Jason Burks

Mr. Fanara

English 11

15 August 2017

Beowulf

Journal #1

When the book begins, the author starts out by writing about Shield and his story from

rags to riches. He starts the ancestry of the Danish royals and when he dies, he is sent out with

gold and riches. Boew then took over his line yet did not do much to then achieve bigger things

and he dies. Halfdane then becomes king and when he dies Hrothgar then takes his place. He

builds them a mead hall and becomes more powerful in time giving full rise to the Danish

Kingdom. The Grendel, the monster, attacks the group and then continues to attack for the next

12 years. He is supposedly in the lineage of Cain from the creation story. He first kills 30 men

then many more as the years go on. In those 12 years, the build pagan Gods to bring protection to

their people. Beowulf then comes over from his country, allured by the idea of slaughtering the

demon himself. At this time, Beowulf is known as the best fighter in the world. He and his best

men get on a ship and travel to the mainland of Denmark, where there are asked by a coast

guard why they are here, they express that they will kill Grendel. Beowulf states that he owes

loyalty to the king because when the Danes were being attacked, the king helped them and the

king needed to be repaid. He tells his followers to come with him and has someone watch over

the ship.
Journal 2

Essentially from pages 23-47, the setup of the story takes place much like Grendel in

which Beowulf comes to the mainland and asks to see the king. Unferth becomes jealous that

this person out of nowhere is coming and wanting to kill the beast when Unferth was not able

too. While reading this part we come to understand that Beowulf has challenged and been

challenged and whether won or lost finds a way to use it to his advantage. When Unferth talks

about Beowulfs challenge to swim trying to make him look bad, Beowulf is able to counteract

that by explaining what exactly happened in throughout that time. He also counteracts that by

saying that the kings son and people were never truly known for their swordsmanship, which in

turn may have hurt them in the field of battle with Grendel. The King gives Beowulf command

of the Mead Hall in hopes that Beowulf will be able to protect and keep the kings men and

kingdom safe. The Geats start to essentially worship Beowulf believing that he will take down

the destroyer. One of the king's men try to explain that hoping something will work rarely

happens and which was the problem for the men. They only figured God would do the work for

them if they tried to fight. There is both a hint of Norse Mythology and Christianity within this

chapter and essentially it becomes essential when talking about defeating Grendel. The hopes

that Beowulf and the king both believe that this will pay off Beowulfs Fathers debt to the king

and relieve the kingdom of such horrors as Grendel.

Journal #3

Throughout the 3rd part of the book spanning for many pages. We learn that Beowulf has

been planning the death of Grendel and it comes sooner than expected. Grendle tears open the

doors and destroyed a soldier as he wakes up. Seeing Beowulf, Grendel goes and starts to fight

him. Beowulf being stronger and smarter is able to out do Grendel by holding his arm and letting

him rip it off himself. Then Grendel leaves, leaving his arm and possibly leading to the death of

him. The soldiers cheer as Beowulf is hailed and then songs are sang about him. There are

marches and parties about Beowulf. Hrothgar then proceeds to grant beowulf good things and

give him lavish things. He adopts Beowulf as his own son with the son being jealous. Peace

comes to the people and it all becomes better with people and the king and economy becoming

normal.

Journal #4

The people of Hrothgar have a huge banquet for Beowulf, Beowulf is give armor gold

and much more. He then distributes it to his men for the killing of Grendel. Then they sing about

how they almost lost to the Finns and how the families truced and lived under the same rules.

Wealthrow then comes in unbenounced and knowing that Hrothgar is dying hopes that their

cousin will treat Hrothgar sons correctly. Beowulf is to guide the children, and she gives him

more gold and armor. Grendel's mom then comes down knowing her son has died. She only

takes one man. The most beloved of Hrothgar. Beowulf comes to late and Grendels mother is

not there. Beowulf goes out and tries to find her. The advisor is killed with only the head left and

they end up in a place where it is not good and filled with demons.
Journal #5

Beowulf goes off and says that he will find her and fight her. If he is killed, his treasures

should go to Unferth as a showing of friendship. He swims for a day, and then with Grendels

mother waiting for Beowulf, she goes at him, unable to crush him. She takes Beowulf to the

cave. Yet when she isnt looking he takes the special sword and takes a stab at her yet is unable

to harm her. He then sees a different sword and takes it and cuts off her neck with it. Killing her

instantly. Then he sees the dead body of Grendel on the ground and takes his head as a prized

possession. To the Hrothgar's men, they lose faith when they see blood coming from the other

side, yet some wait for Beowulfs return. Grendel has blood of fire which melt the entire sword

yet Beowulf is able to cut off the head and take it with him. With the Grendel and his mom

killed, the waters surrounding the place are no longer ugly but blue. Beowulf after a long wait

returns to the men and is able to show what he got! The head of Grendel is finally put on a spear

and shown around the village. Hrothgar then thanks beowulf again and blesses him with a good

and long future again thanking him for his loyalty. Beowulf finally gets to sleep after a long

banquet, yet that morning he gets much more treasure and Hrothgar knowing it is almost time,

tells beowulf to go back home to Denmark. They finally sail back and give a sword to the

watchmen who first helped them. Then they return home.

Journal #6

Beowulf returns to his homeland and to King Hygelac and to Queen Hygd. Then the story

is told of the mean Queen Modthryth by being paranoid and randomly killing her innocent
people. Yet when she married Offa, she became good and a loved Queen. Mead is poured for

everyone and they were all amazed at the fact that Beowulf fought two monsters and killed them

both. He then goes on to tell about who the king and queen and that both parties should not fight

because they have possessions of the others ancestors. He goes on to boast about fighting

Grendel and the fierce battle with Grendels mother as well. He then gives the earnings from

Hrothgar to his king and queen including gold, necklaces, and horses. He is known and loved

throughout Geatland and given his own land and subjects to rule over. After the King is killed in

batter. Beowulf then leads the Geats for 50 years. Then the fateful Dragon comes because

someone stole his Gold goblet, stirring up the Dragon and making it mad. Because he knew at

some point he was going to die, he hoarded the gold to make sure that he had it all. He soon

walks the earth burning everything in his path as he tries to find where the stolen object went.

Beowulf plots revenge. The narrator then talks about Beowulfs assent to the throne, after the

king died, he did not take the thrown as asked by the widowed queen, yet only took it after the

son died in a fight between the swedish yet which ended under Beowulf. Then it goes back to

present time and the fact that they found the thief. But in that time, Beowulf sees his own death,

knowing what will happen. The the does his boast of how he will win against the dragon if it will

be fair. He then says goodbye to his comrades except some who stay with him and fights the

dragon. As the dragon and him fight he tries to kill it but is unable. Then all his men but Wiglaf

stay and help fight.

Journal #7
 Wiglaf goes and helps Beowulf, yet as Beowulf goes to kill the dragon, the sword breaks

and Beowulf is bitten in the neck.Wiglaf stabs the dragon successfully yet is burned by the

dragons fire. Beowulf still hurt, pulls a knife and stabs the dragon fatally. Beowulf then realizes

that he is going to die because of the venomous bite from the dragon. Wiglaf is told to go get

some treasure from the hoard of the dragon, he then gets the treasure and before Beowulf dies, he

gives orders for Wiglaf to be the head of the Geats. Finally, Beowulf also gives Wiglaf a

necklace that he loved. After Beowulf dies, his men that ran away come back, Wiglaf scolds

them and tells them that other people will attack the Geats now that Beowulf is no longer alive.

Wiglaf then takes the rest of the treasure, and the body of beowulf is cremated. They end with

words of love and kindness to their king, Beowulf.