Beowulfs father was the warrior ecgtheow, and his mother is a sister of hygelac. The character beloved in toni morrisons novel beloved 1987 may also be. When the angry dragon mercilessly burns the geats homes and lands, beowulf decides to fight and kill the monster personally. He is the son of ecgtheow and belongs to the tribe of the geats. Its creation dates to between the 8th and the 11th centuries, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010. Its beowulf, a medieval geatish warrior willing to take on any c.
Beowulf ruled the geats for 50 years, until his realm was terrorized by a firebreathing dragon after a thief stole a golden cup from its hoard of treasure. Beowulf is a hero from geatland who arrived in denmark to kill grendel. Beowulf characters from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Beowulf kills grendel, and then kills grendels motherwho came after beowulf to avenge her son. Unexpectedly, young beowulf, a prince of the geats of southern sweden, arrives. He is a thane of the geat king hygelac and eventually becomes king of the geats. After unsuccessfully attacking the dragon with his thegns, beowulf decided to pursue the monster into its lair at earnan. Beowulf recounts the story of the valiant warrior of geats who comes to the aid of his neighbor, king hrothgar whose mead hall is being attacked by a dreadful creature called grendel.
Another noble family member of beowulf is his cousin wiglaf son of ecgtheofs brother. The third part takes place many years later, beowulf has become king of his people, the geats. Beowulf denies his misconception and explains that he simply got lost in the bottomless sea and went the opposite way of his opponent. At the time of the events in beowulf, the geats were relatively independent from other swedes as a unified nation, although to what extent is a matter of debate. He did so, and before he could return, grendels mother attacked, and beowulf killed her as well. The weather in weathergeats, and seageats marks a people living at a windy, stormy coast by the sea. He is hero of the geats who defeats grendel and his ogress mother. Geats wederfolk or weders beowulf a mighty warrior and noble individual, the poems hero, with the strength of 30 in his handgrip, comes to the aid of hrothgars danes. Beowulf character list principal characters beowulf the protagonist of the epic, beowulf is a geatish hero who fights the monster grendel, grendels mother, and a firebreathing dragon. He comes to help king hrothgar, whose army was being terrorized by grendel. However, the dragon also symbolizes the specific fate that lies in wait for the geats, and for pagan society generally. Beowulf descends to her underwater lair to slay her. Beowulf is a geatish hero who becomes king after defeating grendel in battle. On his way back to land he managed to kill nine sea monsters.
Beowulf the protagonist of the epic, beowulf is a geatish hero who fights the. What is the moral lesson taught in the story of beowulf. Beowulf was powerful warrior, he traveled around scandinavia and other norse territories on various quests and adventures in the 6th century ad. Hygelac king of the geats and uncle to beowulf, his death in battle c. Beowulf returns home and eventually becomes king of his own people. The old testament of the bible, in the book of genesis, tells the story of how cain killed his. Unexpectedly, young beowulf, a prince of the geats of southern sweden, arrives with a small band of. Youll get full access to our interactive quizzes and transcripts and can find out how to use our videos to earn real college credit.
Descendant of cain, maneating monster who terrorizes the danes until beowulf slays him. Analysis and discussion of characters in anonymous, unknowns beowulf. The creators of sparknotes beowulf characters from litcharts. When beowulf is an old man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound, where a great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure. From the old testament, he is the brother of cain, also killed by cain, progenitor of mankind and humanity goodness.
The main characters in beowulf are beowulf, hrothgar, grendel, grendels mother, wiglaf, wealhtheow, and unferth. Characters in beowulf with examples and analysis literary devices. The geats also have unwavering loyalty to beowulf while they are in denmark. He first attacks the meadhall, killing one of the geats, beowulfs men. It has reached national epic status in england although its setting is scandinavia, not the british isles. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literatures most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds. Beowulf the protagonist of the epic, beowulf is a geatish hero who fights the monster grendel, grendels mother, and a firebreathing dragon. Despite his noble lineage read full character analysis the king of the danes, the son of healfdene, the brother of heorogar and halga, and the brotherinlaw of onela the swede. Beowulf has been king of the geats for fifty years, but he still may not have what it takes to fight the ultimate foe. Course heros video study guide provides an indepth summary and analysis for the epic poem beowulf.
He menaces hrothgar and the danes for 12 years before facing beowulf in battle. When the dragon sees that the cup has been stolen, it leaves its cave in a rage, burning everything in sight. Because he is the bravest and strongest of the warriors, beowulf deserves to be made king, and he is. Grendel a descendant of the biblical cain, the enormous ogre despises mankinds joy. Hrothgar the aging king of the danes welcomes beowulfs assistance in facing the menace of grendel. It is unable to cut her, however, so beowulf discards it. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture. Beowulf is the conventional title of an old english heroic epic poem consisting of. When the dragon wounds beowulf fatally, wiglaf slays it.
