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An ancient epic of monsters, courage, kingship, and a hero’s final battle.
The warrior Beowulf travels to aid a king whose hall is terrorized by Grendel. His victories establish a heroic reputation, but the poem looks ahead to the responsibilities of kingship and a final encounter with a dragon.
This Old English epic joins extraordinary feats to reflections on loyalty and mortality. The English text here is a translation; the date shown is an approximate marker for its early manuscript tradition.
The poem’s movement from a young hero’s achievements to an older ruler’s final responsibility gives its battles a larger human frame. Ceremonial speeches, remembered histories, and acts of gift-giving reveal the social world surrounding the famous encounters with monsters.
