Beowulf Reading Guide/ Dialectical Journal Guide
Use this guide to help you as you read, and to create your dialectical journal. If you see DJ next to a line,
copy the line numbers and important quotes into the left column of your Dialectical Journal, and
respond to the questions in the right column. You can respond to more lines than required and write
questions of your own.
NB: In many places, you are instructed to “skip” a part. Do not skip a part. Read Beowulf in its
entirety.
-
-
-
Lines 3-63: background info; skim.
1) Lines 106-114: DJ – What do these lines mean? Why is it important that Grendel is related to
Cain? If you need to, google Cain and Abel (Bible story).
2) Lines 138-139: DJ – What litera1ry technique is being used? What do the lines mean?
Line 189 – Beowulf is about to enter the story. The poet refers to him as “Hygelac’s thane.”
Line 229 – This part can be confusing. Beowulf and the coast guard have long passages in which
they are speaking; pay attention to who is talking!
3) Lines 229-301: DJ – What is happening here? What reasons does Beowulf give for coming to
Denmark? How does the coast guard react to his presence?
4) Lines 353-385: DJ How is Hrothgar described? What do these lines tell us about him and
about the values of this society?
Line 353 – Note that Wulfgar refers to Hrothgar as “the giver of rings” (this might be worded a
little differently depending on which translation you are reading but there should be some
reference to giving rings). Phrases like this do not refer to literal rings, but to treasure, wealth,
and gifts in general. Remember that part of being a good king is dispersing treasure to your
thanes. Pay attention to this and look out for more references to Hrothgar giving gifts, especially
around lines 375-385. Why do you think gift-giving is so important? How has being a good ringgiver helped Hrothgar?
Lines 407-455 – This is Beowulf’s speech explaining why he is in Denmark. Pay attention to the
things he says about himself. How does Beowulf seem to you here? To me he sounds very
arrogant at first, but boasting was actually a big part of Old English poetry. If you’re having a
hard time getting into the reading, think about boasts in rap songs. This is a lot like that. We’ll
talk more about this in class. For now, think about why Beowulf wants to fight Grendel so badly
and pay attention to what he gives as his qualifications. Keep paying attention to what values
Beowulf as a hero represents. Do values expressed in lines like 422-424 seem in line with
Christian values?
5) Lines 422-424: DJ - What values to these lines express? As you read on, try to find more lines
that mirror these values and list the lines here.
Lines 435-440: Important! Beowulf is NOT going to use any weapons in his battle with Grendel.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
445-450 – Yikes! If these lines don’t make you cringe a little you are braver than I!
455- Does this philosophy seem more pagan or Christian to you?
459-472 – Here’s some backstory that explains a little of Beowulf’s motivation. Remember the
importance of ring-giving and wergilds.
473-479 – Hrothgar is a good king. From these lines, how do you think he feels about Beowulf
coming to help his people?
6) Lines 500-606: DJ – Who is Unferth? What do we know about him? How is he characterized?
What other character does he have something in common with? For help with that last
question, check out lines 587-589.
500 – Unferth! What is he doing? How is he described? I always picture Unferth like Grima
Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings; Tolkien was a big Beowulf fan and I kind of think Unferth
could have been some inspiration for that character. If you like LotR, pay attention to Unferth
closely and see if you can see the similarities too. If you don’t like LotR you’re missing out, but
pay close attention anyway and try to determine what kind of character Unferth is from his
speech.
509-510 – Unferth accuses Beowulf of vanity and of doing great deeds only to prove his own
greatness. Do you think this is true? It might be too soon to tell, so keep this in mind and think
about it now and then as you read on.