Geats the tribe in beowulf study guides and book summaries. When beowulf grows up he returns to hygelac and serves the geats during all the time the book tells us. He and his thanes climb to the dragons lair where, upon seeing the beast, the thanes flee in terror, leaving only wiglaf to battle at beowulfs side. Hrothgar once gave him sanctuary after ecgtheow, a geatish warrior, killed a warrior of the wylfings. Grendel grendel grendel beowulf 1999 the th warrior no such. Beowulfs boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. The geats have lived in relative peace for fifty years, because nobody has dared to invade their kingdom ruled by a great warrior, until. Think of all the handy hero helpers in epic literature. Hed make a good life partner, but beowulf never marries, according to the epic, nor does. Character list cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. He is the only thane of beowulfs that stays with him during the battle with.
The character of wiglaf in beowulf from litcharts the. Hrothgar prepares us to view the dragon in this way when he warns beowulf that for every warrior an unbeatable foe lies in wait, even if it is only old age. Beowulf slew grendel and grendels vengeful mother, and ruled as king of the geats for fifty years. Beowulf then returned to geatland to eventually become king after herdred. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to geatland. Beowulf characters study guide by sylvanteacher includes 15 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. A character who shares a name with the hero of the poem. Even beowulf himself feels a little nervous about this final confrontation with the dragon.
Grendels mother is a female character who has been given real power. Themes of gender beowulf is a male dominated piece of writing. Son of ecgtheow, hygelacs nephew and follower, later the king of the geats. The hero of beowulf, beowulf is a geatish warrior loyal to his king, hygelac.
Beowulfs father and the husband of king hygelacs sister. Heardred despite beowulfs support, the young king, son of hygelac and hygd, is killed in a feud. Many historians believe that the geats goths from the bronze age to the 6th century had trade contacts through polands rivers down to the northern black sea area. Unferth gives this sword to beowulf to use in killing grendels mother. Wiglaf the only thane to stand with beowulf against the dragon, he is the geats future king and a symbol of loyalty within the socialpolitical structure of the comitatus. Beowulf main hero of the book that fight the monster and by the end of the book he become king of the geats. The account contains some of the best elegiac verse in the language, and, by setting. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This is beowulfs kinsman through ecgtheows family, the waegmundings. Beowulf pledged to serve hrothgar in any way he might need him in the future, and hrothgar proclaimed that beowulf was fit to be king of the geats. Previously published as beowulf, this edition of beowulf amazonclassics.
Beowulf itself narrates the battles of beowulf, a prince of the geats a tribe in what is now southern sweden, against the monstrous grendel, grendels mother, and a firebreathing dragon. He is the son of scyld sceafing and king of the danes. Herebeald brother to haethcyn and hygelac, he was kill by his brother heathcyn. In the second section of the poem, beowulf is made king of the geats, which teaches the moral lesson of fairness and merit. Beowulf defeats him, but not before striking a mortal blow to him. The brave warrior of the geats named eofor kills ongentheow in the battle and beowulf rewards him accepting him into the family and marrying eofor to the second child of hygelac and hygd. Upon hearing beowulfs courageous exploits, he gives beowulf nearly half his kingdom. The wrote the book from a male perspective, for a target audience largely composed of male, and it features male characters apart from a few women. Principal characters beowulf the protagonist of the epic, beowulf is a geatish hero who fights the monster grendel, grendels mother, and a firebreathing dragon.
He also shows his pride and courtesy when he speaks to king danes. According to legend, beowulf came to the aid of the danish king hrothgar, whose hall was raided each night by the hideous maneating monster grendell. It opens in denmark, where king hrothgars splendid mead hall, heorot, has been ravaged for 12 years by nightly visits from an evil monster, grendel, who carries off hrothgars warriors and devours them. The poem relates his heroic exploits over 50 years. The geats were beowulfs clan a seafaring tribe residing in the south of sweden.
More gifts were bestowed upon them by their grateful hosts, and speeches were made full of praise and warm feelings. Beowulf tells of contacts with the danes in peaceful brotherhood but the danes are the enemy in much of the geatic and swedish war history. Beowulf won this sword in a fight between the geats and the frisians. As the poem suggests, the geats appear to have been conquered and disappeared into history. Beowulfs feats of heroism and tales of his adventures prove him to be a true warrior rather than one who boasts. Ecgtheow beowulf farther haethcyn son of king hrethe, and he accidentally kill his brother while they were hunting. While beowulf was king, he fought and killed a dragon, but the fight cost him his life. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. This study guide consists of approximately 46 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of beowulf. When beowulf ventures into the vile lake to fight grendels mother, the danes give him up for dead and leave. In a way, his valor only serves to underscore just how weak in general and dependent on beowulf the other geats have become. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Beowulfs character flaws beowulf is depicted as a great guy. The king of the geats, son of hrethel, husband of hygd, father of heardred, and beowulfs uncle.
Mythical son of edgetho, higlacs nephew and followerbound warrior. Beowulf, the protagonist of the epic, is a geatish hero who fights the monster grendel, grendels mother, and a firebreathing dragon. A geatish warrior who avenged the death of hcyn by slaying ongen. Beowulf is a geatish hero who becomes king after defeating. Beowulf also displays other character traits such as fearlessness when he attacks grendel. When everyone falls asleep after the celebration, grendel comes to heorot. The incident with the dragon occurs because a geat slave steals a golden cup from its lair, which teaches the evils of.