Ministry Of Education

Kid’s School & Cambridge Academy

Aguadulce

Formal Work

Student Name:

Ambar Montero

Topic:

“Beowulf”

Level:

XII°

Teacher:

Alberto L. García S.

First Quarter

Date:

April 16th, 2018

2018
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INDEX

 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 3

 Content

 Exposition……………………………………………………………………. 4-5
 Conflict……………………………………………………………………….… 5
 Rising Action……..………………………………………………………….. 5-6
 Climax………………………………………………………………………... 6-7
 Falling Action…………………………………………………………………... 7
 Resolution…………………………………………………………………….. 7-8

 Annex……………………………………………………………………………..... 9

 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… 10

 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………. 11
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This Formal Work will show the history about an epic poem called Beowulf, this poem is
estimates of the date of composition range between 700 and 1000 a.d.; written in England.
The only manuscript in which Beowulf is preserved is thought to have been written around
1000 a.d. The narrator of this story was a Christian narrator that telling this story of pagan
times. The main action of the story is set around 500 a.d.; the narrative also recounts historical
events that happened much earlier.

This poem is about a conflict that has the people of Denmark (the Danes) about a monster
that terrorized the neighboring in Denmark, as this monster kill whenever he can, no matter
who you are, for this the king of Danes called Hrothgar calls a hero by name Beowulf, he is
a great warrior, characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage. But this
narration is retold by poets for many years before the poem was written.
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Beowulf is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It may be the
oldest surviving long poem in Old English and is commonly cited as one of the most
important works of Old English literature. A date of composition is a matter of contention
among scholars; the only certain dating pertains to the manuscript, which was produced
between 975 and 1025. The author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, referred to by
scholars as the "Beowulf poet".

The events in the poem take place over most of the sixth century, after the Anglo-Saxons had
started migrating to England and before the beginning of the seventh century, a time when
the Anglo-Saxons were either newly arrived or were still in close contact with their Germanic
kinsmen in Northern Germany and southern Scandinavia.

The poem may have been brought to England by people of Geatish origins. Many suggest
that Beowulf was first composed in the 7th century at Rendlesham in East Anglia, that the
Sutton Hoo ship-burial also shows close connections with Scandinavia, and that the East
Anglian royal dynasty, the Wuffingas, may have been descendants of the Geatish Wulfings.
Others have associated this poem with the court of King Alfred the Great or with the court
of King Cnut the Great.

The poem deals with legends, was composed for entertainment, and does not separate
between fictional elements and historic events, such as the raid by King Hygelac into Frisia.
Though Beowulf himself is not mentioned in any other Anglo-Saxon manuscript, scholars
generally agree that many of the other figures referred to in Beowulf also appear in
Scandinavian sources (Specific works are designated in the following section). This concerns
not only individuals (e.g., Healfdene, Hroðgar, Halga, Hroðulf, Eadgils and Ohthere), but
also clans (e.g., Scyldings, Scylfings and Wulfings) and certain events (e.g., the Battle on the
Ice of Lake Vänern).

The dating of the events in the epic poem has been confirmed by archaeological excavations
of the barrows in Uppland, Sweden, indicated by Snorri Sturluson and by Swedish tradition
as the graves of Ohthere (dated to c. 530) and his son Eadgils (dated to c. 575).

In Denmark, recent archaeological excavations at Lejre, where Scandinavian tradition

located the seat of the Scyldings, i.e., Heorot, have revealed that a hall was built in the mid-
6th century, exactly the time period of Beowulf. Three halls, each about 50 metres (160 ft)
long, were found during the excavation.

The majority view appears to be that people such as King Hroðgar and the Scyldings in
Beowulf are based on historical people from 6th-century Scandinavia. Like the Finnesburg
Fragment and several shorter surviving poems, Beowulf has consequently been used as a
source of information about Scandinavian figures such as Eadgils and Hygelac, and about
continental Germanic figures such as Offa, king of the continental Angles.
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19th-century archaeological evidence may confirm elements of the Beowulf story. Eadgils
was buried at Uppsala according to Snorri Sturluson. When Eadgils' mound (to the left in the
photo) was excavated in 1874, the finds supported Beowulf and the sagas. They showed that
a powerful man was buried in a large barrow, c. 575, on a bear skin with two dogs and rich
grave offerings.

