Chapters 1-5
-Healfdene is the son of Beow
-Herorogar, Hrothgar, Halga, and Elan are the sons/daughter of Healfdane
-Hrothgar was considered a great ruler because he shared his riches with his people
-he built a hall called Heorot for men to socialize
-Grendel becomes mad about this hall
-Grendel is a descendant of Cain
-Grendel starts killing the men in the Heorot and takes control of it
-this goes on for 12 years
-people try to decide how to get rid of this guy...no solutions
-Hrothgar becomes depressed
-a Geat man (Beowulf) and 14 of his men travel by ship to help Hrothgar
-a guard lets them pass and leads them to Heorot
-Beowulf introduces himself to Wulfgar (Danish guard at Heorot)
-Wulfgar informs Hrothgar and tells him that they are a noble clan
Chapters 6-10
-Beowulf brags about himself and says he wants to battle Grendel...without weapons!
-Beowulf apparently owes Hrothgar because H once helped B's father
-there is a great FEAST
-Unferth is this jealous guy who goes, "wait B, weren't you the guy who lost a swimming battle against Breca?"
-B fires back that actually, they stayed together and along the way B defeated 9 sea monsters
-B says, "Unferth if you are so great and mighty then why is Grendel still alive and an issue?"
-that shuts Uferth up
-Hrothgar wishes B good luck, he has confidence in him
-King and queen go to sleep...night falls
-B gets rid of all his weapons
-B's clan isn't too hopeful..but God is
Chapters 11-15
-Grendel enters...he knocks down a door and promptly devours a Geat man...really gory
-B grabs his arm, Grendel has never felt such a strong force in his life, the two wrestle
-the clan tries to help by bashing Grendel with swords, but weapons can't kill this beast
-finally Grendel's tears his shoulder and it is VICTORY for Beowulf
-B has Grendel's arm as a souvenir
-the clan follows Grendel back to his lair (that's where he stumbled off) to make sure he is dead...he is.
-it is said he went to Hell
-a song is sung about Sigemund slaying the dragon and there are similiarites in the story to B's story
-Hrothgar praises B, he loves him like a son
-repairs are made to Heorot and the hall is decorated for a victory feast
-B is adorned with gifts (8 horses even!). H is a good king for giving so many gifts
Chapters 16-20
-the Geats get gifts too, and B gets money for the killed Geat
-the minstrel sings a long song about the battle between the Frisians vs. the Danes
-Wealtheow, the queen, says that is Hrothgar dies, Hrothulf (the king's nephew) will make a good ruler
-Hrethric and Hrothmund are Hrothgar's sons
-more gifts! Wealtheow gives B a necklace and collar
-Grendel's mother seeks revenge, she takes Grendel's arm back and causes many deaths, but goes back to the swamp
-Hrothgar mourns the deaths, he asks B to find Grendel's mother
-H thinks she lives near this lake that appears to have a never-ending depth
-H promises to reward B if he is successful
Chapters 21-25
-in B's opinion, it is better to avenge than to mourn...so he is up for the challenge
-they travel to the lake, one of the Geat's shoots a sea monster
-B is going to go by himself, Unferth lends a sword (Hrunting) to B
-if B dies, he wishes to that his gifts go to his king
-when B goes in, Grendel's mother instantly senses a human and tries to kill him. His armor protects him
-B tries to use the Hrunting sword but it fails, so he grabs another blade. They fight, and finally he pierces her and she dies...VICTORY again
-B finds Grendel's corpse in her lair and he decapitates it and brings the head back out
-when B comes back out, he gives the sword to Hrothgar
-Hrothgar praises B, says he is completely opposite to Heremod, a selfish ruler
-B gives the Hrunting back to Uferth
Chapters 26-30
-B and his Geats say goodbye, they thank Hrothgar, and B promises his loyalty and future aid if the Danes need it
-H gives B more gifts...
-they arrive back and King Hygelac is glad B is safe
-B tells his whole story, he digresses at one point to talk about Hrothgar's daughter's engagement
-B gives his gifts to his king, and presents Hygd (the queen) with the necklace and 3 horses
-the narrator notes that the Geats thought B was a weakling....not anymore they don't!
-Hygelac is killed, Heardred (his successor) is also killed, so B rules for 50 years
Chapters 31-35
-a poor slave steals a goblet from a dragon....the dragon is not too happy
-B is up to another challenge, he orders an all iron shield and declares that he is not afraid of anything
-narrator digresses: B once swam with 30 armors, B felt bad taking the throne, so he is just acting as regent until Heardred matures, but Heardred was murdered, so B became the real king, B kills King Onela to avenge H's death
-B and 11 others go to dragon...plus the theif (he is the 13th member)
-before going into the chamber, B gives a speech: he says he grew up with Herebeald, Haetheyn, and Hygelac. Haetheyn killed Herebeald on accident. there is an ongoing feud between Swedes and Geats. Hygelac made B a lord, B killed a Frankish warrior. B boasts that even in his old age, he is going to fight.
-B fights the dragon, it is a brutal fight, his sword fails...he is about to be killed...10 men flee but 1 stays
Chapters 36-42
-the one who stayed is named Wiglaf, he goes in and encourages B, W stabs the dragon in the belly and together the two defeat the dragon...VICTORY again
-B is injured...badly. He thinks he is poisoned. He realizes he is dying and tells W to go in the lair and show him some treasure
-W gathers some of the loot
-B thanks God and orders W to dig a grave for him on the shore to remind people of his great deeds
-B gives W his collar, then he dies
-W reprimands the other 10 men and predicts that the Geats will be attacked by Franks/Frisians without B
-History: Ongentheow killed Haetheyn, Hygelac gets troops, battle between Geats and Swedes, Ongentheow is killed, Geats win battle...now that B is dead, the Swedes are thought to attack
-they burn B's body, it takes 10 days to build B's barrow
-12 warriors ride around singing about B's deeds
