Beowulf and the Dragon

Today’s subject is Beowulf’s final battle with the Dragon.

• In what ways does the Dragon differ in quality from Grendel and Grendel’s mother?
• What is the overall mood of this final section of the poem, and how does it shape our understanding of the first two sections?
• What think we of Wiglaf as a character?
• Lines 2347-2400 link Beowulf’s battle against the Dragon to the Geats’ struggles against the Swedes. What does this tell us about the role of myth and legend in early Scandinavian society?
• Examine lines 2757-66, 3047-62, and 3074-75. What do they have in common, and why does it matter?
• What is significant about lines 2425-62?
• The Old English word for dragon is wyrm, which also meant snake or serpent. How might this dual meaning of the word affect our understanding of the poem as a whole?
• Finally, how do we respond to the lament with which the poem ends (lines 3150-55)? Is it significant that the speaker of these lines is a Geat woman? What is her attitude and how does it affect our experience of the poem?