2310 Beowulf: Structure

Grendel Episode

Origins of the Danes

Scyld Scefyng

Beow

Healfdane

Heorogar

Hrothgar – Wealtheow

Hrethric, Hrothmund, Freawaru-Ingeld

Onset of Grendel

Beowulf’s departure from Geatland, arrival among the Danes, fight with monsters

The shore guard

Wulfgar, the herald

Interview with Hrothgar

Unferth’s challenge

Approach of Grendel

Defeat of Grendel

Celebration of Beowulf’s victory

Poet’s creation of new story, compared to Sigemund and Heremod

Beowulf’s announcement to Hrothgar, acceptance as “kin,“

Restoration of the hall

Celebration at mead-hall

Distribution of gifts

Poet’s narration of tragedy of the Danish Hildeburh, sister of Hnaef,

married to Finn, the Frisian

Wealtheow’s distribution of mead-cup

Surprise arrival of Grendel’s mother to avenge death of her son

Death of Aeschere

Hrothgar’s announcement of attack to Beowulf, explanation of the female

Monster, with Beowulf’ pledge to avenge his friend

The pursuit of Grendel’s mother to her home beneath the lake

Beowulf, using Unferth’s sword, fails to harm the monster, who overcomes

him and falls on him, saved only by his chain-mail. He uses a sword

in her treasure-hoard to strike off her head

Beowulf returns to his doubting companions on the shore, with the pommel of

the sword and Grendel’s head, also cut off in the underwater hall

Second celebration at the mead-hall, Hrothgar’s sermon; Beowulf’s farewell

speech and Hrothgar’s suggestion that Beowulf would be a fit

successor to Hygelac

Transition: return to Hygd (compared to Thryth) and Hygelac, report of events and analysis

of Freawaru’s proposed marriage to Ingeld, giving of gifts from Hrothgar to Hygelac

(2133), with summary of Beowulf as doer of noble deeds, example of one who faced skepticism of kin and changed his fate (1895-2183)

Dragon Episode

Beowulf’s rule for fifty winters

Awakening of dragon by the thief of a treasure hoard left by a survivor of a lost

people

The dragon’s attacks on the Geats, with Beowulf’s blaming of himself for the

destruction, including that of his hall, and determination to avenge it.

Assertion of Beowulf’s disdain for the power of the dragon, digression on Beowulf’s

escape from the Frankish warriors after Hygelac’s death in battle, refusal to

accept title of king while his nephew Heardred lived, the latter killed by a pair

of sons exiled from Sweden, leading to Beowulf’s becoming king of the Geats

Departure of Beowulf with 11 thanes and the thief to the dragon’s cave (2386), with

narrator’s ironic suggestions of approaching death

Beowulf’s speech to thanes, with digression on the sorrow of Hrethel, whose first two

sons, Herebeald and Haethcyn, die after a hunting accident, leaving Hygelac

as king after Hrethel’s death [digression explaining Haethcyn’s death in a

continuing feud with the Swedes, followed by the death of Ongentheow]

Beowulf’s determination to fight the dragon alone (2516), with a shield, sword, and

corselet, although he’d rather fight with his bare hands

Beowulf’s sword stroke fails to harm the dragon, and he is injured by its flames; all

his thanes retreat back rather than coming to his aid (2582), with the

exception of Wiglaf, who remembers the gifts Beowulf had given him and tries to rally his peers to fight, takes on the task alone

At dragon’s second attack, Beowulf’s sword Naegling breaks

At the third assault, Wiglaf strikes the dragon’s belly, leading to its death by

Beowulf’s knife

Death of Beowulf, with request to see some of the dragon’s hoard, thanks for having

been permitted by God to gain the wealth, and passing on of golden collar as

gesture of rulership to Wiglaf (2800)

Description of the dead dragon and the people’s reactions to it

Wiglaf’s rebuke to the frightened thanes (2854ff)

A messenger, sent to bring news of the dragon’s death and Beowulf’s to the

“stronghold” on the cliff, gives indication of threats to the land from their

traditional enemies: the Franks, Frisians, and Swedes, who in a

digression are presented as having cause for a feud due to the death of their

king Ongentheow at the hands of the Geats, concluded at 2990; advice to

act quickly to bring the body of Beowulf to the funeral pyre, together with his

golden treasures, with the prophecy that the beautiful objects from the hoard

will never be worn because the people will have slain in the forthcoming

battles (3020-1)

Narrator’s ironic observation that the hoard hidden in the cave had come to nothing

(3050), having been brought out by the Geats only to be replaced in the

barrow by the leaderless Geats, with Wiglaf’s ambiguous concluding speech about the sufferings caused by the “will of one,” the looting of the gold from the hoard by the Geats, and the ominous burning of Beowulf’s funeral pyre on Whaleness, together with his burial together with all the “gleaming gold” brought out from the hoards, concluding with lamentation by 12 brave warriors, who praised his deeds and him as “most just to his people, most eager for fame”