Hrothgar’s queen is an embodiment of hospitality and good taste as she hosts the banquets in Heorot. She is everything that a queen should be: generous, tasteful, proper, and kind. Her graceful appearance shortly after the Unferth incident contrasts effectively with the rude behavior of the drunken retainer. Wealhtheow is […]
Read more Character Analysis WealhtheowCharacter Analysis Unferth
Along with Grendel, Unferth represents the theme of envy in the epic. Shortly after Beowulf’s arrival, Unferth, full of mead, insults the guest at a banquet. This is more than an awkward moment for the hosts. Unferth’s behavior goes against the code of hospitality. Unferth accuses Beowulf, as a lad, […]
Read more Character Analysis UnferthCharacter Analysis Hrothgar
The king of the Danes (Scyldings) is a wise and great man, but he has lost some of his strength with age. In his prime, Hrothgar built the Scyldings into a powerful military and social entity, symbolized by the erection of his great mead-hall, Heorot. More a palace, Heorot is […]
Read more Character Analysis HrothgarCharacter Analysis Grendel’s Mother
Grendel’s mother (sometimes called his “dam”) is not as huge or as powerful as the son, but she is motivated by revenge. Her son has returned to their cave mortally wounded, one of his two arms (or claws) ripped from its shoulder socket and hanging, now, beneath the roof of […]
Read more Character Analysis Grendel’s MotherCharacter Analysis Grendel
The ogre who has menaced Hrothgar’s people for 12 years is a huge, powerful descendant of the biblical Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy (Genesis 4). Cain’s name in Hebrew is Qayin, meaning “creature,” and, according to legend, the monsters of […]
Read more Character Analysis GrendelCharacter Analysis Wiglaf
The one retainer who comes to Beowulf’s aid in the battle against the dragon represents the theme of loyalty in the system of the comitatus. This is the honor code that exists between the king, or feudal lord, and his warriors, sometimes called “thanes” or “retainers.” (Technically, retainers would be […]
Read more Character Analysis WiglafCharacter Analysis Beowulf
The reader is first introduced to Beowulf as he disembarks from his ship, having just arrived in the land of the Danes (Scyldings) from his home in Geatland. He is an impressive-looking man. The Scylding coastal guard points out that he has never seen “a mightier noble, / a larger […]
Read more Character Analysis BeowulfSummary and Analysis Lines 2821-3182
Wiglaf speaks to the assembled Geats, informing them of the old king’s funeral directions and setting them to work on the pyre at Whale’s Cliff. With seven thanes, the new leader hauls the treasure out of the barrow. The audience learns that the cache had been cursed and is to […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 2821-3182Summary and Analysis Lines 2631-2820
Although he realizes that he may die in the battle, Wiglaf rushes to Beowulf’s defense. Wiglaf’s wooden shield burns as the dragon attacks again. The young retainer ducks behind Beowulf’s iron shield, which is no great help but is better than nothing. Beowulf musters the strength to swing his mighty […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 2631-2820Summary and Analysis Lines 2401-2630
Discovering an entrance to the barrow under the stone cliff, Beowulf decides that he cannot enter due to flames already covering the passage. He calls out the dragon, and the two face off. Beowulf’s new shield is less protection than he had hoped. His sword fails to penetrate the dragon’s […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 2401-2630