An Epic Hero
• Beowulf is ancient England’s hero, but he is also an archetype,
or perfect example of an epic hero.
• An archetype is a pattern that appears in literature across
cultures and is repeated through the ages. It can be a
character type, a plot, an image, or a setting. Examples of
archetypes include: the hero, the villain, a journey, etc.
• An epic is a long narrative poem that relates great deeds of a
larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular
society. Most epics include elements of myth, legend,
folklore, and history. Their tone is serious and their language
grand.
• Epic Heroes undertake quests to achieve something of
tremendous value to themselves or their society.
A Hero’s Story
• Beowulf is a story about a hero from the misty
reaches of the British past, a hero who faces violence,
horror, and even death to save a people in mortal
danger. The epic’s events took place many centuries
ago, but this story still speaks to people today,
perhaps because so many of us are in need of a
rescuer, a hero.
• 3 MINUTE TASK: In your groups, take a moment to
discuss contemporary heroes (real or fictitious). What
qualities make a hero today? On your white boards
(or paper), make a list of the qualities you believe
make up today’s heroes.
Class Discussion: Heroes
Groups:
• Please share your lists with the class.
Class:
• What characteristics/qualities seem to be most
prevalent?
• Why do you think this is so?
• What does our “heroes’ lists” tell us about our
society? What do we value?
Class Discussion: Heroes
Just as our heroes’ lists reveal something about
our society and what we value, so do other
“hero” stories from all different centuries,
countries, and cultures.
As we read Beowulf, please pay attention to
what qualities the hero possesses. What does he
do? What does he say? How does he act? How
do others respond to him?
What does all of this reveal about the
Anglo-Saxon culture? What did they value?
from Beowulf
Story Background
As the epic begins, we are introduced to King
Hrothgar, a revered and successful leader who has
ruled the Danes for many years. He has recently built
the mead hall Herot to commemorate his many
victories. As Hrothgar’s men celebrate and enjoy life
in Herot, however, a monster called Grendel lurks in
the swamps nearby, seething with resentment and
hatred for humans. Eventually Grendel attacks Herot
and mercilessly kills thirty of Hrothgar’s men. This
marks the beginning of Grendel’s reign of terror over
the Danes, which lasts for twelve years.
from Beowulf
Story Background
Rescue finally comes in the form of a great warrior
named Beowulf who hails from the land of the Geats
(Sweden). Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s troubles and
decides to journey to Denmark with some of his
strongest men to do battle with Grendel. He meets
with Hrothgar and boasts of his numerous past
achievements, which qualify him to challenge Grendel.
Beowulf then announces that he will fight the monster
that night without weapons. A celebratory feast
ensues. As it ends, Beowulf and his men take the place
of Hrothgar’s followers and lie down to sleep in Herot.
Beowulf, however, is wakeful, eager to meet his
enemy. He is not kept waiting long . . .
“The Battle with Grendel”
“The Battle with Grendel”
395
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.
What details are we given in this section that characterize
Grendel?
What do you think “bearing God’s hatred” reveals about
Grendel?
Why does he leave his marsh?
Who does he wish to kill?
What do all of these details tell you about Grendel?
• Grendel is an evil creature, either hated by God or who hates God.
• He wants to kill anyone he can, which means there is no purpose for
the killing other than to cause death, destruction, and despair.
“The Battle with Grendel”
He moved quickly through the cloudy night,
Up from his swampland, sliding silently
Toward that gold-shining hall.
1. What is revealed about Grendel that he can “move quickly
through a cloudy night”?
2. Identify the alliteration in this section.
3. What sound effect does the repetition (alliteration) of the
“s” make? What does it sound like?
4. What allusion is the author making by using this
descriptive alliterative detail?
5. How does this detail connect with “bearing God’s hatred”?
“The Battle with Grendel”
He had visited Hrothgar’s
Home before, knew the way—
400 But never, before nor after that night,
Found Herot defended so firmly, his reception
So harsh.
1. Grendel has been easily terrorizing Herot for 12 years,
what is different about this time?
2. How are the details “visited” and “his reception” an
example of verbal irony?
“The Battle with Grendel”
405
He journeyed, forever joyless,
Straight to the door, then snapped it open,
Tore its iron fasteners with a touch,
And rushed angrily over the threshold.
He strode quickly across the inlaid
Floor, snarling and fierce: His eyes
Gleamed in the darkness, burned with a gruesome
Light.
1. What characterization details are given in this passage about
Grendel’s strength? What does it reveal about him?
2. What characterization details are given about Grendel’s
mannerisms, mood, and attitude? What do these details
suggest about him?
“The Battle with Grendel”
410
415
Then he stopped, seeing the hall
Crowded with sleeping warriors, stuffed
With rows of young soldiers resting together.
