Plot Overview
Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, has ruled his kingdom well, and the kingdom has prospered. However, their celebrating and songs of success angers Grendel, a supposed demon and monster that dwells in the swamplands around the kingdom. Grendel kills and terrorizes the kingdom for years until Beowulf, a hero and leader of the Geats sails to Denmark to kill the monster Grendel and end Hrothgar's kingdom's suffering. Beowulf is accepted into Hrothgar's kingdom and a feast is held to celebrate. Unferth, a great warrior, is suspicious of Beowulf's greatness and claims that Beowulf's stories of his heroic acts are possibly false or over-exaggerated. Beowulf responds by boasting about the time he killed nine sea monsters while racing against Brecca for five days. There is cheering and celebrating in Herot that night until Grendel arrives, and Beowulf rips/cuts Grendel's arm off. Grendel dies, and the kingdom thinks they are safe again. However, Grendel's mother seeks revenge for her son's death. She goes to Herot and kills one of the king's right hand men. Beowulf goes to the swamp intent on killing Grendel's mother. He battles with her, and finds a mighty sword on one of the walls where she (Grendel's mother) dwells. With this mighty sword, Beowulf decapitates Grendel's mother's head. The suffering in the kingdom has subsided. Heaped with gifts of thanks, Beowulf and his band of Geats head back to Geatland where he presents his many gifts and treasures to his king, Hygelac. Through the years, Hygelac dies, then his son, and the crown goes to Beowulf. Beowulf rules the Geats, and they prosper. When Beowulf is an old man, a thief steals treasure from a cave where a dragon resides guarding the treasure. The dragon is mad about the treasure being stolen and burns and brings destruction to the Geats. Beowulf goes after the dragon, although old, and cuts the dragon in half. However, Beowulf is injured, and the dragon's venom begins to kill him. Beowulf's loyal friend, Wiglaf, tried to help Beowulf battle the dragon, although he couldn't do as much as Beowulf. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to gather treasure from the cave so that he may die with it. He also tells Wiglaf to bring gold and treasure to his people. Beowulf is cremated, then buried with treasure.
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