How does the dragon fatally injure Beowulf?
How does the dragon fatally injure Beowulf? the dragon bites Beowulf in the neck and chest. What thoughts comfort Beowulf while he is dying? that he lived a happy life and was successful. What does Beowulf give to Wiglaf before he dies, and what is the significance of this action?
What weapon does Beowulf use against the Dragon?
Beowulf decided to fight the Dragon even though he was old. His pride and warrior code would not let him chicken out of a battle. The sword he decided to use was Naegling (Borrowed from the king). The Dragon was fire-breathing and melted the sword causing Beowulf to battle without a weapon. The blood of the Dragon was poisonous and when he did ...
Why does Beowulf attack the Dragon?
Why does Beowulf attack the dragon? Fifty years have passed and Beowulfwas eighty. As a payment to the king of the Danes he decided to fight the Dragon. The Dragonwas in possession of a great treasure which he found buried in a cave.
How does Beowulf plan to fight the Dragon?
To fight the dragon, Beowulf plans to use a sword with his shield. Describe how the dragon reacts to Beowulf’s approach in the cave. The dragon becomes enraged and spews intense streams of fire at Beowulf. Describe the battle between Beowulf and the dragaon.
What does Beowulf use to kill the dragon?
How did Beowulf fight the dragon? Beowulf fights the dragon with the help of his companion, Wiglaf. He tries to use his sword, but it breaks when he strikes the dragon. Wiglaf stabs the dragon in the belly and then Beowulf uses a knife to strike the final blow.
What sword did Beowulf use to kill the dragon?
NaeglingBeowulf decided to fight the Dragon even though he was old. His pride and warrior code would not let him chicken out of a battle. The sword he decided to use was Naegling (Borrowed from the king).
How did Wiglaf kill the dragon?
When Beowulf wounds the dragon a second time, striking so hard his sword shatters, Wiglaf strikes at the open wound with his own sword, tearing at the dragon's throat so it can no longer breathe fire. His hand is badly burned, but his attack allows Beowulf to close and kill the dragon.
Who helped Beowulf to kill the dragon?
WiglafWiglaf: only soldier who stayed to help Beowulf slay the dragon. -Beowulf doesn't boast as before when he goes to confront the dragon.
What weapon did Beowulf use?
HruntingHrunting was a sword given to Beowulf by Unferth in the ancient Old English epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf used it in battle against Grendel's Mother.
What type of sword is Hrunting?
"A rare and ancient sword named Hrunting" [A] hilted weapon, a rare and ancient sword named Hrunting. The iron blade with its ill-boding patterns has been tempered in blood. It had never failed the hand of anyone who hefted it in battle, anyone who had fought and faced the worst in the gap of danger.
Does Beowulf kill the dragon in the book?
Beowulf manages to pull out a knife tucked in his belt and stabs the dragon. Together, the king and his loyal thane kill the dragon. But the wound in Beowulf's neck begins to burn, and the old king knows he's not long for the world.
What does Wiglaf fighting the dragon?
What does Wiglaf's fighting the dragon tell you about the importance of honor in the Anglo-Saxon period? A warrior protects his king even at the risk of his own life.
Who or what kills Beowulf?
Sensing his own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in killing the beast, but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him moments after their encounter.
How does Beowulf kill Grendel?
Beowulf's men heroically hack at the demon as Beowulf fights with him, but no weapon on earth is capable of harming Grendel. Beowulf summons even greater strength and rips Grendel's arm completely out of its socket. Fatally wounded, Grendel slinks back to his swampy home to die.
What happens to Beowulf's sword?
Only the small band of Geats, Beowulf's kinsmen, waits on. Back in the monster's court, the blade of the giant's sword begins to melt, burned by Grendel's fiery blood.
How does Beowulf kill Grendel?
Beowulf's men heroically hack at the demon as Beowulf fights with him, but no weapon on earth is capable of harming Grendel. Beowulf summons even greater strength and rips Grendel's arm completely out of its socket. Fatally wounded, Grendel slinks back to his swampy home to die.
What is Beowulf's dying wish?
Beowulf orders Wiglaf to go into the barrow, look at the treasure, and bring back some of it for him to see before he dies. Wiglaf obeys Beowulf's dying wish and goes down into the barrow, where he finds amazing piles of treasure, all of it rusting and decaying.
How is Beowulf's fight with the dragon similar and different?
Beowulf's battles are all similar because he goes into battle willingly and he believes he is the only person that can defeat the beasts. He wins each of the three battles. Beowulf is happy to defend the people from the evil of Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon.
How did Beowulf defeat the dragon?
Beowulf defeats the dragon in the most heroic and the most Christian manner possible: by sacrificing himself for his people. Unlike Hrothgar at the beginning of the poem, Beowulf has no younger hero to send out to fight the creature on his behalf. Although Wiglaf wounds the dragon so severely that Beowulf is able to kill it with his knife, it is by no means clear that Wiglaf alone would have been able to accomplish this feat.
What happened to Beowulf after Grendel died?
