... because it guards the treasure but can do nothing with it. It represents malice, destruction, and greed; the dark side of kingship. While Beowulf is reining, the dragon " kept watch over a hoard, a steep stone-barrow." Under it lays a path concealed from the sight of men. Over centuries no one had disturbed the ... dragons" kingdom until one day when a thief broke into the treasure, laid hand on a cup fretted with gold. This infuriated the dragon. "The fiery dragon had destroyed the people's stronghold, the land along the sea, the heart of the country." Beowulf now in Hrothgar's position...

• Word Count: 843
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... feels a social obligation to aid Hrothgar for helping his father. "Beowulf literally "jumps at the opportunity to fight Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon" (Warfare in Beowulf). The Monsters that Beowulf battles represent evil and he lf is eager to battle them because of his strong belief in wyrd, ... forgotten people, when he was awakened by a runaway servant who stole a callous, as a peace offering to his master. The battle with the Dragon takes place many years after Beowulf had defeated Grendel and Grendel's mother, approximately fifty years of peace and prosperity had passed....

• Word Count: 2051
• Approx Pages: 8

... of the world. Fate, and his will, were too strong. Everyone knows the treasure his life bought." (3078-3085) Wiglaf's words show that the dragon may have been left alone to live and die in that dark tower, but Beowulf's will and determination were too overpowering. Beowulf did not ignore it but ... participated in it. He went to battle the dragon to gain more glory and fame, Gold and riches for himself, but died in trying to obtain it. Furthermore, it is evident that Wiglaf saw the ... mortal. "I've never known fear; as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will figh...

• Word Count: 1088
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... he achieves many things throughout his life. His courage is exhibited when he is so willingly ready to fight any creature that puts harm on other people including a fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf proves his sense of duty by traveling to Geatland to help rid his people of a threatening monster. Throughout the story Beowulf defeats three monsters: Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a fire ... -breathing dragon. Grendel is portrayed as the kin of the biblical Cain and, thus, was banished along with the rave of monsters which came from Cain. Grendel's mother is a much deeper evil ... . She seeks...

• Word Count: 1162
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... as before, I never hesitated to kill anybody that stood in my way. That is until the fire-breathing dragon started to terrorize my people. I was old by then, and not the warrior I once was. However, I knew the dragon had a tremendous collection of treasure. I couldn't resist such a price for a killing, so I brought ... some of my men with to slay this dragon. Upon confronting this dragon, he blew fire toward me that was so hot, it started to melt my shield. It seized me, and my people fled, abandoning ... . If I had the opportunity, I would have killed those traitors without a commision...

• Word Count: 605
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... . Beowulf gives up his weapons to fate and God to decide if he shall be the victor over Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. Some might say that he is not upholding his standard when he fights the dragon, but he explains that "I"d use no sword, no weapon, if this beast / could be killed without it When he comes to me / I mean ... of us wins" (42). In the end his goal for upholding the heroic code proves to be the end as his last battle with the dragon fatally wounds him, but not before he and Wiglaf slay the dragon. Another point, showing loyalty to his people and the people that h...

• Word Count: 613
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... become king of the Geats, and is now an old warrior. A slave has provoked a dragon into attacking the land of the Geats because he stole a goblet from the treasure the dragon was guarding. Beowulf, along with eleven chosen warriors, travels to where the dragon sleeps, and he engages the dragon by himself, in order to save his people. The last division is significant because ... it shows even after Beowulf has accomplished so many great things in his life, and is now king of his people, he is still a warrior at heart. By defeating the dragon and sacrificing his own life in the process he...

• Word Count: 538
• Approx Pages: 2

... translated by Seamus Heaney, are not real, but fictitious creatures representing evil because of their attacks on the Anglo-Saxon societies. Grendel, his mother, and the dragon are the imaginary creatures that originate from Cain, which causes Beowulf, the Geat hero, to come to the rescue. Cain is the source of all evil ... ogres and elves and evil phantoms and the giants too who strove with God"(lines 107-113). All the monsters, including Grendel, his mother, and the dragon, were spawned from this one person who represents all evil, which makes them evil too. The country peoples describe...

