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Beowulf - Coggle Diagram

- - - - A demon/giant named Grendel is revolted by the revelry going on inside Heorot and decides to decimate it. For twelve years, he continuously destroys and devours and of the warriors standing guard. Nothing can stop him.
        
        Enter Beowulf! Go to Part 2.
- - - - After all the customary feasting, Beowulf and his men are left alone in Heorot. As expected Grendel comes for another attack. Dun, dun, DUUUN!
        
        Beowulf, being the typical larger-than-life hero that he is, grabs Grendel's arm and up and rips it off. So commonplace... I mean, hooray, Grendel's gonna die from bleeding to death! But really...
        
        Beowulf is treated to a magnificent feast in his honor, complete with Anglo-Saxon story-telling. He is also awarded remarkable gifts: a gold pole with an embroidered banner, mail,a finely wrought helmet and sword, and 8 horses. Beowulf, being proud, isn't embarrassed at all.
        
        At the feast, Hrothgar thanks God for helping Beowulf. These stanzas with definite religious undertones don't really match with the whole Anglo-Saxon "let's fight everything evil, which also happens to be some sort of probably supernatural being" kind of picture... Very interesting, though!
        
        Enter Grendel's mother! Go to Part 3.
        
        It's interesting to see how it's mentioned multiple times that the people didn't blame Hrothgar for being unable to defeat Grendel. This shows strong loyalty.
        
        Beowulf has decided to fight Grendel weaponless in order to give Grendel a fair chance. Very honourable! This matches with the "good" hero image.
- - - - Grendel's mom's lair looks so... fun... Bubbling, gory water and sea monsters... Yeah, I'll pass!
        
        UMM, EXCUSE ME, BEOWULF IS SWIMMING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE!!!! AND THE TEXT SAYS IT TOOK HIM MOST OF THE DAY!!!!!!! So, what happened to all the gore, and the monsters, and the trivial fact that humans, cough, cough, SNEEZE, can't breathe under water?!??
        
        Unferth's blade can't pierce Grendel's mother's skin! This seems a bit too far-fetched, but maybe Unferth was trying to get revenge on Beowulf!
        
        Instead, Beowulf uses a huge blade that he finds in the lair. This blade is able to kill Grendel's mother. Beowulf also uses it to cut off Grendel's head, and the blade then melts. Beowulf brings back Grendel's head to Heorot, where it is described as "a horror for both queen and company to behold" (line 1649). Mentioning the queen so specifically like this is interesting because it helps cement the Anglo-Saxon image of women being, well, dainty little creatures, I guess :D
        
        Quite a moral King Hrothgar is teaching! Be satisfied with what you have!
        
        A firm alliance is built between King Hrothgar and the Geats, and Beowulf prepares to journey home. But then the journey is so. so. so. short. I guess the author is rushing now to get to the next important part.
        
        1 more item...
- - - - Ok, well, Beowulf knows he's about to die.
        
        Beowulf is deserted by his crew, and his sword can't kill the dragon. He is wreathed in flames, bleeding all over the place, and Wiglaf (!!) is the only one to stand by him. Wiglaf weakens the dragon, but Beowulf is still the one to officially finish it off.
        
        However, Beowulf, as he predicted, is near death. He requests Wiglaf to show him some of the treasure, crowns him the next king, and then dies.
        
        Go to Part 5, Beowulf's burial!
- - - - Whatever is left from the fire is then placed in a burial mound. What's interesting is that God is not mentioned at all during this burial scene! After being such a recurring theme, God is not mentioned when Beowulf literally dies! You'd think they'd be praying for Beowulf to go be with God!
        
        Also, the book ends with "They said that of all the kings upon the earth / he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, / kindest to his people and keenest to win fame" (lines 3180-3183). It is interesting that he is remembered for all these positive traits! It is often so easy to remember the negative side.
- - - - Well, the end!! Bye Beowulf!