And his heart laughed, he relished the sight,
Intended to tear the life from those bodies
By morning; the monster’s mind was hot
With the thought of food and the feasting his belly
Would soon know. But fate, that night, intended
Grendel to gnaw the broken bones
Of his last human supper.
1. What characterization details are given in this passage about
Grendel? What does it reveal about him?
2. Where does the author use foreshadowing in this section?
3. What does the foreshadowing reveal about Grendel’s fate?
4. What is the personification in this section?
5. What is the significance of “fate”? What does that suggest
about Beowulf?
“The Battle with Grendel”
420
425
1.
2.
Human
Eyes were watching his evil steps,
Waiting to see his swift hard claws.
Grendel snatched at the first Geat
He came to, ripped him apart, cut
His body to bits with powerful jaws,
Drank the blood from his veins, and bolted
Him down, hands and feet; death
And Grendel’s great teeth came together,
Snapping life shut.
What do the characterization details in this passage tell you
about Grendel’s size and strength?
Who are the “Human Eyes” watching him?
“The Battle with Grendel”
430
1.
Then he stepped to another
Still body, clutched at Beowulf with his claws,
Grasped at a strong-hearted wakeful sleeper
—And was instantly seized himself, claws
Bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm.
The term “wakeful sleeper” is both a kenning and an oxymoron.
• A kenning is a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name
a person, place, thing, or event indirectly (i.e. “whale road” to
describe the sea). In this kenning, Beowulf is described as the
“wakeful sleeper.”
• An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines apparently
contradictory or incongruous ideas (i.e. “wise fool” or “loud silence”).
• How is “wakeful sleeper” an oxymoron?
“The Battle with Grendel”
That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime,
Knew at once that nowhere on earth
Had he met a man whose hands were harder;
435 His mind was flooded with fear—but nothing
Could take his talons and himself from that tight
Hard grip. Grendel’s one thought was to run
From Beowulf, flee back to his marsh and hide there:
This was a different Herot than the hall he had emptied.
1. Identify the kennings in this section.
2. What does Grendel immediately notice is different about this
attack?
3. How does Grendel react?
4. How do these details characterize Grendel? What would you
say about him?
5. Knowing what you know about Grendel already, and how he has
been attacking Herot for 12 years, what do these details reveal
about Beowulf?
“The Battle with Grendel”
But Higlac’s follower remembered his final
Boast and, standing erect, stopped
The monster’s flight, fastened those claws
In his fists till they cracked, clutched Grendel
Closer. The infamous killer fought
445 For his freedom, wanting no flesh but retreat,
Desiring nothing but escape; his claws
Had been caught, he was trapped. That trip to Herot
Was a miserable journey for the writhing monster!
1. Identify the kennings in this section.
2. Why doesn’t Beowulf simply let Grendel leave?
3. What does Grendel want?
4. Do you feel sorry for Grendel? Why or why not?
“The Battle with Grendel”
The high hall rang, its roof boards swayed,
450 And Danes shook with terror. Down
The aisles the battle swept, angry
And wild. Herot trembled, wonderfully
Built to withstand the blows, the struggling
Great bodies beating at its beautiful walls;
455 Shaped and fastened with iron, inside
And out, artfully worked, the building
Stood firm. Its benches rattled, fell
To the floor, gold-covered boards grating
As Grendel and Beowulf battled across them.
460 Hrothgar’s wise men had fashioned Herot
To stand forever; only fire,
They had planned, could shatter what such skill had put
Together, swallow in hot flames such splendor
Of ivory and iron and wood.
1. How is the battle between Beowulf and Grendel described?
“The Battle with Grendel”
Suddenly
465 The sounds changed, the Danes started
In new terror, cowering in their beds as the terrible
Screams of the Almighty’s enemy sang
In the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain
And defeat, the tears torn out of Grendel’s
470 Taut throat, hell’s captive caught in the arms
Of him who of all the men on earth
Was the strongest.
1. What transition does the author use to increase the tension of
the battle?
2. Identify the kennings in this section.
“The Battle with Grendel”
465
470
1.
2.
3.
Suddenly
The sounds changed, the Danes started
In new terror, cowering in their beds as the terrible
Screams of the Almighty’s enemy sang
In the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain
And defeat, the tears torn out of Grendel’s
Taut throat, hell’s captive caught in the arms
Of him who of all the men on earth
Was the strongest.
NOTE: “The Almighty’s enemy” refers to God’s enemy. Earlier in the
epic, Grendel’s origin is explained: He is the offspring of one of the
descendants of Cain, who killed his brother, Abel, and became the first
murderer. Cain was eternally punished by God and, according to
legend, fathered all evil beings that plague humankind: monsters,
demons, and evil spirits.
