Beowulf Battle With Grendel's Mother

Beowulf's fight with Grendel'southward Mother picks up right where his fight with Grendel left off. Read on to see how Beowulf continues to prove himself a hero amongst barbarians and Christians.

PLOT SUMMARY

Exposition – The Background

Having celebrated Beowulf's defeat of Grendel, Hrothgar ushers him off to a first-class bedroom for a much deserved nighttime'south slumber.

Inciting Incident – The Problem

Piddling do they know, however, their troubles are non really over. Another monster, Grendel's Mother, breaks into Heorot, snatches up one of the men named Aeschere, and carries him off.

Rising Action – The Build-up

When Beowulf learns of this the adjacent morning, he immediately organizes an expedition to seek out Grendel's Mother. No longer the fearful men they were during Grendel's feasting days, the Danes join the Geats. Together they track Grendel'due south Mother all the way to an eerie lake where they find Aeschere'southward head staked on a post.

Though the surrounding terrain is frosted with water ice, the lake itself is ablaze with fire and full of evil monsters. Hrothgar marks one with his bow and shoots it dead, proving that he has regained his battle prowess and still worthy to be male monarch in his own correct.

Climax – The Breaking Point

But this fight, like the last i, is really for Beowulf. He lone is brave plenty to dive into the foreign waters and keep the hunt for Grendel's Mother. As he plunges deeper and deeper, he of a sudden feels himself held fast by a tremendous creature with a hairy chest. Information technology is none other than Grendel'south Mother.

She pulls him into her lair, which consists of a dry expanse at the greatest depth of the lake. She seems to accept the advantage, existence on her home turf and and then full of an evil desire for revenge. But then Beowulf spots an ancient sword forged by giants with magic from the Sun and manages to kill her with information technology.

Falling Action – The Unraveling

As he looks effectually the lair, his optics chance upon Grendel's torso. (The monster had gone home to the lair to die afterward his arm was ripped off). Desiring another trophy, Beowulf chops off Grendel's head, which gushes blood all the way upwards to the surface.

Hrothgar sees it, assumes Beowulf was killed, and departs for Heorot. Still hopeful, the Geats remain longer and see Beowulf emerge victorious with Grendel'south grisly head.

Resolution – Problem Solved

The Danes host some other feast for the Geats, showering upon them fifty-fifty more treasures. The monsters are dead; peace and honor take been restored one time and for all. Hrothgar and Beowulf bid one some other a deplorable bye, at present sharing a bail of loyalty and dear alike to a father and a son.

PLOT ANALYSIS

Structurally, Beowulf'due south fight with Grendel's Mother mirrors his fight with Grendel. Just swap out 1 monster for another, i battlefield for another, and you have pretty much the same story. So why have Beowulf do everything all again? Is it but a cheap fashion to stretch out the storyline and have more thrills?

Non exactly. As my students realize during our class discussions, the second fight is all about graphic symbol growth. Let's start with Hrothgar. Later on Grendel's defeat, he had regained his legitimate status as rex and was one time again able to provide for his people in the swell hall of Heorot. But information technology is not until the fight with Grendel's Mother that Hrothgar proves himself strong in battle, worthy of respect and even fearfulness. His transformation is now consummate. We know that he volition live out his days equally a fit male monarch of the Danes.

Let's turn to Beowulf at present. As ever, he's really the graphic symbol to focus on.

Fighting Grendel is zip to sneeze at, simply information technology pales in comparing to fighting Grendel'southward Mother at the lesser of her eerie lake. That'south considering the lake symbolizes Hell, the source of all the problems in Kingdom of denmark. Beowulf dives into its very depth, kills Grendel'southward Mother at great peril to his own life, and thereby cleanses the lake of all its monsters. There is nada left to terrorize Heorot, so the Danes can slumber easy once and for all.

Figuratively, Beowulf's role as a messianic character comes total circle when he faces Grendel's Mother. Having previously left his father in Sweden to serve a foreign people, we now see him offer his life to save them from non one monster but all of them. When the story closes, Beowulf gets to return to his male parent, knowing his mission is fully achieved. Better nevertheless, he did information technology all out of kindness, taking just the glory of his great deeds every bit a prize. Beowulf truly is a Christian-barbaric hero.

Illustration from Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race (1910)