LEVEL C – Bilbo Son of Beowulf To begin, the scene in which Bilbo steals from the dragon parallels a scene from Beowulf. In The Hobbit, Bilbo takes a cup from the dragon Smaug to show the dwarfs their treasure is preserved. “He grasped a great two‐handled cup, as heavy as he could carry, and cast one fearful eye upwards” (Tolkien 216). In this scene there is a thief, a cup, and a sleeping dragon. A similar scene takes place in Beowulf. “He had handled and removed/a gem‐studded goblet; [and] with a thief’s wiles he had outwitted/the sleeping dragon” (Beowulf 151). Again, there is a thief who steals a cup from a sleeping dragon. This similarity is more than coincidence since Tolkien studied Beowulf extensively. “Tolkien probably writes lectures on Beowulf, which will provide the basis for his famous essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Since Tolkien wrote about a lectured on Beowulf, it is no surprise that he would use parts of it in his own works. To summarize, Tolkien paid homage to Beowulf, which he studied extensively, by having Bilbo’s actions echo those of a runaway slave stealing from a dragon. A second similarity involves the main characters of both pieces, as they both rise to a position of leadership. In The Hobbit, Bilbo has to gain the respect of the doubtful dwarfs, who at first believe he is useless to their group. The dwarfs “had changed their opinion of Mr. Baggins very much, and had begun to have a great respect for him” (Tolkien 166). Bilbo proved himself through his actions and thus gained the respect of his peers despite their initial misgivings. Similarly, Beowulf gain the respect of the doubting Unferth. “Unferth, a son of Ecglaf’s, spoke/contrary words” (Beowulf 35), but later “another item lent by Unferth/at that moment of need was of no small importance” (Beowulf 101). Unferth’s attitude changed from one of disdain to one of respect because of Beowulf’s actions. Tolkien himself had to prove himself in the military during World War I. “Periods of remission enabled him to do home service at various camps sufficiently well to be promoted to lieutenant” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Tolkien, in the face of a recurring illness, was still able to move up the ranks in the military and serve his country in its time of need. In short, Bilbo, Beowulf, and Tolkien each had to prove through their actions that they deserved respect from their peers in a combative setting. Lastly, Tolkien carries the tradition of Norse nicknaming into his stories. In The Hobbit, the dwarfs introduce themselves with their name and the name of their father. “Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!” (Tolkien 195). Since Thorin is royalty, he includes the name of his grandfather as well as the name of his father, establishing his lineage as the descendant of kings. Similarly, Beowulf is often referred to as the son of Ecgtheow. “Beowulf, Ecgtheow’s son” (Beowulf 37). On numerous occasions throughout both texts characters are described as the descendants of their fathers. Tolkien himself was a student of Norse traditions and mythology. “[Tolkien] and [another professor] founded a ‘Viking Club’ for undergraduates devoted mainly to reading Old Norse sagas and drinking beer” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Even in his spare time, he continued to read and discuss the Old Norse stories and traditions. In summation, Tolkien’s affinity for Norse traditions, which are sampled in Beowulf, carried over into The Hobbit. LEVEL B – Bilbo Son of Beowulf To begin, the scene in which Bilbo steals from the dragon parallels a scene from Beowulf. In The Hobbit, Bilbo takes a cup from the dragon Smaug to show the dwarfs their treasure is preserved. Bilbo “He grasped a great two‐handled cup, as heavy as he could carry, and cast one fearful eye upwards” (Tolkien 216) at the sleeping dragon. In this scene there is a thief, a cup, and a sleeping dragon. A similar scene takes place in Beowulf. A runaway slave “had handled and removed/a gem‐studded goblet; [and] with a thief’s wiles he had outwitted/the sleeping dragon” (Beowulf 151). Again, there is a thief who steals a cup from a sleeping dragon. This similarity is more than coincidence since Tolkien studied Beowulf extensively. Tolkien wrote “his famous essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Since Tolkien wrote about a lectured on Beowulf, it is no surprise that he would use parts of it in his own works. To summarize, Tolkien paid homage to Beowulf, which he studied extensively, by having Bilbo’s actions echo those of a runaway slave stealing from a dragon. A second similarity involves the main characters of both pieces, as they both rise to a position of leadership. In The Hobbit, Bilbo has to gain the respect of the doubtful dwarfs, who at first believe he is useless to their group. The dwarfs “had changed their opinion of Mr. Baggins very much, and had begun to have a great respect for him” (Tolkien 166). Bilbo proved himself through his actions and thus gained the respect of his peers despite their initial misgivings. Similarly, Beowulf gain the respect of the doubting Unferth. “Unferth, a son of Ecglaf’s, spoke/contrary words” (Beowulf 35), but later “another item lent by Unferth/at that moment of need was of no small importance” (Beowulf 101). Unferth’s attitude changed from one of disdain to one of respect because of Beowulf’s