The plot of Beowulf
Introduction
 Scyld arrives in Denmark and eventually becomes a great king
 His descendant Hroðgar builds a magnificent hall called Heorot
Grendel
 A monster, Grendel, is angered by the sounds of feasting and repeatedly attacks the hall
 The story of Heorot and Grendel spreads far and wide
 In Geatland, at Hygelac’s court, Beowulf hears the story and decides to go and fight the monster
 Beowulf and 14 companions travel to Denmark and are allowed ‘in’ by the coastguard
 Wulfgar, Hroðgar’s herald, welcomes them and tells Hroðgar of their arrival
 Hroðgar knew Ecgeþeow, Beowulf’s father, and welcomes the Geats to a feast
 During the feast, Unferð challenges Beowulf about his swimming match with Breca
 After the feast, the Danes go to sleep elsewhere leaving Heorot to the Geats
 Grendel attacks and eats Hondscio
 When he attacks Beowulf, they wrestle violently
 The Geats try to attack Grendel with swords, but cannot harm him
 Beowulf eventually tears Grendel’s arm off, and he runs away
 The next morning, Danes and Geats follow the bloody tracks to Grendel’s mere
 On the way back, a scop tells the stories of Sigemund and Heremod
 Back in Heorot, Grendel’s arm is hung above the door and Hroðgar praises Beowulf
 During the celebratory feast, treasures are given to Beowulf and his companions
 Hroðgar and the Geats leave Heorot in the charge of the Danish warriors
Grendel’s Mother
 Seeking revenge, Grendel’s Mother attacks Heorot and carries off Æschere and Grendel’s arm
 The next morning, Hroðgar summons Beowulf and laments, telling of Grendel’s mere
 Beowulf rebukes the king’s sadness, and agrees to attack Grendel’s Mother
 Danes and Geats travel together to the mere where they find Æschere’s head and many monsters
 Unferð gives Beowulf his sword Hrunting, and Beowulf dives into the lake
 Grendel’s Mother grabs him and carries him into her cave
 They fight, Hrunting breaks, and she overcomes Beowulf
 At the last moment, he sees a huge sword and kills her with it
 He finds Grendel and decapitates him, the monster’s blood melting the sword’s blade
 In the meantime, all the blood in the water has made the watchers think Beowulf had died
 The Danes go back to Heorot, and the Geats remain behind
 When Beowulf emerges, he and the Geats return to Heorot with Grendel’s head and the sword hilt
 Beowulf tells of his adventures and Hroðgar gives a ‘sermon’, including the story of Heremod
 The morning after the feast, the Geats take their leave and depart
 Beowulf gives gifts to the coastguard
Homecoming and intervening years
 The Geats return to Hygelac’s court and his queen Hygd
 The poet tells us the story of a cruel queen, Modþryð
 Beowulf tells the court the adventures in Denmark
 During his story, he predicts trouble ahead in Denmark as a result of Ingeld’s engagement to
Freawaru, Hroðgar’s daughter
 Hroðgar’s gifts are shared with Hygelac and Hygd, and they give gifts in return
 Over the coming years, Hygelac dies in a raid
 Hygd offers Beowulf the crown but he refuses, and Hygelac’s son Heardred becomes king
 Heardred dies, and Beowulf finally becomes king
 He reigns for fifty years
Dragon
 An abused slave runs away and steals a cup from a dragon’s hoard
 The dragon is enraged and lays Geatland to waste, including Beowulf’s own hall
 Beowulf recalls his fight with Grendel and determines to fight the dragon single-handed
 He has an iron shield made, and travels with 11 companions to the dragon’s lair
 He makes a long speech about his youth, the Danish court, and the feud with the Swedes
 He says goodbye to his companions
 Beowulf summons the dragon, and they fight
 Beowulf is overwhelmed by fire
 The companions run away, but Wiglaf runs to help him
 They fight together, and Wiglaf strikes the dragon before Beowulf cuts it in half
 Beowulf is wounded fatally
Death and funeral
 Wiglaf brings some treasure out for Beowulf to look at
 Beowulf is happy with the treasure, and gives orders for his burial mound
 Beowulf gives his weaponry to Wiglaf, and dies
 Wiglaf rebukes the companions who ran away and send a messenger to announce the death
 The messenger predicts disaster, and tells the story of past wars with Franks and Swedes
 The Geats look at the treasure and the poet tells the story of its curse
 Wiglaf commands that the treasure is all carried out, and the dragon pushed into the sea
 Beowulf’s body is carried back from the lair to the headland
 A pyre is built and Beowulf placed on it
 As he burns, a woman sings a lament of the doom of the Geats
 The Geats place the treasure with Beowulf’s body and enclose it all in a mound
 Twelve companions ride around the mound, praising Beowulf