530 – Beowulf begins his reply. What tone do you think he is using? Why do you think he blames
beer for Unferth’s insults? As you read his boast, remember that boasting was a major part of
society, but that it was VERY important that the boasts be accurate. The poet gives us no reason
to believe Beowulf is exaggerating in his boast; this was the time of heroes, after all. I always get
a kick out of how over the top his adventure is – he swims for five days in a suit of armor (which
you’d think would rust, or at least make him sink like a stone) fighting whale-beasts and letting
sea-monsters know he’s not for eating. I kind of picture Beowulf swimming around slaughtering
every sea creature in sight (he even says that the ocean is covered with floating dead monsters
by the time he is done). What good does this accomplish? Besides adding to Beowulf’s
reputation.
581-606 – Oh snap, Unferth gets told. This is basically Beowulf’s, “Oh no you didn’t” speech.
587-589 – Remember how Grendel is part of Cain’s brood? Unferth has committed a crime
similar to Cain’s. In a society in which you are morally obligated to avenge your kin member’s
death or die trying, how do you think killing a family member (kith and kin) is viewed? (Answer:
It’s not good.)
612 – After everyone is done laughing at Unferth, Wealhtheow shows up. She doesn’t talk a lot,
but she’s one of two big female characters in the poem. The queen is expected to be a cupbearer for the king and his men. Wealhtheow is a positive character; watch what she says and
does for some insight into the role of women in this culture.
Lines 632-638: Beowulf’s formal boast is a kind of oath; he must live up to what he says to the
queen or face extreme dishonor.
-
632-638 – This is a formal boast. It is a kind of oath, or promise. Beowulf must live up to what he
says to the queen.

655-661 – It is a big deal that Hrothgar is letting Beowulf fight this battle. In a way it is as if
Hrothgar is admitting his own defeat; he and his men have been unable to win their own fight.
Beowulf’s help is needed and welcome, but it is also a little humiliating.
665 – “The King of Glory” (might be slightly different in your translation). Who do you think this
refers to? If you’re not sure, look at line 670.
670- Beowulf takes off all his armor and sets aside his weapons. He’s going to fight Grendel the
way Grendel fights – naked (at least of armor) and unarmed. Remember, Grendel is a giant maneating monster, so this is not too cowardly of Beowulf (that right there was some litotes!).
7) Lines 691-835: DJ – what is literally happening in these lines? What is a thane’s role and how
ought a thane behave according to these lines?
691-702 – Note that none of Beowulf’s men expect to return home. They all lay down to sleep in
Heorot, even though they know they are going to die gruesome deaths. THIS is the kind of
loyalty thanes are supposed to have to their lords. Also, there’s a clear Christian reference in
these lines. Think about how it works in relation to the lines about fate ruling all.
735-744 – Again, check out how loyal this thane is. Beowulf is awake, watching Grendel and
waiting for his moment. He waits and watches and Grendel EATS one of his men. And Grendel
doesn’t just swallow this guy, he licks out his marrow, drinks his blood, and then takes some big
bites out of him before leaving his mutilated corpse on the floor. THEN Beowulf makes his move.
This is strategically awesome; Beowulf wants the element of surprise and thus has to pretend to
be asleep so soundly that his thane’s murder goes totally unnoticed. It’s easy to think of Beowulf
as a jerk who doesn’t care about his men’s lives, but remember that part of a thane’s job is to
willingly lay down his life for his lord.
745-754 – Here Beowulf and Grendel are fighting. If you are in a hurry and want to skin this go
ahead, but pay attention to lines 754-781 and the reference to fire and flame (Heorot eventually
burns down, although that is not a part of this story).
781 - If you were skimming, stop skimming now and start reading again because the fight is
winding down and Grendel is losing! He wants to run away now. But in lines 790-791 the poet
explains that Beowulf is not going to let him.
795-804 – Beowulf’s men try to defend him with their swords, but Grendel cannot be hurt by
weapons. Good thing Beowulf decided to fight hand-to-hand! This is going to be a motif
throughout the poem; weapons are not going to work against the monsters Beowulf has to face.
815-817 – In case it’s not clear, Beowulf has just ripped off Grendel’s arm.