• Word Count: 1062
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... fears, and is always confident. He represents everything that evil isn't, and is a supernatural hero. Beowulf represents the authors response to Grendel's questions about the meaning of life. The Dragon- The Dragon is a bitter old beast. He can see all of time in a single instance, and knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen. Life has no more importance to ... there is to know, he has become bitter. To make it seem like life still has meaning he steals huge amounts of gold and guards them. After Grendel meets the dragon, Grendel becomes a beast of pure destruc...

• Word Count: 1613
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... revenge for the death of her son. Beowulf finally defeats Grendel's mother. In the third battle Beowulf has to fight a dragon that has wreaked havoc on the Geats society due to a servant that had stolen a golden goblet from his home. The dragon was defeated with the help of a young kinsman, Wiglaf, but not before biting Beowulf in the neck and eventually destroying ... wanted for killing Grendel, which was treasure but that in fact he gave all his treasure to the soldiers that did not even come to help him when fighting the dragon. This shows that he was not greedy in taking all the tre...

• Word Count: 1101
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... revenge for the death of her son. Beowulf finally defeats Grendel's mother. In the third battle Beowulf has to fight a dragon that has wreaked havoc on the Geats society due to a servant that had stolen a golden goblet from his home. The dragon was defeated with the help of a young kinsman, Wiglaf, but not before biting Beowulf in the neck and eventually destroying ... wanted for killing Grendel, which was treasure but that in fact he gave all his treasure to the soldiers that did not even come to help him when fighting the dragon. This shows that he was not greedy in taking all the tre...

• Word Count: 1101
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... poem reflects even more on the responsibilities of a king, who must act for the good of his kingdom, and not for himself. Through Beowulf's fighting of the dragon, it shows that although Beowulf has become an aged king, it is as if he just wants to pretend like he is still as vibrant as he was in ... his youthful age, and is able to defeat such a monster. This action proves fatal for Beowulf though, as he is eventually killed by the dragon in the end, which shows that Beowulf is indeed not the great warrior that he used to be. Which is also one of the main themes that the poet ... youn...

• Word Count: 1006
• Approx Pages: 4

... to the throne of the Geats. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to Geatland. When Beowulf is an old man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound, where a great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure. Enraged, the dragon emerges from the barrow and begins unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats. Sensing his own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the ... dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in killing the beast, but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him moments after their encounter. The Geats fear tha...

• Word Count: 350
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... touched Grendel. Though he tended to overlook it at times, Grendel knows that "...all the (Shaper) said was ridiculous...flattery, (and) illusion." (48) When he meets the dragon though, these feelings are reinforced. The dragon feels that though the people find the Shaper all knowing and full of answers, in truth he only provides an "illusion...seeing the past and the present ... like other low creatures..." (62) The dragon claims to see right through the Shaper and conclude that he is not as knowledgeable as made out to be. In a sense, the Shaper is the most important character in ... ...

• Word Count: 563
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... sea creatures. He may have done this to maintain his reputation with the Danes. Near the ending of the poem Beowulf makes his final boast: he promises to fight the dragon, only if it will leave its barrow and face him on open ground. He is not a strong as he was as a youth but he put up a good fight. He is ... able to kill the dragon (with some help from Wiglaf) but dies form a poisonous bite that the dragon inflicts on his neck. Through the poem we see Beowulf as a character that is able to boast and be true to his words. Even ... ...

• Word Count: 390
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... night. "Then when darkness had dropped, Grendel went up to Herot."" (lines 30-31) Similarly, Grendel's mother lives deep under the watery depths, where hardly any light reaches. Finally, the dragon lives in a tower under rocky cliffs. The light and dark contrasts of the setting further support the overall theme of good versus evil. Contrast is also used to develop the ... determined to slay the beast that threatens his kingdom. However, now that he is a wiser, but older man, he chooses to use a sword and shield in his battle against the dragon. When his sword and shield fail him, the ol...

