Beowulf

1. Beowulf

2. Themes • The importance of establishing identity • Tensions between the heroic code and other value systems • The meaning of monsters Pick a theme, apply it to yourself, and write about it. ½ PAGE

3. Beowulf Characters • Beowulf • The protagonist of the epic. Beowulf, a Geatish hero, is incredibly strong and able. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture. In his old age, he is a wise and effective ruler. • The Dragon • An ancient, powerful serpent. The dragon, who guards a horde of treasure in a hidden mound, is Beowulf’s final nemesis. • Grendel • A demon descended from Cain. Grendel suffers for the sins of Cain, leading a ruthless and miserable existence because God seeks vengeance for Cain’s murder of Abel. • Grendel’s Mother • A swamp-hag. Grendel’s mother possesses fewer human qualities than Grendel. Still, her terrorization of Heorot springs from her understandable anger over her son’s death. • King Hrothgar • The king of Danes. A wise and aged ruler, Hrothgar leads in a different way than the youthful warrior Beowulf does. Hrothgar is a father figure for Beowulf and a model for the kind of king Beowulf will become.

4. Beowulf Freewrite “Beowulf is the archetype of the dragon slayer, the hero who faces death in order to save a threatened community. Does Beowulf remind you of any heroes in real life, in fiction, or in the movies today? What characteristics do the heroes share?” ½ page