832-835 – Beowulf is now showing off Grendel’s arm, which he has torn off starting at the
shoulder. Actually, this translation says he has “the whole of Grendel’s/ shoulder and arm.” I’m
not sure what that would look like. Gross, I imagine.










-
-
-
845 – What is a mere? Your translation probably says Grendel has skulked off to a mere or a
mere-pool. A mere is a lake or a pool, and in this case, as we’ll find out later, it has an outlet to
the sea. Grendel runs home to his mere and dies.
Line 845: A “mere” is a lake or pool; Grendel has been living at the bottom of this mere.
861-862 – If you’ve seen the movie you probably remember Hrothgar dancing around the mead
hall drunk and naked. It’s not a very accurate portrayal. Why do you think these lines are
significant?
Lines 866-914: Here a singer will tell the first of several anecdotal aside stories; you can skip this
and if there’s time we’ll go over it in class.
866- Here the poet introduces a singer, who tells about Beowulf’s heroic deeds. He’s going to
mention some names like Sigemund, Waels and Fitela. You don’t need to know who this people
are. In fact, you can skip down to line 915. The story being told contrasts a good king (Sigemund)
with a bad, vain king (Hermod). Basically, Sigemund is a brave warrior whose legend is well
known even now that he is dead. He once killed a dragon all by himself and took all its treasure
(remember this later).
927- Hrothgar is speaking to everyone in the hall. Things to look out for: references to Christianity,
Beowulf being adopted by the king, and the concept of earning immortality.
-
8) Lines 927-955: DJ – What is interesting to you in these lines?
956 – Beowulf replies.
990-1007 – The people prepare Heorot for a celebration. You can skim, but pay attention to the
last 10 lines or so.
1016-1017 – Your translation might be a little different but the basic gist should be that there is nothing
but friendship in Heorot. Beowulf has vanquished the threat to community represented by Grendel.
-
-
-
9) Lines 1016-1017: DJ – Why are these lines significant?
Lines: 1019-1048: Present o’clock! Remember the ring-giver aspect of kingship. You can skim
this; basically, Beowulf gets lots of generous presents from Hrothgar and it’s very appropriate
for Hrothgar to reward him this way.
1019-1048 - Oh boy present time. Remember the ring-giver aspect of kingship. You can skim
this stuff; the main thing to take away is Beowulf gets a lot of really generous presents from
Hrothgar and it’s very appropriate for Hrothgar to reward him this way.
1052-1061 – Here is an example of a wergild, although it’s a little odd since the thane’s death
has technically been avenged. Pay attention to the didactic nature of the last lines here.
10) Lines 1052-1061: DJ – What is Hrothgar doing? Why? Remember your vocab words!
-
-
-
1062-1158 – you can skip all this! It’s another legend being recounted, and it does have some
thematic significance to Beowulf, but it’s not vital to the narrative and it’s kind of confusing. If
you want to read it go ahead, but keep in mind that these lines are not part of what is actually
going on but an anecdotal aside.
Lines 1062-1158: Skip it! Another anecdotal aside
11) Lines 1167-1230: DJ – Pay attention to what Wealhtheow is saying. What do you think she is
feeling? Why is she talking? What is her purpose/ what does she want? Skim the chunk about
gift-giving.
1167- Wealhtheow is speaking. Her main concern is for her sons. She reminds Hrothgar that he has two
young sons already and maybe he should think about their future before adopting Beowulf. Basically,
Wealhtheow is trying to make it clear that her sons, not Beowulf, will one day rule the kingdom. Skim
1191-1213, which has more to do with gift giving. Tune back in at 1214 – Wealhtheow is speaking again
and she has some important stuff to say, especially in lines 1228-1230.
1255-1278 – Notice that there is another reference to the story of Cain. Why do you think this story is so
important? Grendel’s mother is described as an avenger; how does her vengeance fit or not fit with
Anglo-Saxon customs?
-
-
-
12) Lines 1255-1295: DJ – How is Grendel’s mother described? How does she fit or not fit with
Anglo-Saxon customs and values? Add to this as you read on.
