What Are The Emotions In Beowulf

The story of Beowulf revolves around three major battles, all similar and differing in certain ways, with differing motivations and outcomes. The poem opens with the explanation of Grendel, a terrible monster who had been terrorizing the Danes for 12 years, killing 30 men at a time. Upon hearing of the destruction wrought by the monster, he decides to leave Geatland to visit the king Hrothgar to aid in Grendel’s defeat. He is successful, however, his victory triggers the fury of another monster: Grendel’s mother. He is able to defeat her as well with the help of a magical sword, and in return for his victory, he ascends the throne of King Hygelac upon his passing. Fifty years later, when Beowulf is much older, he is faced with the battle that results in his demise. An agitated dragon wreaks havoc in a fury from having a golden goblet stolen from him. Fully armored, he engages in a battle with the dragon. He manages to strike him down, but not without retribution. He dies from the

It begins with a prologue of sorts, detailing the ancestry of King Hrothgar in relation to Beowulf’s. The story commences this way to give the reader a sense of the importance of patriarchal lineage to this particular time period. Until a man created a notable reputation for himself, he was often referred to as his father’s son. In Beowulf’s case, he spent the first several years of his life as “Ecgtheow’s son”, despite his father dying when he was very young. This could be a factor in his desire to act heroically throughout his entire life. In addition, a warrior’s greatness was often measured by their number of triumphs and their ability to perform heroic deeds for their respective communities. This could explain Beowulf’s desire to travel to the Danes in their time of need. There was also the possibility of him receiving compensation for his deeds, though it was not his main