The supernatural is a literary device that has frequently been utilized in works of fiction. The purpose of this literary…

Throughout early English literature as well as modern stories of various mediums, a popular literary device is that of allegory.…

The dating of Beowulf has attracted considerable scholarly attention and opinion differs as to whether it was first written in…

The protagonist Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, whose great…

The events in the poem take place over most of the sixth century, after the Anglo-Saxons had started migrating to…

Beowulf (/ˈbeɪəwʊlf/;[2] Old English: [ˈbeːo̯wulf]) is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the…

Although Seamus Heaney and R. M. Liuzza have both translated the literary work Beowulf from Old English text, subtle differences…

Beowulf, the Old-English epic poem, is characteristic of its Nordic-Germanic roots as a tale of a great Scandinavian warrior –…

Latonya Wright, author of ClassicNote. Completed on March 14, 2000, copyright held by GradeSaver. Anonymous. Beowulf Late tenth century manuscript.

E-text of Beowulf http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/English/Beowulf/eBeowulf/guide.htm Resources for Studying Beowulf http://www.georgetown.edu/irvinemj/english016/beowulf/beowulf.html Adventures of Beowulf http://www.lone-star.net/literature/beowulf/index.html Anglo-Saxon Culture http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/subjects/british_isles/anglo-saxon/anglo-saxon.html

Summary: Wiglaf weeps for his lord’s exchange of “those lordly treasures for his life’s boundary.” The dragon lies dead, vanquished…

Summary: After giving his farewell speech, Beowulf turns, gives a mighty shout, and charges forward. The dragon hears the shout…

Summary: Fifty years pass. Hygelac has died in a distant land, leaving Beowulf to reign the Geats. In the fiftieth…

Summary: Beowulf and the Geats return to their homeland with much rejoicing and giving of gifts. Again they “follow the…

Summary: The Geats return to Heorot, where Beowulf presents the head and the hilt to Hrothgar. Hrothgar marvels at the…

Summary: As the Danes slumber, another sinister monster trudges toward Heorot. It is Grendel’s mother, who is also dammed to…

Summary: In the bright daylight, Hrothgar and Wealhtheow wait for messengers bearing news. Upon hearing the miracle that has occurred,…

Summary: As usual, Grendel plods through the darkness, heading toward Heorot for his nightly slaughter. He grips the hall door…

Summary: The news of the trouble in Denmark eventually reaches the land of the Geats. The king of this land,…

Summary: The poem begins with a genealogy of the Danish royal family. Scyld Shefing, the founder of the dynasty, becomes…