These remains include a Frankish sword adorned with gold and garnets and a tafl game with
Roman pawns of ivory. He was dressed in a costly suit made of Frankish cloth with golden
threads, and he wore a belt with a costly buckle.

There were four cameos from the Middle East which were probably part of a casket. This
would have been a burial fitting a king who was famous for his wealth in Old Norse sources.
Ongentheow's barrow has not been excavated.

The narrator recounts the story in the third person, from a generally objective standpoint
detailing the action that occurs. The narrator does, however, have access to every character’s
depths. We see into the minds of most of the characters (even Grendel) at one point or
another, and the narrative also moves forward and backward in time with considerable
freedom.

The poet is generally enthusiastic about Beowulf’s feats, but he often surrounds the events
he narrates with a sense of doom.

Beowulf is a powerful warrior of the Geats (gets), a people from what is now Sweden. He is
known for his bravery and strength. The story tells that the Danes the people from Denmark,
are being terrorized by a vicious monster called Grendel, Beowulf comes their rescue. Before
the poem was written, the story about Beowulf had been told for many years. By the time
they were written in the form of an epic, Beowulf had become a symbol for the heroic
qualities most admired in early England.

The poem essentially consists of three parts. There are three central conflicts: Grendel’s
domination of Heorot Hall; the vengeance of Grendel’s mother after Grendel is slain; and the
rage of the dragon after a thief steals a treasure that it has been guarding. The poem’s
overarching conflict is between close-knit warrior societies and the various menaces that
threaten their boundaries.

Beowulf begins with the story of Hrothgar, who constructed the great hall Heorot for himself
and his warriors. In it, he, his wife Wealhtheow, and his warriors spend their time singing
and celebrating.

Grendel, a troll-like monster said to be descended from the biblical Cain, is pained by the
sounds of joy. Grendel attacks the hall and kills and devours many of Hrothgar's warriors
while they sleep. Hrothgar and his people, helpless against Grendel, abandon Heorot.
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Heorot remains empty for twelve years because Grendel continue to kill any warriors he saw.
The warriors give to Grendel peace offerings to stop the killing, but Grendel will not accept
them.

Grendel kills whenever he can then, for this reason the warriors decides get together to make
a decision to finally kill the monster. They discuss ways warriors could defeat Grendel, and
they make sacrifices to ancient gods.

The King (Hrothgar), calls on Beowulf, an extraordinary warrior from the Geats. Beowulf is
brave and strong, but most of all he wants Fame. When Hrothgar (the king), calls Beowulf,
this accepts the calling.

Beowulf and his men sail to the land of the Danes to offer help to Hrothgar. They are taken
by a Danish guard to Herot, when Wulfgar, one of the Hrothgar’s soldiers, tells the king of
their arrival. Hrothgar knows Beowulf and welcomes the prince and his men.

Beowulf tells of this deeds and offers his help to Hrothgar. He says he will fight Grendel
using his hands alone because Grendel needs no weapons. Hrothgar accepts Beowulf´s offer
and holds a feast in his honor.

After the banquet, Hrothgar and his followers leave Herot, and Beowulf and his warriors
remain to spend the night. Beowulf restates his intent to fight Grendel without a sword and,
while his followers sleep, lies waiting, eager for Grendel to appear.

One night, Beowulf is hidden inside Herot Hall (the building) waiting for Grendel. The
warriors drink and sing loudly to attract the monster.

During the night Grendel comes from the moors, tears open the heavy doors, and devours
one of the sleeping Geats. The monster has claws. Then the monster attacks a second warrior.
But the monster doesn´t know that this warrior is Beowulf. Beowulf is ready for Grendel
attack.

Beowulf has Grendel firmly in his powerful grasp, and the monster for the first time is
terrified. Grendel had expected an easy meal. Now, all the only thing he wants to do is run
away of Beowulf and hide.

Beowulf has sworn to kill Grendel (the monster) with his bare hands, and he will not let the
monster go. Their struggle shakes the strong walls of Herot. Beowulf´s men tremble with
fear. Then, a horrible scream rips through the night. It is Grendel.

Beowulf´s men rush to his aid. However, Grendel is protected from all weapons by a magic
spell. Luckily, their weapons are not needed. Grendel, trying to twist out of Beowulf´s grip,
feels his arm being ripped off. Dying, Grendel runs backs to his swamp.
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Finally, Beowulf tears Grendel's arm from his body at the shoulder and Grendel runs to his
home in the marshes where he dies.

