BEOWULF Part I Recap

Quick Summary of Last Section ● Beowulf, his Geatish warriors, and some of Hrothgar's Danish warriors track Grendel's mother to the mere – a swamp. ● Hrothgar, Beowulf, and their followers ride out, tracking Grendel's mother across the moors. She's pretty easy to follow, since she's dragging Aeschere's corpse behind her.

● Beowulf dives into the lake and finds the cave, where he takes on Grendel's mother in another one-on-one battle. ● Seizing a nearby sword from Grendel's mother's stash of treasure, he slays her, even though her poisonous demon blood melts the blade.

● When Beowulf returns to the surface, carrying the sword hilt and Grendel's severed head, the Danish warriors have given him up for dead, but his own Geatish followers are still waiting patiently. ● When everyone sees that Beowulf has survived this second challenge, there's even more partying and gift-giving.

It goes something like this....

Characters ● Beowulf – Protagonist. Geat. Epic hero. ● Fights the monster Grendel & Grendel’s mother. ● Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture.

Values of the Heroic Culture ● Strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors ● Hospitality, generosity, and political skill in kings; ● Ceremoniousness in women ● Good reputation in all people.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC HERO ● Epic hero - a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society. ● Shows superhuman qualities ● On a quest for something of great value to him or his people. ● The villains that try to keep the hero from his quest are also superhuman ● The epic hero is often of mixed divine and human birth and so possesses human weaknesses. ● The divine world (the gods) interferes with the human world.

Beowulf as Epic Hero ● All epic heroes are not the same. Things that one culture admires might not be particularly esteemed by another culture. ● Beowulf was the epitome of heroism for the Anglo-Saxons; some of his traits would be disdained by modern readers. ● Beowulf exhibits traits of the epic hero: he takes on challenges that other aren't or won't. He places himself in grave danger for the good of others. He possesses superhuman strength.

Other Main Characters King Hrothgar – The king of the Danes. Hrothgar enjoys military success and prosperity until Grendel terrorizes his realm. A wise and aged ruler, he represents a different kind of leadership from that exhibited by the youthful warrior Beowulf. Father figure to Beowulf; a model for the kind of king that Beowulf becomes.

Grendel - A demon descended from Cain, Grendel preys on Hrothgar’s warriors in the king’s mead-hall, Heorot. Grendel’s mother - An unnamed swamp-hag; her terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance, a cultural imperative in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture.

Other Danes Wealhtheow- Hrothgar’s wife, the gracious queen of the Danes. Unferth - A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, proving himself inferior to Beowulf. Hrethric - Hrothgar’s elder son, Hrothmund - The second son of Hrothgar. Hrothulf - Hrothgar’s nephew Aeschere- Hrothgar’s trusted adviser; killed by Grendel's mother

Other Geats Hygelac - Beowulf’s uncle, king of the Geats Ecgtheow - Beowulf’s father, Hygelac’s brother- in-law, and Hrothgar’s friend. Ecgtheow is dead by the time the story begins.

Other Characters Mentioned King Heremod- An evil king of legend. The scop, or bard, at Heorot discusses King Heremod as a figure who contrasts greatly with Beowulf.