the thesis of beowulf

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What is Beowulf ?

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• Classical Literature - "Beowulf"
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Beowulf is a heroic poem, considered the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic. It deals with events of the early 6th century CE and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750. Although originally untitled, it was later named after the Scandinavian hero Beowulf, whose exploits and character provide its connecting theme.

Where does Beowulf take place?

Beowulf takes place in early 6th-century Scandinavia , primarily in what is known today as Denmark and Sweden .

Who was Beowulf written by?

The author of Beowulf is unknown. It is possible that the poem was composed by and transmitted between several different poets before it was preserved in a single manuscript that dates to about 1000.

What does Beowulf present to Hrothgar?

Upon his return to Heorot, Beowulf presents to King Hrothgar Grendel ’s decapitated head and the jeweled hilt of the sword he used to kill Grendel’s mother.

Was Beowulf real?

There is no evidence of a historical Beowulf, but other characters, sites, and events in the poem can be historically verified. For example, the poem’s Danish King Hrothgar and his nephew Hrothulf are generally believed to have been based on historical figures.

Beowulf , heroic poem, the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic . The work deals with events of the early 6th century, and, while the date of its composition is uncertain, some scholars believe that it was written in the 8th century. Although originally untitled, the poem was later named after the Scandinavian hero Beowulf, whose exploits and character provide its connecting theme. There is no evidence of a historical Beowulf, but some characters, sites, and events in the poem can be historically verified. The poem did not appear in print until 1815. It is preserved in a single manuscript that dates to circa 1000 and is known as the Beowulf manuscript (Cotton MS Vitellius A XV) .

Beowulf falls into two parts. It opens in Denmark, where King Hrothgar has a splendid mead hall known as Heorot, a place of celebration and much merriment. However, the joyous noise angers Grendel , an evil monster living in a nearby swamp. For 12 years the creature terrorizes Heorot with nightly visits in which he carries off Hrothgar’s warriors and devours them.

After learning of the Danes’ trouble, young Beowulf, a prince of the Geats in what is now southern Sweden, arrives with a small band of retainers and offers to rid Heorot of its monster. Hrothgar is astonished at the little-known hero’s daring but welcomes him. After an evening of feasting, much courtesy, and some discourtesy—at one point, one of Hrothgar’s men insults Beowulf—the king retires, leaving Beowulf in charge. During the night, Grendel comes from the moors , rips open the heavy doors, and devours one of the sleeping Geats. He then grapples with Beowulf, who refuses to use a weapon. Beowulf grips one of Grendel’s hands with such force that the monster finally wrenches himself free only when his arm is torn off at the shoulder. Mortally wounded, Grendel returns to his swamp and dies. Beowulf then displays the monster’s arm in Heorot for all to see.

The next day is one of rejoicing in Heorot, and a feast is thrown in Beowulf’s honour. However, as the warriors sleep that night, Grendel’s mother, another swamp monster, comes to avenge her son’s death, and she kills one of Hrothgar’s men. In the morning Beowulf dives into her mere (lake) to search for her, and she attacks him. They struggle in her dry cave at the mere’s bottom, and Beowulf finally kills her with a sword. In the cave, Beowulf discovers Grendel’s corpse, whose head he cuts off and takes back to Heorot. The Danes rejoice once more. Hrothgar makes a farewell speech about the character of the true hero, and Beowulf, enriched with honours and princely gifts, returns home to King Hygelac of the Geats.

The second part passes rapidly over Hygelac’s subsequent death in a battle (of historical record), the death of his son, and Beowulf’s succession to the kingship and his peaceful rule of 50 years. However, the tranquility ends when a fire-breathing dragon becomes enraged after a man steals from its treasure-filled lair. The creature begins ravaging Geatland, and the brave but aging Beowulf decides to engage it, despite knowing that he will likely die. The fight is long and terrible—a painful contrast to the battles of his youth. Painful too is the desertion of all his retainers except for his young kinsman Wiglaf, who comes to his aid. They ultimately kill the venomous dragon, but Beowulf is mortally wounded from a bite in the neck. Before he dies, he names Wiglaf his successor. Beowulf is cremated on a funeral pyre, and his remains are buried in a barrow built by the sea. As his people mourn his death, they also express the fear that, without Beowulf, Geatland will be invaded by nearby tribes.

