STORY

İt was argued that the poem Beowulf is divided into two or three structures, Jane Chance [Professor of English, Rice University] argued that the three part structure has become ”increasingly popular”.These are Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon.

GRENDEL

İn the beginning of the beowulf, King Hrothgar, his wife Wealpeow and his warriors spend their time singing and celebrating in the gread hall Heorot as built by king Hrothgar Grendel is disturbed by the singing and celebrating attacks Heorot and the king’s warriors while they sleep.Because of the protection of the almighty God, Grendel can’t touch the throne of Hrothgar. Hrothgar together with his people abandons Heorot.

The help comes from a young geat warrior called Beowulf who leaves his homeland with the aim of helping Hrothgar with his king’s permission.

Beowulf with his men arrives at Heorot. At night, Grendel attacks Beowulf and his men, but he is answered back by Beowulf. At the end of the battles wills, he dies from the wound he received form Beowulf to his shoulder although he put a charm on all human weapons.

GRENDEL’MOTHER

After the death of Grendel, Hrothgar and his people celebrates the event. But the next night, Grendel’s mother who is hungry for revenge appears and attacks the hall. She kills king’s most trusted warrior, Aeschere.

Beowulf together with Hrothgar and warriors finds Grendel’s mother’s lair under an eerie lake.Beowulf in a combative mood is presented with a sword, Hrunting, by a warrior called Unferth. The moment Beowulf is in the lake, he is detected and he ends up in a fierce combat with Grendel’s mother. Struggling to harm Beowulf, she drags him to the bottom of the lake because she can’t harm him due to his armour. There, with an effort, Beowulf grasps a  mighty sword from Grendel’s mother’s armoury. Only with it, he manages to behead Grendel’s mother, because Beowulf’s own sword can’t harm his enemy. He wanders in the lair out of curiosity and becomes aware of Grendel’s death finding out the corpse of his. After he goes  back to the surface, he returns to Heorot, where he takes many gifts even from king.

THE DRAGON

When he come back to his homeland, he is honoured to become a king of his people.One day, a slavery stoles a golden cup from a dragon’s lair. The dragon gets angry and burns everything around. Beowulf attacks the dragon with his brave friend Witlaf and kills it with Witlaf’s help, but Beowulf is wounded and passes away from the wound he has received.