1292-1295 – This is interesting. Grendel’s mother is described as panicked and desperate in my
translation. That doesn’t sound like a description of a monster. Also, she has only grabbed one
man, suggesting that she isn’t here to slaughter indiscriminately but to avenge her son’s death
according to societally accepted customs. Unfortunately, she grabs one of Hrothgar’s favorite
warriors.
1321- Hrothgar has some moving lines here, mourning the loss of his friend Aeschere. I always
find this interesting; there are not many lines about personal relationships in the poem, even
though one of the major themes is community and how to manage relationships within the
community. As you read Hrothgar’s speech, think about whether Grendel’s mother is a villain.
Also think about how she and her son work symbolically within the theme of community.
Lines 1321 - _____: Hrothgar is mourning the thane that Grendel’s mother has stolen, whose
name is Aeschere.
1384-1389 – Pay attention to the values reflected in these lines. Although Beowulf is speaking about
himself, how can these words relate to Grendel’s mother? How about to Grendel?
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13) Lines 1384 -1389: DJ – Although Beowulf is speaking about himself here, how can these lines
relate to Grendel and Grendel’s mother? What values are shown?
1397-1441 – skim this. It has some awesome descriptions. Beowulf, Hrothgar and some thanes
ride to the mere. They find Aeschere’s body – part of it – and they locate the pool where
Grendel and his mother live. It is full of sea-monsters and gore.
Lines 1397-1441: skim these lines. Beowulf, Hrothgar and some thanes ride to the mere. They
find Aeschere’s head and locate the pool where Grendel and his mother live. It’s full of seamonsters.
14) Lines 1455-1472: DJ - What is Hrunting? Why do you think Unferth lent it to Beowulf?
1455-1472 – Unferth has lent Beowulf his enchanted sword, Hrunting, which never fails in
battle. Why do you think Unferth is lending Beowulf his magic weaponry? The poet tells us that
Unferth is too much of a coward to fight Grendel’s mother, and that he has lost out on fame and
repute (which, remember, is the pagan form of immortality).
1492 – Beowulf apparently makes quite the exit; after his speech he leaps into the mere with his
armor and helmet on. Again, you would think he’d just sink and drown since he’s wearing whoknows how many pounds of metal. But it’s an epic, and he’s an epic hero, so he evidently does
not need oxygen the way normal people do. He’s BIGGER than normal people. He’s MORE than
normal people. So it’s no problem for him to swim to the bottom of the mere over the course of
a few hours (remember, Hrothgar told him that no one else has ever reached the bottom).
1493- The “she” here is Grendel’s mother. As you read the fight, pay close attention to what
happens to Hrunting, the enchanted sword. Also look out for references to fate or God, lines
that appear to be didactic, and clues as to whether Grendel’s mother is a villain or not.
Throughout this battle, also consider whether Beowulf is behaving like a hero, and what part of
the hero’s journey he is in.
15) Line 1493 - ________: DJ – Is Grendel’s mother a villain according to Anglo-Saxon values?
Why or why not? Is she a villain according to the values of our own society? Why or why not?
1651-1676 – Beowulf gives a nice speech that kind of summarizes what’s just happened in his
battle. Read it closely if the battle scene was confusing; skim it if you feel like you have a pretty
good handle on what’s happening.
Lines 1651-1676: Beowulf gives a speech that summarizes what’s just happened in the battle.
Skip it unless you are confused about what happened in the battle.
1688-1693 – The sword-hilt Beowulf brings back with him has some interesting Christian images
engraved onto it. This engraving depicts the flood in the biblical tale of Noah. The giants being
drowned are probably the Nephilim – we aren’t going to discuss this much in class, but if you are
interested in it chat with me or google it. Personally I find it fascinating. For the purposes of
understanding the poem, consider why the sword bears an engraving showing God drowning
wicked giants.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1709-1722 – This part of Hrothgar’s speech refers back to one of the anecdotes we skipped
before, and the bad king Heremod. Basically, Hrothgar is saying Beowulf is great, unlike this
other king, Heremod, who was a plague to his people until he finally died. Heremod is an
example of how not to act.
