The poem is about a hero from the land of the Geats to help the kingdom of Danes. Danes have a place called Heorot, a huge mead-hall, and one night without warning, Grendel attacks the hall, because of his jealousy of human society. Grendel is a hideous monster, similar to a troll or an ogre. He envies the fellowship and happiness he sees; he hates living the fens, excluded from the company of men; so, he stalks the moors, jealous of the pleasure of mankind.
Hrothgar, the King of Danes, is old and physically unable to avenge the deaths of his thanes. When Beowulf hears about Hrothgar's situation, he decides to help him by fighting with Grendel. First he fights with Grendel in the Heorot when he attacks the hall. Beowulf cracks one of the Grendel's arms free of its socket, ripping sinews and tearing muscles. Grendel runs away and Beowulf follows his bloody trail but does not find the dead body of Grendel. Heorot is rebuilt and redecorated removing all the marks of Grendel's attack. King Hrothgar thanks Beowulf for killing Grendel.
One night, Grendel's mother attacks Heorot and takes one of Hrothgar's thanes. Beowulf goes to the Grendel's mother's home - a boiling, bloody pool - and kills her. He sees Grendel's body laying in the cave and cuts off his head with the magic. King Hrothgar thanks and awards Beowulf with gold and jewelry, and Beowulf goes back to the Geats.
Years pass, and one of the Geats steals an ornamented cup from the hoard of a dragon who has peacefully but zealously, protected his vast treasure for three hundred years. The dragon seeks vengeance, ravaging the countryside and spewing fire, burning any and everything. Beowulf decides to fight the dragon. Filled with righteous and heroic anger, Beowulf goes to the dragon's cave. He kills the dragon, but not before being fatally wounded by the dragon.
When the dragon emerges from his cave, Beowulf tries to fend off the dragon's scorching breath but his shield is only a little protection. He strikes the dragon with his sword but he miscalculates and fails to pierce the dragon's vital innards and spews such intense flame that Beowulf winces at the searing heat. The dragon coils and strikes, sinking his fangs into Beowulf's neck. Beowulf is spattered with his own blood, but he continues to fight with the dragon. Beowulf pulls out a razor-sharp dagger and delivers the deathblow, ripping open the dragon's entrails with the assistance of Wiglaf.
Throughout the poem, there are many bloody deaths of thanes, monsters, and courageous heroes. Death occurs to all the living creatures. But there are many different ways of death such as death by accident, by sickness, and by others. When Beowulf dies, it is an heroic death which we cannot see in the modern human society. The most important theme of the story would be 'heroic death.' The death of a hero, who revenges the sadness of his people, has to hit them hard. Everything he stood for that they believed in is now gone with him.
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