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The best study guide to Beowulf on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.
- Plot Summary Plot
Beowulf, knowing his death is near, decides to fight the...
- Summary & Analysis
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- Themes
In Beowulf (and in the medieval Germanic culture that...
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Beowulf. The hero of Beowulf, Beowulf is a Geatish warrior...
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In Beowulf, gold, treasure, and gifts are less important for...
- Hrothgar’s Early Reign (Lines 64–85)
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- Grendel Attacks (Lines 86–193)
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- Plot Summary Plot
Study guide for Beowulf by anonymous with plot summary, character analysis, and literary analysis.
Beowulf: The titular character, Beowulf, is a Geatish warrior who embodies the ideal of the Anglo-Saxon hero. His strength, courage, and sense of duty are central to his character. Beowulf's journey from a young warrior to a wise king forms the backbone of the narrative. King Hrothgar: King Hrothgar of Denmark is a wise and benevolent ruler ...
Beowulf. The hero of Beowulf, Beowulf is a Geatish warrior loyal to his king, Hygelac. Beowulf's father was the warrior Ecgtheow, and his mother is a sister of Hygelac. Despite his noble lineage… read analysis of Beowulf.
First, the question of whether Beowulf should fight the dragon catches him between two conflicting rules: the rule that requires a warrior to show unyielding courage and seek fame, and the rule that requires a king to remain alive so he can protect his people.
In his youth, Beowulf is a great warrior, characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage, including his fabled swimming match against Breca. He also perfectly embodies the manners and values dictated by the Germanic heroic code, including loyalty, courtesy, and pride.
Beowulf is the oldest surviving long poem written in Old English. Written between the 8th and 11th centuries by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, this poem survived in a single manuscript that was badly damaged in the 1731 Cotton Library fire.