Beowulf Themes

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Beowulf study guide.

Beowulf is the first surviving epic written in the English language. The single existing copy of the manuscript dates from the late tenth century, although some scholars believe it dates from the first part of the eleventh century. It is found in a large volume that features stories involving mythical creatures and people. Two different scribes copied the poem, most likely using an existing copy. Between 1066 and the Reformation, the whole volume remained in a monastic library until Sir Robert Cotton gained possession of it for his own extensive library. A fire consumed much of his library, and the volume containing Beowulf became badly charred. Today the manuscript still exists, though it is falling apart rapidly due to the charring in the fire.

We do not have any definite knowledge about the poet--indeed, we do not even know the date of the poem's composition. Through the study of Old English verse, most scholars believe that the poem was composed much earlier than the Cotton manuscript, between 650 and 800. Some words in Beowulf do not adhere to the scansion of Old English verse; however, using the older forms of the words, dating from the period given, causes the lines to scan correctly. Yet accurately dating the poem is a difficult enterprise since the poem has such a derivative quality. It is evident that the Beowulf poet wished to place his work within an even more ancient tradition. Beowulf directly uses many ancient stories that have been preserved in later texts, such as the legend of Sigemund and the account of the war at Finnesburh. In addition, the poem is written with the traditional epic diction, with whole phrases taken from the other bards who sang the legends incorporated.

Despite his borrowing from other sources, perhaps in large quantities, the Beowulf poet nonetheless manages to add his own specialized view of his characters' world. First and foremost, Beowulf's author is a Christian, and he makes the Christian world extremely visible. He alludes to Cain and the Flood; he shows the Christian God's influence upon the pagan world of the Danes. Yet he is obviously aware of his culture's pagan past and attempts to describe it in great detail through rituals, such as the elaborate Germanic sea-burials and the grand feasts in the mead-halls, and the ever-present belief in fate. Thus Beowulf's poet tries to recreate the past of his people for his people, almost with a nostalgic feeling for the bygone pagan days.

Beowulf Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Beowulf is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What lines are considered in each "cantos"?

I'm not sure what you means by "lines considered".

Beowulf Interview Questions

Why Beowulf should be hired, would of course... depend upon the job description. Beowulf is smart, creative, loyal, and innovative. He would make an excellent employee.

why do the geats carry Grendel's heavy head all the way back to Herot?

It's sort of a trophy to them.

Study Guide for Beowulf

Beowulf is an epic poem originally told in the Old English between the 8th and 11th centuries. Beowulf study guide contains literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Beowulf
• Beowulf Summary
• Beowulf Video
• Character List
• Lines 1-193 Summary and Analysis

Essays for Beowulf

Beowulf essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Beowulf.

• Christianity and Danish Paganism
• Loyalties and Abilities: The Function of Heroism in Beowulf
• "Malignant by Nature," (137) Grendel as Man's Violent Impulse
• Liuzza and Heaney's Beowulf: A Comparison
• The Image of Women in Old English Literature

Lesson Plan for Beowulf

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Beowulf
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Beowulf Bibliography

E-Text of Beowulf

Beowulf e-text contains the full text of Beowulf.

• Lines 1-193
• Lines 194-709
• Lines 710-915
• Lines 916-1250
• Lines 1251-1649

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In Beowulf (and in the medieval Germanic culture that produced Beowulf ), family and tribal allegiances determine one's identity. Characters are constantly identified as the son, wife, or daughter of a particular man, and as members of this or that tribe. Men or beings without tribes—such as Grendel and Heremod —are described as lonely and joyless. Without a community or family, these men are incomplete. All of the cultural institutions described in Beowulf , from the giving of gold and gifts to the emphasis placed on loyalty above any personal desire, exist to preserve and strengthen the family and tribe.

