Beowulf's Battles

Beowulf won his three battles with monsters, even though they got harder each time. In Beowulf’s lifetime, he was challenged three times with battling monsters. These three battles required immense strength, wit, and pain tolerance. None of these battles would be fought with any outside help, (except for the last one) and some of these would seem impossible. So, how did he beat them?

The first battle was with Grendel, a demon who would go on rampages now and then to satisfy his bloodthirst. Each time Grendel was unstoppable. That is, until Grendel met Beowulf. Beowulf lept from the ground where he was pretending to sleep and he and Grendel wrestled around the great hall of a building. Beowulf’s men tried to help him, but unfortunately, they discovered that no blade could pierce Grendel’s hide. So, how did Beowulf manage to kill him? Beowulf saw an opening, lept on to Grendel’s back, and ripped Grendel’s arm off so that Grendel scampered into a cave and died of blood loss! And so the first monster fell.

The second monster was downright terrifying: this was Grendel’s MOTHER. She was thirsty for revenge, and, naturally, bigger and tougher than Grendel. This battle was fought underwater, and this time Beowulf was in trouble. She had drug him into her cave and was about to kill him when he saw the magic sword in her cave. He picked it up and swung at her head - and the pressure on his chest abruptly ceased.He swam up to the surface, triumphantly holding up the head of Grendel’s mother, trying to find his men. And so the second monster fell.

And now, for the one we’ve all been waiting for - The Dragon! This will be Beowulf's final monster battle, and you might be surprised how it ends. Beowulf hears about this beast terrorizing people (again), but this time he goes prepared. He brings a gauntlet of deadly warriors with him, a magical sword, and every ounce of manly determination he’s got. But, of course, as soon as he arrives, he discovers it’s a dragon. His men run away, his magical sword breaks, and he is pinned to the ground. But one of his men came to his aid. “The dragon lands a bite on Beowulf's neck, and blood begins to flow. Wiglaf rushes to Beowulf's aid, stabbing the dragon in the belly, and the dragon scorches Wiglaf's hand. In desperation Beowulf pulls a knife from his belt and stabs it deep into the dragon's flank. The blow is fatal, and the writhing serpent withers." ("Beowulf | Lines")

Beowulf ends up dying, but he is an old man by this time, and he ends up killing a dragon while dying, so he was satisfied with his death. In the end, a lot of treasure was discovered in the dragon’s hiding place, and the man that was not a coward and helped Beowulf named Wiglaf was rewarded greatly. Beowulf fought several battles, and even though the last one took his life, he still took all the monsters down. This story shows us that even the most impossible and frustrating tasks can be done with a good plan and brute strength. Beowulf has a made a lasting impression on literature, and shows us the things that man is capable of at our greatest - and our worst. This is an example of many things, like how our battles get harder as we get older, and especially the consequences of cowardice, Beowulf would not have died if his men didn’t chicken out.

Works Cited

"Beowulf | Lines 2516–2820." Sparknotes, https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/beowulf/section9/. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.