1709-1722: Part of Hrothgar’s speech refers back to one of the anecdotes we skipped before.
Skip this part too.
1722-1724 – Check out how didactic these lines are. Hrothgar is still speaking. In my translation
he says he has “wintered into wisdom,” which is a cool way of saying he has grown wise
throughout his many winters.
1724-1757 – skim. This is a lot about how God controls all life.
1724-1757: Skim. This basically says that God controls all life and a man’s death comes at the
hour it has been pre-ordained, or when he is marked for death.
16) 1749-1768: DJ What advice does Hrothgar give Beowulf? What is Beowulf NOT supposed to
do? How does this fit in with the theme of society being more important than the individual, or
with Anglo-Saxon traditions?
1758-1768 – Hrothgar is still talking. He tells Beowulf not to fall into the trap of hoarding
treasure that will be of no use to him when he dies. Instead, he tells Beowulf to strive for eternal
rewards while his strength is still in bloom, since he never knows when he will die.
1769-1784 – Hrothgar finishes his long speech by telling Beowulf he has lived his life as a good
king, but that he never expected Grendel to attack them and is grateful for a strong warrior like
Beowulf. Tomorrow it’s going to be time for yet more treasure.
1799 – Beowulf and his men are going to head home now. Look out for some last lines about
Unferth. Beowulf is also going to tell Hrothgar that his son Hrethric is welcome to visit Geatland
(Beowulf’s home) any time and that the king, Hygelac, will no doubt welcome him.
1840- Hrothgar gives another speech. “Hrethel’s descendant” is Hygelac, Beowulf’s king
(Hrothgar is basically saying that Beowulf would be a good king). Look at 1855-1858; how does
this fit into the poem thematically?
17) 1855-1858: DJ What does Hrothgar claim Beowulf has done? How does this fit into the poem
thematically?
1873-1876 – Uh oh Hrothgar has some forebodings! He has two, but only one is written: he
knows that he and Beowulf will never meet again. I wonder what the other foreboding was.
1873-1876: Hrothgar has a foreboding that he and Beowulf will never meet again. Remember
that Heorot is destined to burn!
1903-1924 – Beowulf and his men have a short and uneventful journey home and are brought to
the king’s palace.
-
-
-
-
-
-
1931-1962 – “The story of Queen Modthryth’s vices is abruptly introduced as a foil to Queen
Hygd’s virtues. A transitional passage may have been lost, but the poet’s device is similar to that
of using the earlier reference to the wickedness of King Heremod to contrast with the good
qualities of Sigemund and Beowulf.” You can skip this if you want, or read it for more insight
into how Anglo-Saxon culture viewed women’s roles. Essentially, Modthryth has men who look
at her executed, but after her marriage to Offa she becomes a good queen.
1931-1962: This is another anecdote, this time about a vain queen. Skip it.
1999-2069 – Beowulf gets sidetracked while telling Hygelac about his adventures, and instead
tells the king about Hrothgar’s daughter Freawaru, who is engaged to Ingeld, lord of the HeathoBards, a rival tribe to the Danes. Their marriage will HOPEFULLY end the feud between the two
tribes, but Beowulf thinks this is unlikely. Instead, he believes that the men will be unable to
forgive past wrongs, and they will wind up fighting and killing one another to avenge past
killings. You can skip this, but it has some significance to the theme of community. If you just
read my summary that’s fine, but think about how this story fits in to the poem as a whole.
1999-2069: Beowulf gets sidetracked while telling Hygelac about his adventures. Skip this for
now; we’ll read it together in class (it can be confusing and, while it’s important to the theme, it
is not integral to the plot).
2069-2162 – Beowulf recounts what happened in Denmark. Skip it.