Beowulf displays "the whole of Grendel's shoulder and arm, his awesome grasp" for all to
see at Heorot. Beowulf has rescued the Danes from the monster that tormented them. The
victorious hero hangs Grendel’s arm from the rafters of the great hall.

The next morning, crowds of people begin to arrive from far away, eager to see the place
where Grendel was defeated.

They follow bloody footprints to the lake where he went down to his death. There is great
rejoicing, and Beowulf is proclaimed a hero. This display would fuel Grendel's mother's
anger in revenge.

The next night, after celebrating Grendel's defeat, Hrothgar and his men sleep in Heorot.
Grendel's mother, angry that her son has been killed, sets out to get revenge.

"Beowulf was elsewhere. Earlier, after the award of treasure, The Geat had been given
another lodging" his assistance would be absent in this battle. Grendel's mother violently
kills, who is Hrothgar's most loyal fighter, and escapes.

Hrothgar, Beowulf and their men track Grendel's mother to her lair under a lake. Unferth, a
warrior who had doubted him and wishes to make amends, presents Beowulf with his sword
Hrunting.

After stipulating a number of conditions to Hrothgar in case of his death (including the taking
in of his kinsmen and the inheritance by Unferth of Beowulf's estate), Beowulf jumps into
the lake, at the bottom of which he finds a cavern containing Grendel's body and the remains
of men that the two have killed. Grendel's mother and Beowulf engage in fierce combat.

At first, Grendel's mother appears to prevail. Beowulf, finding that Hrunting cannot harm his
foe, puts it aside in fury. Beowulf is again saved from his opponent's attack by his armour.

Beowulf takes another sword from Grendel's mother and slices her head off with it.
Travelling further into Grendel's mother's lair, Beowulf discovers Grendel's corpse and
severs his head.

The blade of Beowulf's sword touches Grendel's toxic blood, and instantly dissolves so that
only the hilt remains. Beowulf swims back up to the rim of the pond where his men wait in
growing despair.

Carrying the hilt of the sword and Grendel's head, he presents them to Hrothgar upon his
return to Heorot. Hrothgar gives Beowulf many gifts, including the sword Nægling, his
family's heirloom. The events prompt a long reflection by the king, sometimes referred to as
"Hrothgar's sermon", in which he urges Beowulf to be wary of pride and to reward his thegns.
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Beowulf returns home and eventually becomes king of his own people. One day, fifty years
after Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother, a slave steals a golden cup from the lair of a
dragon at Earnanæs.

When the dragon sees that the cup has been stolen, it leaves its cave in a rage, burning
everything in sight. Beowulf and his warriors come to fight the dragon, but Beowulf tells his
men that he will fight the dragon alone and that they should wait on the barrow. Beowulf
descends to do battle with the dragon, but finds himself outmatched

His men, upon seeing this and fearing for their lives, retreat into the woods. One of his men,
Wiglaf, however, in great distress at Beowulf's plight, comes to his aid. The two slay the
dragon, but Beowulf is mortally wounded. After Beowulf dies, Wiglaf remains by his side,
grief-stricken.

When the rest of the men finally return, Wiglaf bitterly admonishes them, blaming their
cowardice for Beowulf's death. Afterward, Beowulf is ritually burned on a great pyre in
Geatland while his people wail and mourn him, fearing that without him, the Geats are
defenceless against attacks from surrounding tribes. Afterwards, a barrow, visible from the
sea, is built in his memory.
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In my personal opinion, Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. The poem explores
his heroism in two separate phases’ youth and age and through three separate and
increasingly difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Although we
can view these three encounters as expressions of the heroic code, there is perhaps a clearer
division between Beowulf’s youthful heroism as an unfettered warrior and his mature
heroism as a reliable king.

Also, to really know that the importance of the literature is while it is physically written in
words, these words come alive in the imagination of the mind, and its ability to comprehend
the complexity or simplicity of the text. Literature enables people to see through the lenses
of others, and sometimes even inanimate objects; therefore, it becomes a looking glass into
the world as others view it. It is a journey that is inscribed in pages, and powered by the
imagination of the reader.
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[1] Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Adapted Interactive Reader. U.S.A.,
Orlando, Florida. 2012. 504 pages.

[2] Sparks Notes, Beowulf. 2017.

Available at: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/beowulf/facts/