Beowulf

1. The Characters of Beowulf

2. The Epic Cast • Beowulf • Grendel • King Hrothgar • Wiglaf • Unferth • Brecca • Grendel’s Mother

3. Beowulf • The Hero of the story! • Faster than a sea monster! Stronger than a demon! More powerful than a dragon! It's… Beowulf! • A medieval Geatish warrior willing to take on any challenge in order to make a name for himself. GrendelKing HrothgarWiglafUnferthBreccaGrendel’s MotherHome

4. Grendel • Grendel is a man-eating demon that lives in the land of the Spear-Danes and attacks King Hrothgar's mead-hall, Heorot, every evening. • Grendel's motivation is hearing Hrothgar's bard sing songs about God's creation of the world, which rubs his demonic nature the wrong way. • Every night Grendel slaughters more Danes and feeds on their corpses after tearing them limb from limb. • Grendel finally meets his match when the Geatish warrior Beowulf takes him on in a wrestling match. BeowulfKing HrothgarWiglafUnferthBreccaGrendel’s MotherHome

5. King Hrothgar • Hrothgar is the king of the Spear-Danes • Many years earlier, Hrothgar paid money to the Wulfings to resolve a blood feud they had with Ecgtheow, Beowulf's father. • As a result, Beowulf feels some loyalty toward Hrothgar. GrendelWiglafUnferthBreccaGrendel’s MotherHomeBeowulf

6. Wiglaf • Wiglaf is a young Geatish warrior in Beowulf's retinue who follows him to the barrow where the dragon is lurking. • When all of Beowulf's other thanes, or lords, abandon him, Wiglaf remains loyally with his king, encouraging and supporting him. • It is only with Wiglaf's help that Beowulf is able to defeat the dragon – Wiglaf's timely sword-stroke gives Beowulf the opportunity to stab the dragon in the side and kill it once and for all. • As Beowulf is dying, he gives his golden necklace, called a torque, to Wiglaf, probably symbolizing the transfer of power from the dying king to his chosen successor. GrendelKing HrothgarUnferthBreccaGrendel’s MotherHomeBeowulf

7. Unferth • Unferth, a warrior in the tribe of the Spear-Danes, challenges Beowulf's boasts and claims about himself. • When Beowulf shows up ready to fight Grendel, Unferth tells a story he's heard about Beowulf's swimming contest with Breca, suggesting that Beowulf lost that competition. • Beowulf then corrects the story, but doesn't exactly claim to have beaten Breca, suggesting that Unferth may be right about some of the details. Then Beowulf turns the knife by reminding Unferth that he hasn't been able to defeat Grendel, so he has no place to talk! GrendelKing HrothgarWiglafBreccaGrendel’s MotherHomeBeowulf

8. Brecca • Breca is a childhood friend of Beowulf's. • Breca and Beowulf engage in a strange swimming contest where they take on the open sea while wearing full armor and carrying swords, supposedly to defend themselves from sea monsters. • It's not entirely clear who wins this contest, although Unferth suggests that Breca actually beat Beowulf. • Beowulf claims that he and Breca were shoulder-to-shoulder, equally matched when it came to the swimming part – but that he himself also killed nine sea monsters. GrendelKing HrothgarWiglafUnferthGrendel’s MotherHomeBeowulf

9. Grendel’s Mother • Grendel's mother, another demonic descendant of Cain, attempts to avenge her son's death by attacking Heorot Hall. • Although she manages to kill one man, she is alarmed by the strength and prowess of the Geatish warriors, and retreats to her lair, a cave underneath a lake filled with sea monsters. • Beowulf follows her to her lair and beheads her with a sword that he finds there. GrendelKing HrothgarWiglafUnferthBreccaHomeBeowulf