CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. A great post on one of my favorite works. Hygelac fell while Beowulf survived thanks to his great strength and swimming ability. The stories, moreover, are often attached to real persons and localized precisely in time and place. There will be no more songs from the scop. Now, however, we find out about a significant gesture of generosity on Beowulfs part toward Hygelacs son. So, to begin, a brief synopsis. You'll also receive an email with the link. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! WebHe tells Wiglaf to look after the Geats when he is gone. Beowulf is the first piece of English literature to present a dragonslayer. Can he still save the day, when everything he tries seems to be of no avail? Lines 1888-2199. The circumstances surrounding and leading up to Beowulfs confrontation with the dragon prepare us for a climactic spectacle. [2] Nonetheless, comparative contemporary narratives did not have the complexity and distinctive elements written into Beowulf's dragon scene. Wiglaf decides that the treasure hoard, because it is tainted by the cowardice of the men who should have supported Beowulf, should become part of Beowulf's funeral pyre and barrow: . Latest answer posted October 01, 2013 at 4:34:04 PM. Tolkien also argues that Beowulfs death following his combat with the dragon represents a fitting and more elemental end for the hero, who had successfully vanquished the monster Grendel and Grendels mother (who, although not human, were nevertheless closer to man than a dragon). His son, Heardred, inherits the throne, with Beowulf's support, but is also slain. and any corresponding bookmarks? Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Dont have an account? In Beowulf's two earlier battles, Grendel and Grendel's mother are characterized as descendants of Cain: "[Grendel] had long lived in the land of monsters / since the creator cast them out / as the kindred of Cain"[15] and seem to be humanoid: in the poet's rendition they can be seen as giants, trolls, or monsters. The poet recounts the death of King Hygelac in combat in Friesland. WebThe dragon is the final test for Beowulf, a test of his wisdom as well as his courage. This plot, as our brief summary of Beowulf above suggests,shares many of the typical elements of heroic narratives. [36] In his 1935 work Beowulf and the Seventh Century, Ritchie Girvan writes that Beowulf should be seen as having some degree of historical accuracy despite the presence of a dragon in it; he argues that "Tales of dragons as well as a belief in dragons survived till recent times, and the popular mind is apt to accept with credulity stories of water-monsters. Beowulf is a hero who previously killed two monsters. Sometimes God and wyrd are virtually interchangeable in the poem, possibly the result of Christian substitution. The poem gives no place of origin for the dragon, only an explanation of why it guards the hoard of gold. But because the specific details of the story are not widely known, numerous misconceptions about the poemabound. [34], In 1918, William Witherle Lawrence argued in his article "The Dragon and His Lair in Beowulf" that the fight between Beowulf and the dragon tends to receive less critical attention than other portions of the poem, commenting that "Grendel and his dam have, as it were, become more beloved of the commentators". The Seamus Heaney translation is what we recommend, unless youre up for tackling the poem in the original Old English (and if so, good luck!). He repeatedly tells us that Beowulf is about to meet his death. Queen Hygd offered Beowulf the throne after her husband (Hygelac) died, thinking that her young son (Heardred) was unable to protect the kingdom; Beowulf refused but served the young king faithfully. The second part passes rapidly over King Hygelacs subsequent death in a battle (of historical record), the death of his son, and Beowulfs succession to the kingship and his peaceful rule of 50 years. But now a fire-breathing dragon ravages his land and the doughty but aging Beowulf engages it. The dragon was cut in two by Beowulf before he died. [35] Conversely, Kemp Malone writes in "The Kenning in Beowulf" that Beowulf's fight with the dragon receives much critical attention, but that commentators fail to note that "the dragon was no fighter. Time always wins. Always aware of his battle gear, he orders a new shield to replace his old linden-wood protector; this one is to be covered with the strongest iron. [9], The Beowulf dragon is the earliest example in literature of the typical European dragon and first incidence of a fire-breathing dragon. He takes what he can back with him to Beowulf, making haste lest Beowulf should die before he sees what he has won. A literary symbol is something, often an object, that stands for a significant concept or series of ideas. The passing of time brings changes to the lives of the Geats as it does to everyone. Latest answer posted August 24, 2018 at 7:08:52 AM, Latest answer posted October 27, 2017 at 8:44:42 AM. | Interesting Literature, Pingback: Five Fascinating Facts about Jabberwocky | Interesting Literature, Pingback: Five Fascinating Facts about Geoffrey Chaucer | Interesting