2069-2162: Beowulf recounts what happened in Denmark. Skip it.
2163 – Hygelac is one of Beowulf’s only close kinsmen, and he’s the king. Beowulf presents him
with the treasure he earned in Denmark. Pay attention to references to how kinsmen should
act, and to how the poet describes Beowulf’s relationship with Hygelac.
18) 2177-2189: Here we learn a little about Beowulf’s backstory. DJ What do we learn about
Beowulf and how his people have thought about him in the past?
2177 – Here we get into some general information about Beowulf and the way he lives his life
post-Grendel. Note that in like 2183-2189 the poet tells us that all the Geats had previously
believed that Beowulf was kind of a worthless weakling. This might be some folklore motif that
made its way into the story – there’s no other reference to it and it kind of contradicts what we
heard earlier about Beowulf being admired by the elders in Geatland. HOWEVER it does play in
well with the hero’s journey if Beowulf did have an unpromising beginning.
2200-2210 – in ten lines we learn that Hygelac dies in battle and Beowulf becomes king and
rules well for fifty years.
2215-2241: A slave steals a gem-studded goblet from the dragon’s hoard. Some parts of these
lines are missing; the poem was damaged in fire.
19) 2246-2270: DJ In general, what is being said here? What theme does this reflect?
20) 2271-2293: DJ What is the dragon doing and why is he doing it? HINT: There are two things
the dragon does. First, he_________. Then someone steals his cup and he_________.
-
-
-
-
-
-
2341-2344: Foreshadowing! You should already know what’s going to happen in the battle now.
21) 2345-2354: DJ Why won’t Beowulf gather an army to fight the dragon? Is this smart?
2354-2396: Skip it! These lines tell how Hygelac is killed. The people of Geatland beg Beowulf to
be king, but he says no and serves Heardred, Hygelac’s son who becomes the new king.
Eventually Heardred is killed and Beowulf becomes a good king.
2401: Beowulf takes 11 thanes with him to fight the dragon instead of bringing and army. It’s
not a DJ, but think about why that number might be significant.
2425-2509: Skim, but don’t skip. This is largely Beowulf reminiscing about his past deeds and the
life he has lived. Pay attention to the tone but don’t get bogged down by all the names and
battle details.
22) 2583-2586: Just like they did with Grendel and Grendel’s mother, weapons fail against the
dragon. DJ Why are weapons useless against the monsters Beowulf has to fight?
2596-2601: This is our introduction to Wiglaf, the last loyal thane. There is ubi sunt written all
over this battle, and particularly within the lines about Beowulf’s thanes.
2602-2625: This is some backstory on Wiglaf. Skim.
23) 2631-2668: DJ No prompt. Just respond to Wiglaf’s speech, focusing on whatever seems
most interesting to you.
2720-2723: Wiglaf is washing Beowulf’s wounds. Do these lines sound Christian to you? They do
to me.
2814: Your translation might say that Wiglaf is the last of the Waegmundings. This is the clan
that Beowulf belongs to; it’s kind of like his family. Wiglaf is the last of that clan, after Beowulf
dies.
2820: Bye bye Beowulf. 
24) 2884-2890: DJ What is Wiglaf saying to the thanes who ran away? Do you think he has a
good point, or is he being too hard on them?
2911-2998 – Skim/skip this part. Basically, Wiglaf tells the Geats that they are in big trouble from
their enemies, who had stayed away while Beowulf was king because they respected him and
knew he could defeat them in battle. Once word of Beowulf’s death spreads, the Geats will have
some powerful enemies – particularly the Swedes – coming after them.
3051-3075: The treasure Beowulf gave his life for is cursed and cannot be removed from the
hoard. This is slightly confusing, since the men do move some of the gold. I think that what’s
happening is that some of the treasure, maybe the really good stuff, is cursed, but not all of it.
25) Final DJ: When you have finished reading the poem, write whether you believe Beowulf’s
death was heroic. Did he die a hero?
Congratulations; you have now read Beowulf.