Beowulf: Epic Poem Analysis & Plot Summary

Literary Elements Defined

Key Literary Terms

• Plot: The main events and sequence of a story.
• Setting: The time and place in which the action of a story occurs.
• Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about what is going to happen later in the story.
• Outcome: The resolution or ending of the story.
• Tone: The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, influencing how the reader perceives the story.
• Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating mental images for the reader.

Beowulf: An Epic Poem Analysis

Beowulf Overview

• Original Language: Written in Old English (Anglo-Saxon language).
• Notable Translation: Translated by Francis Gummere in 1910.
• Author: Unknown.

Literary Elements in Beowulf

• Tone in Beowulf

  The poet is generally enthusiastic about Beowulf’s heroic feats, but often surrounds the narrated events with a pervasive sense of doom and impending tragedy.

• Setting of Beowulf

  • Time: The main action of the story is set around 500 A.D.; the narrative also recounts historical events that happened much earlier.
  • Place: Denmark and Geatland (a region in what is now southern Sweden).

• Major Conflicts in Beowulf

  The poem essentially consists of three central conflicts:

  1. Grendel’s domination of Heorot Hall.
  2. The vengeance of Grendel’s mother after Grendel is slain.
  3. The rage of the dragon after a thief steals a treasure it had been guarding.

  The poem’s overarching conflict is between close-knit warrior societies and the various monstrous menaces that threaten their boundaries and existence.

• Plot Structure: Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action

  • Rising Action: Grendel’s attack on Heorot, Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel, and Grendel’s mother’s vengeful killing of Aeschere lead to the climactic encounter between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother.
  • Climax: Beowulf’s encounter with Grendel’s mother constitutes the moment at which good and evil are in greatest tension, marking the peak of the narrative's conflict.
  • Falling Action: Beowulf’s glorious victory over Grendel’s mother leads King Hrothgar to praise him as a worthy hero and advise him about becoming king. This period also helps Beowulf transform from a brazen warrior into a reliable and wise king.

• Symbolism in Beowulf

  Key symbols include:

  • The golden torque (a necklace representing loyalty and reward).
  • The banquet (symbolizing community, celebration, and temporary peace).

• Foreshadowing in Beowulf

  Several events foreshadow future occurrences:

  • The funeral of Shield Sheafson, with which the poem opens, foreshadows Beowulf’s own funeral at the poem’s end.
  • The story of Sigemund, told by the scop (bard), foreshadows Beowulf’s fight with the dragon.
  • The story of King Heremod foreshadows Beowulf’s eventual ascendancy to kingship and the challenges of leadership.

Beowulf Plot Summary

The epic poem Beowulf is traditionally divided into four main parts, detailing the hero's legendary exploits:

1. Part 1: Grendel's Reign of Terror

   A monstrous creature named Grendel, enraged by the noise and revelry from Heorot Hall, invades the mead-hall and brutally kills many of King Hrothgar's warriors. Hearing of this devastation, a valiant Geatish warrior named Beowulf sails to Denmark with his chosen men, determined to defeat the monster. Beowulf confronts Grendel in Heorot, engaging in a fierce hand-to-hand battle. Beowulf mortally wounds Grendel by tearing off his arm, leading to the monster's death.

2. Part 2: Vengeance of Grendel's Mother

   Grendel's mother, seeking revenge for her son's death, attacks Heorot Hall, killing Aeschere, King Hrothgar's most trusted advisor. Beowulf tracks her to her lair beneath a murky lake. In a perilous underwater battle, Beowulf confronts and ultimately slays Grendel's mother. He then finds Grendel's corpse and decapitates it. Beowulf returns to Heorot, presenting the head of Grendel and the hilt of the giant's sword to King Hrothgar as proof of his victory.

3. Part 3: Beowulf's Return and Kingship

   After his triumphs in Denmark, Beowulf returns to Geatland, where he is hailed as a hero. He eventually ascends to the throne and rules his kingdom wisely and prosperously for fifty years.

4. Part 4: The Dragon's Fury and Beowulf's Final Battle

   In his old age, Beowulf faces his final challenge. A dragon, whose ancient treasure hoard has been disturbed by a thief, unleashes its fiery wrath upon Geatland. Despite his advanced years, Beowulf bravely confronts the dragon. In a fierce and deadly battle, Beowulf and the dragon mortally wound each other. Beowulf dies, having saved his people, and is given a grand funeral, fulfilling the prophecy foreshadowed at the poem's beginning.