actions. Tolkien himself had to prove himself in the military during World War I. Tolkien was eventually “promoted to lieutenant” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Tolkien, in the face of a recurring illness, was still able to move up the ranks in the military and serve his country in its time of need. In short, Bilbo, Beowulf, and Tolkien each had to prove through their actions that they deserved respect from their peers in a combative setting. Lastly, Tolkien carries the tradition of Norse nicknaming into his stories. In The Hobbit, the dwarfs introduce themselves with their name and the name of their father. Thorin Oakenshield says, “Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!” (Tolkien 195). Since Thorin is royalty, he includes the name of his grandfather as well as the name of his father, establishing his lineage as the descendant of kings. Similarly, Beowulf is often referred to as the son of Ecgtheow. Hrothgar says, “Beowulf, Ecgtheow’s son” (Beowulf 37) to Beowulf. On numerous occasions throughout both texts characters are described as the descendants of their fathers. Tolkien himself was a student of Norse traditions and mythology. Tolkien “and [another professor] founded a ‘Viking Club’ for undergraduates devoted mainly to reading Old Norse sagas and drinking beer” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Even in his spare time, he continued to read and discuss the Old Norse stories and traditions. In summation, Tolkien’s affinity for Norse traditions, which are sampled in Beowulf, carried over into The Hobbit. LEVEL A – Bilbo Son of Beowulf To begin, the scene in which Bilbo steals from the dragon parallels a scene from Beowulf. In The Hobbit, Bilbo takes a cup from the dragon Smaug to show the dwarfs their treasure is preserved. After examining what was available, “He grasped a great two‐handled cup, as heavy as he could carry, and cast one fearful eye upwards” (Tolkien 216) at the sleeping dragon. In this scene there is a thief, a cup, and a sleeping dragon. A similar scene takes place in Beowulf. At one point a runaway slave “had handled and removed/a gem‐studded goblet; [and] with a thief’s wiles he had outwitted/the sleeping dragon” (Beowulf 151). Again, there is a thief who steals a cup from a sleeping dragon. This similarity is more than coincidence since Tolkien studied Beowulf extensively. In 1933 Tolkien began the work for “his famous essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Since Tolkien wrote about a lectured on Beowulf, it is no surprise that he would use parts of it in his own works. To summarize, Tolkien paid homage to Beowulf, which he studied extensively, by having Bilbo’s actions echo those of a runaway slave stealing from a dragon. A second similarity involves the main characters of both pieces, as they both rise to a position of leadership. In The Hobbit, Bilbo has to gain the respect of the doubtful dwarfs, who at first believe he is useless to their group. After Bilbo rescued the dwarfs from giant spiders, the dwarfs “had changed their opinion of Mr. Baggins very much, and had begun to have a great respect for him” (Tolkien 166). Bilbo proved himself through his actions and thus gained the respect of his peers despite their initial misgivings. Similarly, Beowulf gain the respect of the doubting Unferth. When Beowulf arrived in Denmark to save the Danes from Grendel, “Unferth, a son of Ecglaf’s, spoke/contrary words” (Beowulf 35), but after Beowulf defeated Grendel and had to pursue Grendel’s mother, “another item lent by Unferth/at that moment of need was of no small importance” (Beowulf 101). Unferth’s attitude changed from one of disdain to one of respect because of Beowulf’s actions. Tolkien himself had to prove himself in the military during World War I. Despite contracting a debilitating illness in 1916, Tolkien was eventually “promoted to lieutenant” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Tolkien, in the face of a recurring illness, was still able to move up the ranks in the military and serve his country in its time of need. In short, Bilbo, Beowulf, and Tolkien each had to prove through their actions that they deserved respect from their peers in a combative setting. Lastly, Tolkien carries the tradition of Norse nicknaming into his stories. In The Hobbit, the dwarfs introduce themselves with their name and the name of their father. Thorin Oakenshield’s formal introduction is “Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!” (Tolkien 195). Since Thorin is royalty, he includes the name of his grandfather as well as the name of his father, establishing his lineage as the descendant of kings. Similarly, Beowulf is often referred to as the son of Ecgtheow. When addressed by Hrothgar, who knew Beowulf’s father, “Beowulf, Ecgtheow’s son” (Beowulf 37) answers him. On numerous occasions throughout both texts characters are described as the descendants of their fathers. Tolkien himself was a student of Norse traditions and mythology. While working as an instructor at Oxford, “he and [another professor] founded a ‘Viking Club’ for undergraduates devoted mainly to reading Old Norse sagas and drinking beer” (tolkiensociety.org screen 1). Even in his spare time, he continued to read and discuss the Old Norse stories and traditions. In summation, Tolkien’s affinity for Norse traditions, which are sampled in Beowulf, carried over into The Hobbit.