Beowulf, Grendel, and Grendel’s Dam

Beowulf, we know, is organized around three epic struggles or agons: with the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a Dragon.

The first of these covers roughly lines 1-1214.

• Examine the following passages for their Christian and/or biblical values: lines 104-114; 175-88; 698-702. Now identify one or two other passages in the poem that seem to complement these ideas.
• Examine the following passages for their heroic values: lines 24-25; 237-490; 500-606. Now identify one or two other passages in the poem that seem to complement these ideas.
• In what ways are these heroic and Christian values at odds in the poem? Are they purely contradictory, or can they be reconciled somehow? (You need not confine your comments to this section of the poem.)
• What do we think of Grendel as a character? Is he more than a monster?
• Which passage or passages in this first section of the poem do you find most striking or interesting, and why?

The second agon, Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother, covers roughly lines 1232-2190.

• In what ways does the presence of Grendel’s mother alter or enhance our understanding of Grendel?
• In what ways does this second battle differ from the first, and why does the difference matter?
• How do we regard Unferth as a character?
• What about Hrothgar? What kind of a man is he, and how do we know?
• What does his interaction with Unferth and Hrothgar tell us about Beowulf?
• Identify a passage you find particularly striking and explain why it moves you.