BEOWULF OUTLINE

GRENDEL – CHAPTER 1 – PAGE 33 Grendel is outside the Mead Hall (Herot) listening to the happy warriors (singing, drinking, feasting) Grendel is pure evil It gets dark and Grendel attacks Kills thirty (30) men At daybreak, Hrothgar discovers the slaughter and weeps Men stay away from Herot for their safety & Herot stands empty for 12 years The story of Hrothgar’s trouble with Grendel spreads to other lands Grendel stalks Hrothgar’s men – kills as often as he can Hrothgar & his men do everything they can but are unable to rid themselves of Grendel

BEOWULF – CHAPTER 2 – PAGE 36 Healfdane is Hrothgar’s father Higlac is king of the Geats (Beowulf’s king) Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s troubles Gets a boat and 14 men and sails for Denmark Beowulf & his men arrive and are escorted to Herot Hrothgar knows of Beowulf & welcomes him Beowulf tells Hrothgar he has come to help and that he will fight Grendel alone (with his men) Beowulf states that he will fight without a weapon because Grendel does not use a weapon Hrothgar speaks of Edgetho (Beowulf’s father) – tells how he once helped Edgetho Hrothgar tells Beowulf and his men to join him (and his men) for a feast

THE BATTLE WITH GRENDEL-CH 3-PG 40 Grendel goes to Herot – sees humans – intends to kill them all Grendel kills one Grendel grabs for Beowulf Grendel and Beowulf fight Grendel experiences fear for the first time ever Beowulf’s men try to help – they are useless Beowulf rips off Grendel’s arm Grendel flees back to his home in the swamp to die alone People come from all around to see Grendel’s arm (the trophy of war) in Herot and to see the tracks to the water

GRENDEL’S MOTHER – CHAPTER 4 – PG 45 Grendel’s mother goes to Herot She gets one soldier (Hrothgar’s closest friend) Beowulf and his men are sleeping elsewhere Grendel’s mother takes her son’s arm All are sad because there’s another monster Hrothgar tells Beowulf what happened and asks him to kill the mother

THE BATTLE W/ G’S MOTHER-CH 5-PG 47 Beowulf accepts the challenge Beowulf “leaped” into the lake; it takes hours to reach the bottom The mother sees Beowulf and drags him into a “battle-hall” where they fight Hrunting (Beowulf’s sword) cannot harm the mother Beowulf’s mail shirt saves him from the dagger Beowulf grabs a giant-made sword (that no ordinary man could lift); kills Grendel’s mother Beowulf goes looking for Grendel - finds him - cuts off his head Danes at the edge of the lake see the waves and blood – believe Beowulf to be dead and leave for Herot (including Hrothgar) – Beowulf’s men continue to wait by the water The sword blade melts from Grendel’s evil blood Beowulf leaves with Grendel’s head and the hilt of the giant-made sword Geats and Beowulf go back to Herot & to Hrothgar

BEOWULF’S LAST BATTLE-CH 6-PG 52 Beowulf (with many gifts) and his men return to Geatland. Beowulf becomes king; rules in peace and prosperity for 50 years A thief disturbs a dragon; the dragon begins to terrorize the Geats Beowulf decides that he must fight the dragon; he must do it alone Beowulf goes to the dragon’s tower and roars out a battle cry; the dragon is angered The dragon blows fire at him; his shield melts; fate is against him Beowulf struck the dragon with his sword; the sword breaks; the dragon is injured but not fatally The dragon is breathing fire on Beowulf; none of Beowulf’s men came to help him; they ran for their lives – they are cowards Wiglaf is the only man to stay & help; Wiglaf remembers & makes a speech about loyalty

THE DEATH OF BEOWULF-CH 7-PG 56 Wiglaf fights with Beowulf; Beowulf is wounded in the neck Wiglaf strikes the dragon; he and Beowulf finally kill the dragon together Beowulf makes a speech; he knows that he will soon die Beowulf asks Wiglaf to show him the treasure; seeing it will make his death “softer” Wiglaf grabs as much as he can carry and takes it back to Beowulf Beowulf is near death; I sold my life for this treasure, and I sold it well” Beowulf wants a memorial built on a spit of land in his name “Beowulf’s Tower” – it will function as a navigational aide for seafarers Beowulf makes Wiglaf king; Beowulf dies Beowulf’s men came out of hiding now that the dragon was dead Wiglaf makes an angry speech to the “warriors” The “good” life has ended for them; they would be better off dead; and all family members, too

MOURNING BEOWULF-CH 8-PG 60 The Geats built the tower; it took ten days to build The tower will help people remember Beowulf; will help seafarers on the sea Beowulf’s ashes were sealed in the walls of the tower The dragon’s treasure was buried in the sand at the tower Twelve men stay to remember Beowulf; telling stories of him