Beowulf

Beowulf

The protagonist and namesake of the poem, Beowulf is a man of great power who seeks glory by slaying monsters and helping others. He is from Geatland, and comes from a noble family. He seeks honor and glory at the risk of his own life, as shown when he decided to face Grendel without weapons or armor so that it would be an even match. Eventually Beowulf became king of the Geats, and was loved by all. He gave his life slaying the dragon that was terrorizing his country and was revered after his death.

Narrator

While the narrator of Beowulf is not named nor does he ever appear, his writing sets the stage for all the action to take place, and his comments frame how the reader is supposed to think about the events and the characters. Originally, the legends of Beowulf had no Christian influences, but since the narrator is writing the poem from a Christian standpoint he adds to the poem to create a bridge between the old and new cultures of the Anglo-Saxon people.

Hrothgar

The elderly warrior king of Denmark, Hrothgar is descended from a long line of warrior kings. He built the great mead hall named Heorot as a symbol of his peaceful and prosperous reign. Even in his old age, Hrothgar was well respected by his people and he was crushed when Grendel began terrorizing not only Heorot by the rest of the country as well. When Beowulf successfully defeats Grendel and his mother, Hrothgar shows all the necessary courtesy and treats Beowulf as his own son.

Healhtheow

Hrothgar's queen, Healhtheow joins him at all the important feasts. She wears a large amount of gold jewelry, and, fittingly, awarded Beowulf with several of the more valuable treasures for killing the monsters that threatened Denmark. In Heorot, Healhtheow was the picture of the perfect hostess and acted kindly towards Beowulf and his warriors.

Unferth

A Dane warrior who is envious of Beowulf's fame throughout the country. The night before Beowulf faces Grendel, Unferth tries to mock him by saying that he is not as strong as he needs to be to defeat Grendel and that he lost a swimming match to his friend Breca when they were young. Beowulf counters these insults with his version of events in which he slew hundreds of sea monsters during the swim and still beat Breca, winning the confidence of the Danes. Later, Unferth apologizes and even lends Beowulf his family sword in recompense.

Grendel

Grendel is an evil descendant of Cain who lives in the swamp near the great hall of Heorot. He heard the Danes' merrymaking and became angry, slaughtering thirty men the first night and continuing his rampage for over a decade. Grendel has no reason to be evil other than he was born of a traitor and a murderer. Many scholars believe that he symbolizes the original evil in mankind because he seems to be part human and part monster. During his fight with Beowulf, Grendel has his shoulder and arm torn off by Beowulf and flees to the swamp to die.

Grendel's Mother

Like Grendel, Grendel's mother is also an evil descendant of Cain. She comes out of the swamp after her son is killed seeking revenge on those who hurt him. While she is just as vicious as her son, she is not as strong and is forced to flee Heorot after only killing one person. Beowulf chases her underwater, and after a battle in which he is almost killed himself, slays her with a giant's sword. When she is dead, a light appears and all the sea monsters are gone from the waters. Like Grendel, she symbolizes the abstract evil present in man.

Hygelac

The king of Geatland and one of Beowulf's few kinsmen, Hygelac is an honorable and well-loved king in the poem. Although he only appears for one scene, he and Beowulf appear to be very close. He is greatly relieved to see Beowulf safe after defeating Grendel. Beowulf, being loyal to both kinsman and king, gives all the treasure he earned from his adventures to Hygelac, who in turn rewards Beowulf with lands and riches.

Hygd

Hygd is Hygelac queen, hailed for her gentleness and beauty. She is contrasted in the poem to an ancient queen who frequently had people killed just for looking at her in a way she didn't like. Hygd is nothing like this, and is praised for embodying the gentle feminine standards of the Anglo-Saxon culture.

The Dragon

The third and final monster that Beowulf faces, the dragon is an ancient creature who was cursed to horde treasure found in graves. He finds a vast cavern full of treasure amassed by a man who was the last of his clan. The dragon guarded the cave for three hundred years until a servant accidentally found the cave and ran out with a golden goblet. The dragon ravaged the countryside, eventually burning down Beowulf's throne and forcing him to fight. Unlike Grendel and his mother, the dragon does not have any sort of humanity about it, and is killed unceremoniously. For killing the dragon, Beowulf is compared to the greatest hero of all time, who also killed a dragon.

Wiglaf

Wiglaf is a young Geatish warrior who helps Beowulf defeat the dragon when all the others run towards the woods in fear of the beast. Wiglaf has a strong sense of honor and courage and reprimands the other warriors, calling them cowards for running away. He is with Beowulf at the very end, and before the hero dies he gives the young warrior his armor. At the end of the poem, Wiglaf seems like the most likely successor of Beowulf since he has no heirs.