In this presentation, we first tell you what happens in the book. Five people from the book are then described. Finally, there is an interview with questions, the answers in the document were given from the protagonist Beowulf. The entire document is in English.
First, I'm going to tell you about where and when the story takes place. Beowulf is the oldest
poem written in a language that is clearly an ancient form of today's English. The events
described in Beowulf are set in the sixth century, and already belonged to a lost ‘heroic age
at the time of original composition. The first part of the epic sets in Denmark, where Beowulf
fights Grendel and his mother. The second part is situated in his own land, the land of the
Geats also Southern Sweden. It was from these coasts and in the centuries that the English
had come to Britain.
The biggest events in the story is that Beowulf sails all the way from his homeland with his
men to his father's friends. The goal was to kill Grendel and take the danger away. Grendel
had made many victims there and the Deans just couldn't kill him. Grendel is full of revenge
because as a little boy he saw the Deans kill his father. He wants to kill as many Deans as
possible and is a real monster. He is big and strong and therefore difficult to kill. Beowulf
went to try this and he succeeded. Beowulf pulled a bolt of arm from his shoulder, Grendel
ran home bleeding. He lost too much blood and died at home with his mother. Grendel was
killed, but Grendel's mother thought this was terrible, Beowulf followed Grendel's trail of
blood into the sea to see if there were more dangerous monsters alive. There was only one
monster left, the mother of Grendel. He fought with her too and he won this fight again. He
had removed the danger for the Deans. The Deans were very grateful to him for this and
gave him all kinds of presents. After Beowulf had removed all the danger for the deans, he
was able to go home with all his gifts in good spirits. He was well received in his home
country and everyone was proud of him. Because of his good deeds, he was later crowned
king of the Geats.
Fifty years later, there was a dragon in his own land that harassed the people. This dragon
has been described as a kind of devil. He lives in a cave of fire and is at least thirty meters
long. Beowulf was old and gray but still fought for his people. He knew that fighting this
dragon might kill him, but he was brave and tried anyway. He wanted to try this to protect
his people. After Beowulf killed the dragon he unfortunately also died. He was given a
memorial house on top of a mountain by the sea. Everyone who passed could see the
memorial. He left his people well behind, namely with the treasure of the dragon.
Now I'm going to tell you about the main characters. There are a lot of people in the book so
I will name and explain the most common.
First I start with Beowulf the main character in the book. The whole book also revolves
around Beowulf. Beowulf is a very strong and big man. He often fights and always wins. He
dares a lot and stands up for other people. He is also described in the book as the hero that
everyone loves, you can certainly see that in his actions. Because he defeats one monster
after another. He lives in the land of the Geats where he later becomes king.
Now I'm going to tell you about Grendel, which is the first monster in the book to be
defeated by Beowulf. Grendel is a dwarf and therefore smells very bad, which he sometimes
uses in battle. He eats people and wants to kill as many deans as possible which I told you
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lauretlukasse. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $8.03. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
