom of the swamp, which no one had reached before.

5.  It is unable to pierce her skin.

6. The armor he put on had protected him, and he was able to fend off what he could using Hrunting.

7. Beowulf gets a weapon that she had on her wall that was forged by giants. It was able to kill her. When she is killed, the room becomes lighter and Beowulf can see Grendel’s corpse. He brings up his head, as well as the handle of the sword he used to kill Grendel’s mother since the rest of it had melted.

8. Most of Beowulf’s men had not expected his return so they sulked back into the town. But when they saw he was alright, they praised him and celebrated even more.

 

(Further Celebration at Heorot)

 

1. He gives him the head of Grendel impaled on two spears.

 

(Beowulf Returns Home)

 

1. Hrothgar predicts a bright and good future for Beowulf full of success because of his fearlessness and honor.

2. Hygd is a brave and beautiful young queen. Modthryth was also a queen, but she was wicked and cruel.

3. He seems to think that this marriage will only further the war. This is definitely a more manipulative and political side to Beowulf than we’ve seen thus far.

4.He reports it accurately with an emphasis on how terrifying the monsters were and how great the spoils were, which says a lot about where his mind is when he is performing these feats.

5. Hygelac gives him some land to rule over, and eventually he becomes king.

 

BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON  

 

(The Dragon Wakes)

 

1. It takes place at least two decades later. Hygelac has died, and left Beowulf as king. Now, a dragon is plaguing the Geats.

2.The dragon is angry because a thief stole a goblet from the treasure trove the dragon was guarding. The treasure got there because an ancient race that was doomed to perish began to bury their treasures there, and the dragon found it.

3. Besides incinerating an entire country side, Beowulf’s throne room was also extra crispified.

4. Beowulf assumed he was receiving punishment from the gods. He orders a new, fire proof shield and plans on fighting the dragon alone.

5. There was a battle in which Hygelac died, but Beowulf was able to survive. Instead of becoming a king then and there, he acted as a protector to Hygd’s son. He then avenged Hygelac’s death.

6. He is killed in a battle with the Swedes. Beowulf then ascends to the throne and resolves conflict with the Swedes.

7. Beowulf takes 11 men to go fight the dragon.

8. There was a fight between two brothers in which one was accidentally killed, and this is what Beowulf relates to the war with the Swedes.

 

(Beowulf Attacks the Dragon)

 

2. When Beowulf fights the dragon, all of the 11 men leave him, much like they did when he fought Grendel’s mother. Wiglaf stays behind and fights beside him loyally.

3. The second time, Beowulf receives a fatal wound and Wiglaf ends up killing the dragon.

4. Beowulf wants to see the treasure before he dies. When he sees it, the thanks the gods. He wants to be made a barrow for which to be buried in.

 

(Beowulf's Funeral)

 

1. When Beowulfs companions return, they are ashamed because Beowulf has died. Wiglaf shames them, and expects foreign warlords to attack now that Beowulf is not around to protect them.

3. Wiglaf tells the crowd that the only way the hoard can be opened is by the will of god.

4.The dragon lies dead in the hoard, unable to be opened.

5. They burn the body, and put it on the hill for everyone to see. The death of their king is greatly mourned by the Geats.

6. They said he had the greediest spirit, and now he has been burned. This seems odd coming from a culture who revered him so much, but we all know how much the treasure and glory meant to him.