The Battle with Grendel
The night after the feast in Herot’s Hall was when Beowulf met Grendel.
All of Beowulf’s men lay asleep in Herot while Beowulf laid awake eager to meet
Grendel. Grendel came out from the marsh looking for people to feast on. He
bursts into the hall filled with evil, hungry for a meal and then “Grendel
snatched at the first Geat he came to, ripped him apart, cut his body to bits
with powerful jaws, drank the blood from his veins, and bolted him down, hands
and feet.” (Lines 421-425, page 33). Grendel ate his last meal because the next
man he tried to grab was Beowulf who bent back his claws and leaned up on one
arm. Grendel’s “mind was flooded with fear” (line 435, page 33) but he couldn’t
escape Beowulf’s grip. Beowulf began crushing Grendel’s fists while Grendel
struggled to get free. All of Beowulf’s men tried to help their prince, but all
failed because their swords could do nothing to Grendel’s sin-stained skin.
Grendel twisted in pain causing his tendons deep in his shoulder to snap and his
arm ripped off. Grendel escaped, but Beowulf was victorious because Grendel was
left to die in his den.
The Final Battle
Beowulf, now an old man, has to fight an angry dragon. He
travels to the dragons cave with his men, not intending to need their help, with
a sword and shield. He feels no shame using a weapon because the dragon has its
hot fire coming from his breath. Beowulf says “When he comes to me I mean to
stand, not run from his shooting flames, and stand till fate decides which of us
wins” (lines
674-677, page 42). Beowulf then stood waiting for the dragon and then yells his
battle call. The dragon then knows he has a visitor and the dragon comes out
spraying fire at Beowulf who then raises his shield which protects him, until
it begins to melt. Then “for the first time in his life that famous prince
fought with fate against him, with glory denied him. He knew it, but raised his
sword and struck at the dragon’s scaly hide.” (Lines 723-726, page 43). Beowulf
then swung at the dragon with his sword, but it broke on the dragon’s skin and
did no harm. The dragon turned and began to spray murderous flames at Beowulf
while he was heading towards death. Now, when
Beowulf needed his men most they ran and fled, except for one
named Wiglaf. He realized that Beowulf’s days of being a hero were over and now
he needed help from the younger warriors. So Beowulf and Wiglaf defeat the
dragon, but Beowulf is fatally wounded. So Beowulf asks Wiglaf to see the
dragons treasure and Wiglaf brings it to him before Beowulf dies. Beowulf wanted
to die this way in battle so after his death they built a tower with his name on
the cliff for everyone to see.
Written by: Thomas Putz