There is tension before Beowulf explains who he is and why he has come. Beowulf learns of the threat through the message that one of his mead-halls has been destroyed. Frisia Hygelac was killed in an apparently ill-conceived battle with the western Frisians (allies of the Franks), not by King Finn's people of the Finnsburh episode. 2752 ða ic snude gefrægn sunu Wihstanes æfter wordcwydum wundum dryhtne hyran heaðosiocum, hringnet beran, 2755 brogdne beadusercean under beorges hrof. Time is out of joint as the poet reveals the events leading up to Beowulf's becoming king. The last member of the race has a particularly moving speech in which he realizes that life is fleeting, compared to the permanent wealth. Ohthere and Onela Ongentheow's sons, Swedes. This is the culmination of the darkness that began shortly after Grendel's defeat. ... and describes his sense of foreboding toward a marriage that—while intended to put an end to the feud—will likely end badly. Of course they had to challenge Beowulf. However, Beowulf is nothing if not devoted to God, country, and duty. swift roan Horses played an important role among the royalty, but most of the fighting was executed on foot. The dragon is the final test for Beowulf, a test of his wisdom as well as his courage. The passing of time brings changes to the lives of the Geats as it does to everyone. He also put up quite a fight when Hygelac died in Frisia; Beowulf escaped by defeating many of the enemy in close combat, carrying off the war gear of 30 men. The chain-shirts can no longer protect their owners because the warriors will fight no more battles. Then the Swedes came to attack, and Beowulf served Hygelac well. Battle-Scylfings Swedes. Before long, however, the aging warrior focuses on his responsibility as protector and prepares to face the monster in battle. The hero is of noble birth or high social position? He also avenged Heardred's death by killing King Onela, who had seized the Swedish throne. He was a good king and helped end the feuding. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Eventually the dragon found the treasure, and he has guarded it for three hundred years. Beowulf e-text contains the full text of Beowulf. A slave stole a cup from a fire-breathing dragon's treasure trove. (For a chronology of the Geats' feuds, see Chickering, pp. The mutability of time is central to Hrothgar's sermon (1700-84), and it provides the framework for the final third of the poem. When Beowulf hears of the dragon's night raids, the king initially wonders if he could have angered God in some way, bringing this trouble to his people. Always aware of his battle gear, he orders a new shield to replace his old linden-wood protector; this one is to be covered with the strongest iron. Summary Beowulf gives Hrothgar Grendel’s head and the hilt of the jeweled, magical sword made by the giants. He believes that he has somehow offended God. So Beowulf ruled for fifty years peacefully until the dragon came. False pride? In a parallel that cannot be missed, the dragon does the same, in a slightly different way, to Beowulf. Is he driven by vanity? Although he is now an old man, Beowulf believes that he can defeat the dragon by himself. Hygelac has died in a distant land, leaving Beowulf to reign the Geats. Hygelac's sons are killed not by a brother, but by a brother tribe in the Swedes. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Beowulf. dawn-scorcher, flame-snake, the worm epithets for the dragon. Beowulf now is clearly an old man. The scenario that Wealhtheow feared for her own sons happened to the Geats. Hygelac's death (c. 520 AD) is one historical event in the epic; it was recorded by Saint Gregory of Tours in his Historia Francorum. The problem is that Beowulf was a young man during those glorious battles. He remembers victories against Grendel and Grendel's mother, as well as a heroic escape from Frisia after Hygelac was killed. Hygelac's brothers accidentally killed each other, leaving their father to die of a broken heart. Chapter Summary for Unknown's Beowulf, lines 2200 2509 beowulfs ascension to king summary. Onela killed Geat King Heardred. Beowulf Summary and Analysis of Lines 2200-2537. Fortunes, however, do change, as Hrothgar predicted. Lines 2752-2792 (Sandy Eckard, trans. There will be no more songs from the scop. Because Beowulf's own hall was one of the homes destroyed by the dragon, the king, too, will seek revenge. The narrator clearly represents the change in men between youth and old age. Find a summary of this and each chapter of Beowulf! Beowulf Beowulf and Wiglaf (Lines 2711–2845) Summary & Analysis | LitCharts. he hero is of noble birth or high position, and he reflects the values that are important to his society. Beowulf ... (Lines 2200–2323) Summary & Analysis Next. Ongentheow Scylfings' (Swedes') king killed by Hygelac's warriors Wulf and Eofor. Hetware technically, the Chattuarii; here indistinguishable from Frisians; joined with Franks against Hygelac. He recalls the sad events of Hygelac's death. For 300 years, the dragon has peacefully guarded a treasure-trove, originally the riches of a now-defunct tribe but long hidden in a "high barrow-hall, / towering stone-mound" (2212-13). At this point, we only know that the king and his heir have been killed in separate conflicts. He gained the great sword Naegling in one of the battles with the Swedes, and he has used it since that time. Now the dragon realizes that something is missing, and he goes on a rampage to find the cup. Not just Beowulf's own life is at stake. Eadgils, supplied by Beowulf, later killed Onela. He manages to have a large shield made in preparation for the battle with the dragon. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The problem starts when a fugitive, apparently a runaway slave, stumbles across the dragon's treasure-trove. Beowulf, like Jesus, knows that he will die soon. Years pass. One sole survivor, who is called the "keeper of rings" (2244), hid the treasures in the high barrow-hall and soon died. He could approach with a full army but supposedly bases his decision on former triumphs over Grendel and the mother. Beowulf refused it in favor of Hygelac's son Heardred. After the dragon arrives and attacks, Beowulf is shown, worrying about the usefulness of life when battles and death are waiting.