• Word Count: 711
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... enemies of Beowulf and Buliwf include Grendel of the epic also known as the bear people in The Thirteenth Warrior, Grendel's Mother or the old human lady with a claw, and a dragon or fireworm. In the epic, Beowulf encounters a monster known as Grendel and has a battle but emerges victorious over the creature. In The Thirteenth Warrior, Buliwf encounters the bear people in ... poem, "She welcomed him in her claws" (458), and in the movie this character uses a claw with poison on it as a weapon. In Beowulf, his final battle is with a dragon. The dragon is represented by a trail of men car...

• Word Count: 869
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... character shows his heroic qualities as he matures from a valiant warrior to a wise leader. Beowulf, the main character, illustrates these qualities in his battles with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. Beowulf is a hero because he shows courage, possesses god-like strength, and died for his people. One way Beowulf shows that he is hero is through his courageous acts. Before ... knows that it is possible to meet his death, but he continues into the water despite of it. Then came Beowulf's later years as king of the Geats. When a fire dragon began to cause terror for the people ...

• Word Count: 714
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... ." (20-25) This selection, which illustrates the emphasis on the loyalty of the warriors, has a special meaning to Beowulf because of the reaction of his men when he fought the dragon. Beowulf's men deserted him during his time of need. Only Wiglaf stayed by his side and offered complete support in order to help him defeat the ... dragon. "And then when Beowulf needed him most, Wiglaf showed his courage, his strength, and skill, and the boldness he was born with." (2694-2696) The heroic code's system of loyalties ... would have accepted the throne in a heart beat, but Beowulf was stron...

• Word Count: 761
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Harper's music and tries to join the humans, but he is attacked by the frightened guards and must flee. Feeling lonely and rejected, he visits an ancient dragon that lives within the kingdom. The dragon speaks for some time, and his wicked, tired cynicism infects Grendel. He puts a charm on the young monster, making him impervious to human blades. After this, Grendel ... ...

• Word Count: 990
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... . He continues this selflessness even in his old age, as he once again risked his life for the security of his kingdom in his battle against the dragon. Beowulf, despite his decrepit condition, defeats the dragon in order to protect his people. Although he dies in his final escapade, his last wish is to ensure that he had died for the benefit ... ...

• Word Count: 623
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... . Hrothgar and Beowulf, while serving as king to their respective people, meet all these necessities, as well as being brave, wise, and more than willing to fight for their people. A dragon began wreaking havoc on Geatish villages; Beowulf did not back down in the face of a challenge. Courage and bravery were of extreme importance to a man of "warrior" status in the ... confident mind set; nothing will stand in his way. His willingness to protect his people is astounding. Even foreseeing his own death cannot keep him from attempting to slay a mighty dragon. Throughout the poem, stunning ...

• Word Count: 763
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... ever really get over it? I don't think he ever forgave himself for that one instant of uncertainty; wasn't it his need to prove himself that led him to face the dragon instead of allowing his knights to do it? Maybe it was his fear of becoming weak like Hrothgar; his fear of becoming what Hrothgar became that made him face the ... ...

• Word Count: 1647
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... lives of many others and his kingdom were more important than his own. He proved this gesture by giving his life to defeat the dragon that was threatening his kingdom. He knew before his encounter with the dragon that he would ultimately lose his life in the battle. Nevertheless, he accepted the circumstances and faced his own death with dignity that shines ... ...

• Word Count: 436
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... Abel, Cain was banished to the land of Nod; where he was to mate with Lilith. It is from this unholy union that Grendel, his mother, and perhaps even the dragon spring from. This is one instance where I feel the poet has done an excellent job in maintaining continuity between the two faiths. Another character who serves well to infuse Christianity ... in which all things play out, including death. Fate is what is mentioned as the deciding factor in who shall emerge as victor in the battle between Beowulf and the dragon: I shall face the fiend with a firm heart/let every man's ruler reck...

• Word Count: 1090
• Approx Pages: 4