Introduction to Beowulf

So far, in Beowulf, I met a hero who came from meager beginnings, but was a strong and brave man.  In a land far away, the king of the Danes king Hrothgar was being plagued by a demon named Grendel.  The king had fought and won many wars and became comfortable in his kingdom.  The demon Grendel laid in wait for the king to let his defenses down and attacked an unsuspecting king and his people in the hall where they have great celebrations.  Grendel killed many of the king’s men and the king was grief stricken.  Hrothgar was a good king and very giving to all of his people, and very respected.   Beowulf had heard of the great injustices that was being done to the good king and traveled by boat to offer his services in defeating Grendel.  There was a battle between Beowulf and Grendel, where Grendel was taken by surprise by Beowulf who was pretending to sleep.  Beowulf attacked Grendel and cut off his arm at the shoulder, and Grendel retreated to his lair to die.  The king and kingdom rejoiced and celebrated the victory of Beowulf.  Beowulf had many drinks and celebrated retelling the tale of Grendel’s defeat. 

            Unknown to Beowulf, Grendel, and the decedent of Cain had a mother.  She was an evil she monster who caught Beowulf and Hrothgars men by surprise when she attacked.  More of Hrothgars most cherished men perished that night, and Grendel’s mother took the token that Beowulf offered Hrothgar for destroying Grendel, which was Grendel’s arm.  Beowulf who chose to exact revenge on this injustice went to find and kill Grendel’s mother.  He took with him a sword that was given to him by Hrothgar and it was said to never miss its target.  Beowulf found Grendel’s mother and after a battle under a lake cut off her head.  After Beowulf killed Grendel’s mother, he found Grendel and cut off his head, placed it on a spear and gave it to king Hrothgar.

Memorable Quote:

            “Wise sir, do not grieve.  It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.  For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end.”

            I think the importance of this quote is that Beowulf and King Hrothgar live by a certain code of honor, which says that if one of your fellow kinsmen is slain, do not grieve, but avenge the death.  In addition, I believe that Beowulf was also stating that all who are living are going to die.

 

Here is a webpage I found helpful: http://www.enotes.com/beowulf