Literature, Reblogged this on beocorgi and commented: SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Only one survivor, who is called the "keeper of the rings" (2244), lived to hide the treasures in the barrow. The parallel in the story lies with the similarity to Beowulf's hero Sigemund and his companion: Wiglaf is a younger companion to Beowulf and, in his courage, shows himself to be Beowulf's successor. The bee theory appears unlikely, however as does the idea that it is from the same root as our word bear, suggesting bearlike strength. "Cain's monstrous progeny in Beowulf: part I, Noachic tradition", "The Dragon-Lore of Middle-earth: Tolkien and Old English and Old Norse Tradition", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_dragon_(Beowulf)&oldid=1136193441, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 05:14. Here, the tension is similar but even more frustrating. Hrothgar's great mead-hall, Beowulf, despite his tendency to boast a bit (isnt that where we get kennings? This depiction indicates the growing importance and stabilization of the modern concept of the dragon within European mythology. In his last moments, Beowulf focuses more on his good qualities as a king than as a warrior. (If youre looking for the Heaney translation, it can be found here: Beowulf: A New Translation; the Tolkien translation is Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell.) WebWhat happens with the dragon's treasure at the end of the story, and what could this symbolize? WebSomeone accidentally took his treasure Beowulf worries that which of the following is the reason for the dragon's attacks: He offended God How does Beowulf feel as he The treasure is to be buried rather than shared by Very Interesting. He is too proudto assemble a huge army for the fight, and, remembering how he defeated Grendel single-handedly in his youth, feels no fear of the dragon. The ancient treasures in the hoard once belonged to a regional tribe of warriors who were killed in battle some 300 years previously. The messenger describes the death scene to the citizens, and then, at line 2912, tells them that their enemies will soon find out that Beowulf is dead, and come after them, taking advantage of their new weakness. In proclaiming of Beowulf that He was a good king, the poet echoes his praise of the venerable Shield Sheafson and of Hrothgar (2390). Why does the dragon attack Beowulf's kingdom? cant even agree on what the first line of the poem means, Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell, Lewis Carrolls nonsense masterpiece, Jabberwocky, Christopher Bookers phrase for this type of narrative, Happy Tolkien Reading Day! What qualities characterize Beowulf as a hero? . eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Indeed, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries many scholars endeavoured to show that the author of Beowulf had been influenced by these classical works, but, in summary, the truth appears to be far more interesting. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Latest answer posted July 16, 2021 at 9:40:02 PM. The problem starts when a fugitive, apparently a runaway slave, stumbles across the The Beowulf dragon was adapted for Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937), one of the forerunners of modern high fantasy. Theres an excellent film called The Thirteenth Warrior, in which an exiled Islamic poet joins a band of Vikings to defeat what appears to be a Beowulfian monster attacking a hall. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. The chain-shirts can no longer protect their owners because the warriors will fight no more battles. The thief steals a gem-covered goblet, arousing the wrath of the dragon. This is a great commentary on the story of Beowulf. And anyone whos a Tolkien fan should read his essay. So he does what lesser men would fear to do: he wrestles the monster with his bare hands, eventually tearing off one of its arms. To everyone's alarm, however, a terrifying dragon begins to stalk the countryside at night, destroying homes including Beowulf's great hall with his fiery breath. Reblogged this on F.T. All glory is fleeting. Fifty years pass with Beowulf in charge, when a local dragon is angered when a slave enters its lair and takes a cup from its treasure. Beowulf then asks that a barrow be built on a cliff overlooking the sea that sea travelers will later call Beowulf's barrow. Well, yes though for a while the chances of Beowulf triumphing are looking less and less likely. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Wiglaf kills the dragon halfway through the scene, Beowulf's death occurs "after two-thirds" of the scene,[32] and the dragon attacks Beowulf three times. and it struck a chord (!) The dragon fight is foreshadowed with earlier events: Scyld Shefing's funeral and Sigmund's death by dragon, as recounted by a bard in Hrothgar's hall. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. The treasure hoard, without a people to use and "polish" it, is useless. It is not clear whether he wins because of his own ability, the influence of magic (the giant sword), or God's intervention. Soon it is Geatlands turn to face terror. The emphasis on the treasure itself in this section rehashes the moral ambiguity of materialism caused by the overlaying of a Christian value system on a pagan story. and any corresponding bookmarks? Beowulf could have become king sooner but was more loyal than ambitious. [29], The dragon battle is structured in thirds: the preparation for the battle, the events prior to the battle, and the battle itself. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. I wanted to share it with you all. Ive had the Heaney translation on my shelves for years, but your post has piqued my interest. Beowulfs reminiscences about his glory days and the narrators mention of Beowulfs old age reinforce the reality that every lifeeven that of a legendary warriormust come to an end. Hrothgar's great mead-hall, Heorot ("Hall of the Hart"), functions as both setting and symbol in the epic. not so far removed from, say, a James Bond or Indiana Jones film, or a fast-paced fantasy novel or superhero comic strip Yesbut also, surely, the Western? Symbolically, Heorot represents the achievements of the Scyldings, specifically Hrothgar, and their level of civilization. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# [24] Before he faces the dragon, Beowulf thinks of his past: his childhood and wars the Geats endured during that period, foreshadowing the future. And Grendel and his mother are evil in the Christian sense of the word: the author ofBeowulf tells us that they were spawned from Cain (the first murderer in the Bible) when he was cast out of Eden. I think it is because people could relate to, and thus embrace, the faults of Arthur over the heroism in Beowulf. bookmarked pages associated with this title. One thing that the basic overarching story or plot summary ofBeowulf makes clear is just how formative and archetypal it is, not just in heroic English literature, but in fantasy literature, too. The cave also represents their heritage. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. He Why did the Danes bury the treasure that Beowulf and Wiglaf recovered from the dragon? Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Beowulf now is clearly an old man. He has to settle for the right arm or claw, ripped from its shoulder socket, when the mortally wounded adversary flees to the swamp. "What happens to the dragon's hoard?" The narrator explains that this particular barrow was the, Without a generous king to give the treasure and loyal warriors to earn it, the treasure is "useless.". WebThe dragon begins to vomit flames, burn houses, and kill everything in his path. Beowulfs name, by the way, was long thought to mean bee-wolf, as in the two animals. $24.99 They placed in the barrow rings and jewels, All such ornaments as erst in the treasure. Beowulfs call for the dragon to face him on open ground has the same primal feel to it as his youthful decision to fight Grendel unarmed. Removing #book# And funnily enough, listening to a Mozart piano concerto, the same pattern was in the phrases, with the third line, the variation, leading of course to a musical resolution /transformation which enables the lead on the the complete next stage so, in this, there is Beowulf triumphs, Beowulf triumphs again, Beowulf triumphs but in this third phrase his phrase resolves with transformation/death. funnily enough with a podcast i was listening to yesterday made by a music blogger, who did a 20 minute podcast on the 12 bar blues https://goodmusicspeaks.wordpress.com/good-music-speaks-podcast-3/. Beowulf is the oldest extant heroic poem in English and the first to present a dragon slayer. An Interesting Summary | the shadows illuminated. This is why it is odd that the story of the poem is generally thought of as Beowulf versus Grendel. The dragons hoard is buried with Beowulfs ashes. Once the dragon found out that a piece of his treasure was missing, he left his shelter where his treasures were and flew out over the land, burning things as he rested. [5], The dragon with his hoard is a common motif in early Germanic literature with the story existing to varying extents in the Norse sagas, but it is most notable in the Vlsunga saga and in Beowulf. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. After Beowulf dies, his followers show up. No, it turns out that the first part of Beowulfs name is more probably related to a pre-Christian god named Beow. I must make amends! He speaks of the mutability of time and the loss of the good men, heroes, and princes, who no longer have any use for the treasure. [2] Beowulf is the earliest surviving piece of Anglo-Saxon literature to feature a dragon, and it is possible that the poet had access to similar stories from Germanic legend. The sword melts to its hilt after Beowulf uses it to decapitate Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University). He thus stands in contrast to the power-hungry usurper Hrothulf. At this point, we assume that the gold hoard will be taken out of the dragon's barrow and put to use. Unfortunately, the distinguishing feature of Beowulf's death is that his loyal retainers, with the exception of Wiglaf, failed to come to his aid when Beowulf could have used their help. He could approach with a full army but supposedly bases his decision on former triumphs over Grendel and the mother. Which passages might reflect a Christian outlook? As Beowulf fights Grendels mother, where are his companions, and what are they thinking? Ohthere and Onela Ongentheow's sons, Swedes. Both monsters have now been slain, and Beowulf is a hero. It is a place of light, warmth, and joy, contrasting with Grendel's morbid swamp as well as the dark and cold of winters in Scandinavia. [6] Beowulf preserves existing medieval dragon-lore, most notably in the extended digression recounting the Sigurd/Fafnir tale. maybe I should have stuck with reading English instead of switching to Philosophy and obtained a better class of degree than the Gentlemans I ended up woth (a pass, just like T S Eliot). Just as the dead warriors cannot use the treasure, neither can the dragon. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Under the heroic code, grief is something to be purged through vengeance, but vengeance here would mean the death of another sonan excruciating and unsatisfying prospect. The dragon fight, near the end of the poem, is foreshadowed in earlier scenes. When Beowulf hears of the dragon's night raids, the king initially wonders if he could have angered God in some way, bringing this trouble to his people. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Also, Beowulf is most commonly described as an epic poem; the label makes its main character, Beowulf, an epic-hero. He burns vast amounts of territory and the homes of the Geats: "the dragon began to belch out flames / and burn bright homesteads". Grendel and his mother, then, are similarly outcasts, something that has been rejected by mainstream society and whose violence must be overcome. They discover the thief who stole the dragons goblet and press him to take them to the barrow. In addition, the "gold of the ancients was wrapped in a spell" when it was stored away, and it seems clear that it was not the man in lines 2247-2252 who cast the spell, nor his companions, who had all died, but rather some previous race. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Since he had no son, it was foolish for Beowulf to risk his life. Also, there are repeated hints that Beowulf will not survive this encounter. more important to honor Beowulf than to be concerned w/ worldly treasures; buried w/ Beowulf Created by: jjordan93 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Well start with a brief summary ofBeowulfbefore proceeding to some textual analysis and critical reading. A great dragon lurks beneath the earth, jealously guarding its treasure, until one day a thief manages to infiltrate the barrow, or mound, where the treasure lies. from your Reading List will also remove any In Beowulf, some of the most important symbols are Hrothgar's mead-hall, Grendel's cave, Grendel's arm and head, and the dragon's treasure-trove. It is worth noting, though, that in many of the translations I have read (particularly the ones from the 19th century) the translators refer to the treasure as having been owned by only a single people: the people who died out and left the man who put it into the cave which eventually was guarded by the dragon. The final encounter, with the dragon years later, will prove the most difficult of all and although he is successful and overcomes the monster, he will pay the ultimate price: victory will come at the cost of his own life. Major Themes in Beowulf. There are more than 85 translations of Beowulf, and each one is slightly biased in its interpretation. Hygelac is killed in battle. Previous Although the analogy might seem a little crude, the mechanics of the plot are not so far removed from, say, a James Bond or Indiana Jones film, or a fast-paced fantasy novel or superhero comic strip. Waking up to find The throne comes to Beowulf, who Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. "[13], A study of German and Norse texts reveals three typical narratives for the dragonslayer: a fight for the treasure, a battle to save the slayer's people, or a fight to free a woman. The foe he faces is no ordinary foe, and conventional weapons are powerless against it. At least 50 years have passed. Hidden beneath a treacherous mere in the middle of a dark, forbidding swamp, the cave allows them a degree of safety and privacy in a world that they view as hostile. It left Beowulf to do the seeking out". Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. In this anecdote, the Beowulf poet seems to have given the pagan ethos a fairly sympathetic and even-handed treatment. Beowulf and his men spend the night at Heorot and wait for Grendel to turn up. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. The dragon is the opposite of a good king, hoarding treasure instead of rewarding loyalty and building a society. It is set in Denmark, has a Swedish hero, and when read in the original Anglo-Saxon seems almost more German than English. At this point, we assume that the gold hoard will be taken out of the dragon's barrow and put to use. The poem actually begins with Scyld Sheffings funeral, and it ends with Beowulfs. After the dragon is killed, Beowulf tells Wiglaf to look for the dragon's treasure and to bring it to him. In an ancient time a prince's thane hid it, as he was the last of on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Complete your free account to request a guide. Here are all of the passages which tell us about the treasure, the barrow, and the two peoples who held the treasure over the past 1,000 years (which could be an indeterminate, "poetical" sort of 1,000 years), before it was discovered by the slave in the Beowulf story (the translation is from Chickering): The following notes on the dragon's treasure are from Frederick Rebsamen, page 70: Now, however, I think that the evidence for two peoples is clearly indicated in lines 2247-2252 and 3047-3057. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." . He also put up quite a fight when Hygelac died in Frisia; Beowulf escaped by defeating many of the enemy in close combat, carrying off the war gear of 30 men. [39] Adrien Bonjour opined in 1953 that the dragon's "ultimate significance in the poem" remains a "mystery". Some interesting thoughts here on a classic, with references to J.R.R. Removing #book# Beowulf becomes king of the Geats and rules well for 50 years. [17][18], Beowulf's fight with the dragon has been described variously as an act of either altruism[19] or recklessness. Did not Hrothgar warn him of this in the sermon? Eadgils, supplied by Beowulf, later killed Onela. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. The dragon's motivation is vengeance even though the poet makes it clear that the fire-breathing reptile, like the deceased warriors, has no use for the cup or any of the rest of the treasure. eNotes Editorial, 16 Sep. 2016, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-happens-dragons-hoard-330006. It towers high and is compared to a cliff. Want 100 or more? When the monster appears, Beowulf and his men attack the troll-like monster with their swords. Time is out of joint as the poet reveals the events leading up to Beowulf's becoming king. [3] Secular Germanic literature and the literature of Christian hagiography featured dragons and dragon fights. He believes that he has somehow offended God. The cave where Grendel and his mother hide from the world is symbolic of their lives as outcasts. Like Beowulf, the dragon uses its strength to accrue a huge mound of treasure, but in the end all the treasure does is bring about its death. The treasure also brings about Beowulfs death. Possibly the poems Christian narrator sees greed for treasure as a kind of spiritual death, suffered by pagans who value treasure over Heaven. on 50-99 accounts. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Since translation is a form of interpretation, I believe Heaneys translation is particularly biased in thinking about Beowulf in the ancient Ango-Saxon tale and makes Beowulf a more complex character than the original tale describes, torn by his glorious role as epic hero and his duty to his people within a carefully constructed social structure. Raiding at night, the dragon reminds the reader of Grendel, the monster who haunted Hrothgar in his old age and changed the Scylding king's fortunes. Purchasing CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. A lone Geat fugitive, apparently a servant or slave escaping a cruel master, has stolen a single flagon from the hoard, outraging the dragon and inciting him to vengeance. Previous The treasure also brings about Beowulfs death. Possibly the poems Christian narrator sees greed for treasure as a kind of spiritual death, suffered by pagans who value treasure over Heaven. The dragon hoards his treasure in a barrow, that is, a grave. The final act of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf includes Beowulf's fight with a dragon, the third monster he encounters in the epic. Before long, however, the aging warrior focuses on his responsibility as protector and prepares to face the monster in battle. Refine any search. They are 'inmates of hell', 'adversaries of God', 'offspring of Cain', 'enemies of mankind'.And so Beowulf, for all that he moves in the world of the primitive Heroic Age of the Germans, nevertheless is almost a Christian knight". Ive read Beowulf many times over the years (was introduced to the Old-English version back in High School) and youve provided an excellent summary. Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. The building is like a palace. Why does Beowulf want to see the treasure? Lines 2200-2400. Fantastic article, it was education and entertaining all at once. The ancient treasures in the hoard once belonged to a regional tribe of warriors; almost the entire tribe was killed in battle some 300 years previously. In lines 2912-2998, he reminds them of past battles between the Geats and other groups, referred to variously as Franks, Frisians, Merovingian, Swedes and Battle-Scylfings. SparkNotes PLUS Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The dragon chanced upon the hoard and has been guarding it for the past three hundred years. Thus, the poem gives us the feeling that this clash can end only in total destruction. I certainly realize that it is not perfectly clear whether the treasure was owned by one people or two. The hall is a home for the warriors who sleep there and functions as a seat of government.
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