In what ways is this battle between Grendel and Beowulf really a battle
between good and evil?
Knowing these allusions to Grendel, what is the allusion to Beowulf?
Who/what does he represent?
“The Battle with Grendel”
475
1.
That mighty protector of men
Meant to hold the monster till its life
Leaped out, knowing the fiend was no use
To anyone in Denmark. All of Beowulf’s
Band had jumped from their beds, ancestral
Swords raised and ready, determined
To protect their prince if they could.
How do the details in this section affirm the values of
the Anglo Saxon culture?
“The Battle with Grendel”
480
485
1.
2.
Their courage
Was great but all wasted: They could hack at Grendel
From every side, trying to open
A path for his evil soul, but their points
Could not hurt him, the sharpest and hardest iron
Could not scratch at his skin, for that sin-stained demon
Had bewitched all men’s weapons, laid spells
That blunted every mortal man’s blade.
And yet his time had come, his days
Were over, his death near; down
To hell he would go, swept groaning and helpless
To the waiting hands of still worse fiends.
Why can’t the men harm Grendel?
How is this selection an indication that both paganism and
Christianity have influences in this story?
“The Battle with Grendel”
490
495
1.
2.
Now he discovered—once the afflictor
Of men, tormentor of their days—what it meant
To feud with Almighty God: Grendel
Saw that his strength was deserting him, his claws
Bound fast, Higlac’s brave follower tearing at
His hands. The monster’s hatred rose higher,
But his power had gone. He twisted in pain,
And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder
Snapped, muscle and bone split
And broke.
What does the author imply about Beowulf when he says that
Grendel “discovered . . . what it meant to feud with Almighty
God”?
What happens here? How does Beowulf defeat Grendel?
“The Battle with Grendel”
500
505
The battle was over, Beowulf
Had been granted new glory: Grendel escaped,
But wounded as he was could flee to his den,
His miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh,
Only to die, to wait for the end
Of all his days. And after that bloody
Combat the Danes laughed with delight.
He who had come to them from across the sea,
Bold and strong-minded, had driven affliction
Off, purged Herot clean.
“The Battle with Grendel”
510
515
1.
2.
He was happy,
Now, with that night’s fierce work; the Danes
Had been served as he’d boasted he’d serve them; Beowulf,
A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel,
Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering
Forced on Hrothgar’s helpless people
By a bloodthirsty fiend. No Dane doubted
The victory, for the proof, hanging high
From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it,
was the monster’s arm, claw and shoulder and all.
How does this passage reflect the ideals of the Anglo-Saxon
culture?
Why does Beowulf hang Grendel’s arm from the rafters for
everyone to see?
“The Battle with Grendel”
520
525
530
And then, in the morning, crowds surrounded
Herot, warriors coming to that hall
From faraway lands, princes and leaders
Of men hurrying to behold the monster’s
Great staggering tracks. They gaped with no sense
Of sorrow, felt no regret for his suffering,
Went tracing his bloody footprints, his beaten
And lonely flight, to the edge of the lake
Where he’d dragged his corpselike way, doomed
And already weary of his vanishing life.
The water was bloody, steaming and boiling
In horrible pounding waves, heat
Sucked from his magic veins; but the swirling
Surf had covered his death, hidden
Deep in murky darkness his miserable
End, as hell opened to receive him.
“The Battle with Grendel”
535
540
1.
Then old and young rejoiced, turned back
From that happy pilgrimage, mounted their hard-hooved
Horses, high-spirited stallions, and rode them
Slowly toward Herot again, retelling
Beowulf’s bravery as they jogged along.
And over and over they swore that nowhere
On earth or under the spreading sky
Or between the seas, neither south nor north,
Was there a warrior worthier to rule over men.
(But no one meant Beowulf’s praise to belittle
Hrothgar, their kind and gracious king!) . . .
What are the people doing here? Based on this, how do you
know that Beowulf will “live forever”?
“The Battle with Grendel”
Please answer the following questions, in complete sentences, on your
own paper. Turn in when complete.
1. Describe what happens to Grendel when he raids Herot and
encounters Beowulf.
2. What prevents Beowulf’s men from helping Beowulf in his battle
with Grendel?
3. How do the Danes feel about Beowulf after his battle with Grendel?
4. What significance can you find in the fact that Grendel attacks at
night?
5. Kennings are metaphorical phrases or compound words used to
name something. Identify kennings naming Grendel that associate
him with death, darkness, or evil. How are these kennings supposed
to make you feel about Grendel?
6. Why do you think it’s important to Beowulf and to his image as an
epic hero that he face Grendel without a weapon?
7. What symbolism do you see in the uselessness of human-made
weapons against Grendel?