Michael Wendel’s
Beowulf Interactive
PowerPoint
English 9-12th
The Real Story
Of
Beowulf
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TOPICS
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MORE. PLEASE SELECT THE QUIZ LAST
History of Beowulf
Plot Overview
Concept of Beowulf
Why Read Beowulf
Who is Beowulf
Quiz Time!
HISTORY
 Beowulf was constructed by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet
around 700 A.D.
 The story itself was passed down orally through oral narrative (or
storytelling)
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WHAT IS BEOWULF?
 Beowulf is considered a form of epic poetry
 Epic poetry is a long narrative focusing around a particular
person(s) or event(s) which displays heroic features or attributes
 Beowulf is an epic because it revolves around an epic character
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WHO IS BEOWULF?
 Beowulf may be the title, but is also the name of the main
character of the story.
 Beowulf is a young hero from a place called Geat
 He is strong, courageous, valiant, attractive, and skilled in the way
of the warrior.
 Beowulf is the protagonist/hero of the story
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P L O T O V E RV I E W
PA R T 1
 Our story begins in the kingdom of the Danes of a land named
Denmark. It was a peaceful place of prosperity and comfort until a
great demon named Grendel arose. Grendel was a terrifying monster
that attacked and killed countless Dane people causing great sorrow
and despair within the hearts of many for several years.
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PART 2
 Then came a very interesting man from a faraway land. A man
whose very appearance proved that of a warrior. He was tall,
muscular, confident, handsome. He was Beowulf.
 Beowulf heard the plea of the Dane king and accepted the
challenge of defeating the great demon Grendel as Beowulf had
never faced defeat…
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PART 3
 The king of Dane then decides to celebrate by having a party in
honor of Beowulf. Great amounts of food and drink are shared
among the party along with plenty of laughs and tales of Beowulfs’
previous accomplishments. The people continued to celebrate deep
into the night until suddenly a great figure appeared from out of the
darkness. Grendel had been awakened…
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PART 4
 Grendel had done Beowulf a great favor, as Grendel came to him.
Beowulf accepted the challenge and fought the great demon bare
handed! Beowulf and Grendel both displayed great strength and
endurance as they battled to the death. Although both were admirable
foes, only one could win. Grendel possessed something Beowulf did
not….fear. This gave Beowulf the advantage
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PART 5
 After an energetic battle of strength and cunning, Beowulf was the
victor. Although Grendel was not yet dead and Beowulf was not yet
finished. Beowulf then rips one of Grendels’ arms right off his body
and holds it high for all to see. Grendel manages to escape alive but
mortally wounded. Grendel returns to his swamp and spends his last
moments within the comfort of his mother…
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PART 6
 Few knew that Grendel had a mother and those that did were most
likely dead! The main theme then changes from Beowulfs’ heroics to
the mothers’ revenge. Grendels’ mother later kills Aeschere, one of
the Kings best men/personal aids, out of revenge for her sons’ death
and returns to her swamp soon after. A small group of men and
Beowulf later travel to the swamp on a quest to avenge the murder of
Aeschere…
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PART 7
 Beowulf finds the swamp where Grendels’ mother lies in wait. He
dives into the murky water down to the very bottom where he
discovers the underwater lair of Grendels’ mother. After a great
attempt of seduction, the mother charges at Beowulf and engages
him in another great battle of man versus demon. After much sweat
and bloodshed, Beowulf stands victorious as he cuts down Grendels’
mother with a Sword forged for giants!
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PART 8
 The battle is over, but the story has just begun. Amongst the
underwater lair, Beowulf discovers Grendels’ corpse and cuts off his
head as a trophy for the king of Dane. The people of Dane are
overjoyed as the terrifying monsters have been slain and peace has
been restored to their land all thanks to Beowulf. Beowulf then leaves
Dane and sails back home to his kingdom of Geat….
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PART 9
 Upon returning to Geat, Beowulf is appointed king of Geat and
becomes a great ruler for over fifty years. Then, one day a thief
disturbs an old tomb of treasure that is guarded by a ferocious
dragon. The dragon is awakened and begins wreaking havoc upon the
people of Geat. Many attempt to kill the dragon but none prevail as
there is but one man who could defeat such a terrifying beast. His
name is Beowulf...
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PART 10
 Yet Beowulf is no longer the young man he was in Denmark as
fifty years have passed and Beowulf has become an old man. Yet, his
strength and courage have not left him as he and his companion
Wiglaf set off to the dragons lair in an attempt to bring peace back to
their land.
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PART 11
 Beowulf and Wiglaf confront the Dragon in what is to be the
most difficult and rigorous battle of their lives. After many futile
attempts, Beowulf finally manages to penetrate the strong scaly skin
of the dragon. His blade cuts deep but at a great price as Beowulf has
been bitten and the dragons venom begins to spread…
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PART 12
 Beowulf begun to feel the poison spread through his body and
ever closer to his heart. He sits down by a river with his companion
Wiglaf and speaks to him his dying words. He asks that his people
remember him and his successful reign with the construction of a
burial mound overlooking the sea. The last words of Beowulf are as
followed, “You are the last of our family Wiglaf. All the others fell
when fate decided they must. Now I must follow them…” The End
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 Beowulf is more than just a story, it’s a cornerstone of
modern literature as its dynamic structure and theme
displays great originality and uniqueness. Given its
history, the story plot is certainly original as it was
constructed over 1300 years ago! Yet Beowulf has more
than just history as the story itself is one of greatness
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QUIZ TIME
1. In the Story of Beowulf, Why does Beowulf originally arrive in
Denmark?
 To kill the Mighty Dragon
 To visit the king of Denmark
 To kill the monster Grendel
 To seduce Grendels’ mother
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INCORRECT
 Not quite, but keep trying!
 Beowulf doesn’t actually fight the dragon in Denmark. He fights
the dragon near the very end of the story in his homeland of
Geatland.
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INCORRECT
 Not quite, but your getting there!!
 Although Beowulf is very good friends with the king of Denmark,
that isn’t his prime objective for traveling to Denmark as he sets his
sights on a task much larger in size.
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CORRECT
 Way to Go!!!
 Yes, Beowulfs’ original purpose for traveling to Denmark is to help
slay the ferocious monster Grendel that has been terrorizing the
region.
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To
Ending
INCORRECT
 Get your mind out of the gutter!
 Grendels’ mother does try to seduce Beowulf before attempting to
kill him, but Beowulf sees through her disguise of attraction and kills
her first.
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THE END
 I hope you learned something interesting about Beowulf and if
you liked this, then you should definitely consider reading the full
story!!!
 Please click the
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for the next student!
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