What is the summary of the story of Beowulf?

It deals with events of the early 6th century and was probably composed c. 700–750. It tells the story of the Scandinavian hero Beowulf, who gains fame as a young man by vanquishing the monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother; later, as an aging king, he kills a dragon but dies soon after, honoured and lamented.

What happened in the last part of Beowulf?

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.

Who killed Beowulf?

the dragon
Sensing his own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in killing the beast, but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him moments after their encounter.

What does Beowulf’s death represent?

In the end good triumphs over evil but one cannot avoid death. Beowulf’s death can be symbolized as the death of the Anglo Saxons. Beowulf’s battle through the poem reflects the kind of culture that the Anglo Saxons had. The youth of a warrior to his maturity then the last fight which results in death.

What is the main point of Beowulf?

One of the central themes of Beowulf, embodied by its title character, is loyalty. At every step of his career, loyalty is Beowulf’s guiding virtue. Beowulf comes to the assistance of the Danes (Scyldings) for complicated reasons.

How many chapters are in Beowulf?

41 chapters
Hrothgar and Beowulf (cont.) This is how the Beowulf versions with 41 chapters match up to lines in Seamus Heaney’s version, and with other version that have 43 Parts.

What was Beowulf’s final battle How did his story end?

The last battle, the death of the dragon and Beowulf, ends the epic hero cycle that started when Grendel began his attacking Heorot. To the end, Beowulf never faced a monster he couldn’t kill, but the cost for the dragon’s life is much too high.

What happens to Wiglaf at the end of Beowulf?

The dying Beowulf tells Wiglaf to “watch his people’s needs” (by which he means that Wiglaf is to become the next king.) He tells Wiglaf to build him a funeral mound and gives Wiglaf his rings, helm, and mail-shirt. He says that Wiglaf is now “the last of the Wægmundings.”

Why was Beowulf son a dragon?

He is also known as the Golden Man and is the son of Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother. He first takes the form of a man colored in gold, then takes the appearance of a dragon that bears his father’s appearance. Beowulf succeeds in killing the beast, and when it dies, it transforms into a young golden-skinned boy.

What were Beowulf’s last words?

‘After they burn my body, tell my warriors to build a great burial mound on the cliffs that stick out into the sea. The sailors steering their ships on the gloomy waters will see it and call it Beowulf’s barrow, and my people will remember me. ‘ These were the last words from the thoughts of the old man’s heart.

What was Beowulf’s dying wish?

Beowulf orders Wiglaf to go into the barrow, look at the treasure, and bring back some of it for him to see before he dies. Wiglaf obeys Beowulf’s dying wish and goes down into the barrow, where he finds amazing piles of treasure, all of it rusting and decaying.

What is the moral lesson in the story of Beowulf?

Especially seen through the characters of Beowulf and Wiglaf, the poem Beowulf illustrates three important morals of its time: bravery, honor, and loyalty. Beowulf, the hero of the poem, exhibits great bravery in everything he does.

How old is Beowulf?

The most likely time for Beowulf to have been copied is the early 11th century, which makes the manuscript approximately 1,000 years old. Nobody knows for certain when the poem was first composed.

What was Beowulf’s last words?

Does Wiglaf become king?

What are Beowulf’s dying words?

Who becomes king after Beowulf dies?

At Beowulf’s command, Wiglaf gathers treasure from the dragon’s lair and piles it where Beowulf can see it. The dying Beowulf tells Wiglaf to “watch his people’s needs” (by which he means that Wiglaf is to become the next king.)

What is Beowulf’s dying wish?

What happens to Wiglaf after Beowulf dies?

Beowulf orders Wiglaf to build a barrow for him on the coast after his body has been burned on a funeral pyre. This barrow will be visible to ships and remind people of Beowulf’s great deeds.

Why is Beowulf loyal?

When Beowulf comes to the aid of Hrothgar, it is because he feels a great sense of loyalty to the king because of his father. In their younger years, Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, had needed assistance because of a feud, and Hrothgar had come to his aid.

What does Beowulf symbolize?

The Golden Torque The collar or necklace that Wealhtheow gives Beowulf is a symbol of the bond of loyalty between her people and Beowulf—and, by extension, the Geats. Its status as a symbolic object is renewed when we learn that Hygelac died in battle wearing it, furthering the ideas of kinship and continuity.

What is Beowulf’s real name?

Beowulf (/ˈbeɪəwʊlf/; Old English: Bēowulf [ˈbeːowuɫf]) is a legendary Geatish hero in the eponymous epic poem, one of the oldest surviving pieces of English literature….Beowulf (hero)