The importance placed on family and tribe in medieval Germanic culture also leads to the incredible number of inter-tribal feuds in Beowulf . Preservation of a family or tribe within a hostile environment demands not only unity within the tribe, but the willingness to defend and protect the tribe from outsiders. The necessity of tribal and family self-defense created a set of formal rules of vengeance between individuals and feuding between tribes.

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Family and Tribe Quotes in Beowulf

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Beowulf and the Beowulf Manuscript

Takes the crowning work of medieval Britain into the twenty-first century

Look Inside

• Table of Contents
• Front Matter
• Foreword by Katherine O'Brien O'Keefe
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: The Poem's Eleventh-Century Provenance
• Chapter 2: The History and Construction of the Composite Codex
• Chapter 3: The Beowulf Codex and the Making of the Poem
• Works Cited  

Copyright © 1997, University of Michigan. All rights reserved.

Description

The story of Beowulf and his hard-fought victory over the monster Grendel has captured the imagination of readers and listeners for a millennium. The heroic Anglo-Saxon story survives to the world in one eleventh-century manuscript that was badly burned in 1731, and in two eighteenth-century transcriptions of the manuscripts. Kevin S. Kiernan, one of the world's foremost Beowulf scholars, has studied the manuscript extensively with the most up-to-date methods, including fiber-optic backlighting and computer digitization. This volume reprints Kiernan's earlier study of the manuscript, in which he presented his novel conclusions about the date of Beowulf. It also offers a new Introduction in which the author describes the value of electronic study of Beowulf, and a new Appendix that lists all the letters and parts of letters revealed by backlighting. This important volume will be a must-read not only for the scholar of early English history and literature, but for all those who are interested in practical applications of the new technologies.

Kevin Kiernan is Professor of English, University of Kentucky.

The Poem “Beowulf”: Character Analysis Essay (Critical Writing)

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Beowulf presents one of the most important pieces of English literature from the Anglo-Saxon period because of its epic nature and historic value. The poem depicts the heroic deeds of the warrior Beowulf and captures the Anglo-Saxon culture of the medieval period. The poem is divided into three parts for each of Beowulf’s heroic battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. In each part of the poem, Beowulf demonstrates different heroic traits, ultimately creating his image of an epic hero.

Firstly, Beowulf’s story in the poem starts when he offers to help King Hrothgar defeat the monster known as Grendel. The character proves the seriousness of his intentions by boasting about his previous victories in battle with nine sea monsters, demonstrating his courage. In the poem, Grendel is depicted as a monster that appears “bigger than any man” and stronger than the main character (Heaney, 2008, p.93). During his fight with Grendel, Beowulf demonstrates bravery by fighting the monster bare-handed to gain great fame and honor.

Next, in the part of the poem which depicts Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother, the character demonstrates his commitment to duty and King Hrothgar by killing Grendel’s mother. Furthermore, Beowulf demonstrates his intelligence when he discovers that his sword cannot hurt Grendel’s mother and finds a magic sword inside her cave. Thus, in addition to bravery and courage often associated with epic heroes, Beowulf possesses such heroic qualities as loyalty and intelligence.

Lastly, Beowulf enters the fight with the last monster as the king of Geats. During his last battle, Beowulf demonstrates care for his soldiers, contrary to his actions in the first parts of the poem. He also shows the will to self-sacrifice, which resonates with one of his loyal soldiers. Together, they kill the dragon, and Beowulf dies not only as a famous hero but also as a responsible leader and ruler.

In conclusion, this essay explored heroic traits in the character of Beowulf. The essay defines how each chapter of the poem captures different heroic traits exhibited by Beowulf, such as bravery and courage, loyalty and intelligence, wisdom and self-sacrificing. Thus, the paper explains how the combination of different heroic traits creates the image of Beowulf as an epic hero and captures the character’s progression from a brave warrior to a wise and responsible ruler.

Heaney, S. (2008). Beowulf: An illustrated edition. W.W. Norton & Company.

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IvyPanda. (2024, April 19). The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/

"The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." IvyPanda , 19 Apr. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis'. 19 April.

IvyPanda . 2024. "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." April 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." April 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." April 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/.