Beowulf and Wiglaf enter the dragon's lair. Unfortunately, Beowulf's sword--Naegling--fails him; it snaps when Beowoulf hits the dragon on the head. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck (the bite was venemous and will later kill the victorious king). Wiglaf stabs the dragon, and then Beowulf defeats the dragon by stabbing it in the flank with a knife. Beowulf's blow is mortal, and the dragon withers and dies. By this point, Beowulf can tell he has been poisoned. He instructs Wiglaf to retrieve some of the Dragon's treasure so he can observe his plunder before he dies. Wiglaf complies, and Beowulf dies content.
Who stabs Beowulf's dragon?
Steadfast Wiglaf is the only one who rushes to Beowulf's aid when he is bitten on the neck by the dragon. This is extraordinary brave considering that not only are Beowulf's attacks proving useless, but he has just broken his sword. Wiglaf stabs the dragon in the belly, weakening the beast enough for Beowulf to land a killing stroke with his dagger. Though his wounds are fatal, Beowulf is pleased that he has earned a hefty fortune for his people and dies contented.
What did Beowulf do to the dragon?
They wound the dragon in several places, and finally, Beowulf cleaves the creature with his short sword. Beowulf initially intends to fight the dragon alone, but his plan does not go well. Seeing his liege lord in trouble, Wiglaf, unlike Beowulf's other companions, rushes in to help.
What happened to Wiglaf after the battle?
Though they defeat the fearsome creature, Beowulf receives a wound from the dragon's poisoned teeth, and he dies soon after the battle . ADVERTISEMENT.
Why did Beowulf cut the dragon in the belly?
He cuts the dragon in the belly to reduce the flames, and Beowulf deals the fatal blow. In his death-speech, Beowulf nominates Wiglaf as his heir and asks for a monument to be built for him on the shoreline.
What is the significance of the Beowulf dragon?
This depiction indicates the growing importance and stabilization of the modern concept of the dragon within European mythology. Beowulf is the first piece of English literature to present a dragon-slayer. Although many motifs common to the Beowulf dragon existed in the Scandinavian and Germanic literature, the Beowulf poet was the first to combine features and present a distinctive fire-breathing dragon. The Beowulf dragon was adapted for Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Hobbit (1937), one of the forerunners of modern high fantasy .
What is the dragon fight in The Hobbit?
The Beowulf dragon was adapted for Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Hobbit (1937), one of the forerunners of modern high fantasy . The dragon fight, occurring at the end of the poem, is foreshadowed in earlier scenes.
What happens when the dragon burns the Geats' homes?
When the angry dragon mercilessly burns the Geats' homes and lands, Beowulf decides to fight and kill the monster personally. He and his thanes climb to the dragon's lair where, upon seeing the beast, the thanes flee in terror, leaving only Wiglaf to battle at Beowulf's side.
What is the final act of Beowulf?
The final act of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf includes Beowulf 's fight with a dragon, the third monster he encounters in the epic. On his return from Heorot, where he killed Grendel and Grendel's mother, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats and rules wisely for fifty years until a slave awakens and angers a dragon by stealing a jewelled cup from its lair. When the angry dragon mercilessly burns the Geats' homes and lands, Beowulf decides to fight and kill the monster personally. He and his thanes climb to the dragon's lair where, upon seeing the beast, the thanes flee in terror, leaving only Wiglaf to battle at Beowulf's side. When the dragon wounds Beowulf fatally, Wiglaf attacks it with his sword, and Beowulf kills it with his dagger.
Why did Beowulf leave the dragon's lair?
Beowulf tells his men to stay outside, that this fight is his alone, but the dragon proves too strong and mortally wounds Beowulf. Meanwhile, his kinsman Wiglaf scolds the other members of the troop for not going in to help, before coming to Beowulf's aid.
How many times does the dragon attack Beowulf?
Wiglaf kills the dragon halfway through the scene, Beowulf's death occurs "after two-thirds" of the scene, and the dragon attacks Beowulf three times.
What does Beowulf say to the dragon?
Now, Beowulf says, he shall fight once more: against the dragon . (full context) Since the dragon breathes fire Beowulf decides to use his sword, shield, and armor. He orders his followers... (full context) Beowulf enters the barrow and shouts to wake the dragon. It attacks, breathing flame.
What happens after the dragon steals from the horde?
After a thief steals from the dragon's horde, the dragon goes on a rampage and terrorizes the Geats. Beowulf, the king of the Geats, fights the dragon. Beowulf ultimately kills the dragon, but at the cost of his own life. The threat posed by the dragon therefore represents a kind of tension in the question of what makes a good king.
What is the dragon character?
Dragon Character Analysis. Dragon. A fire-breathing dragon who discovered a lost tribe's treasure and moved into the barrow housing the gold. The dragon is exceedingly greedy – marking a stark contrast to good kings, who create loyalty and love among their people and warriors through generosity.
What is the dragon's secret passage?
The dragon guards an underground barrow full of treasure, which is accessible only by a secret passage.... (full context) The dragon discovered the treasure sometime later, and guarded it in peace for the three hundred years.... (full context) Facing the Dragon (Lines 2324–2710) ...who killed Hygelac in battle.
Overview
The final act of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf includes Beowulf's fight with a dragon, the third monster he encounters in the epic. On his return from Heorot, where he killed Grendel and Grendel's mother, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats and rules wisely for fifty years until a slave awakens and angers a dragon by stealing a jewelled cup from its lair. When the angry dragon mercilessly burns …
Story
After his battles against Grendel's mother and Grendel, Beowulf returns home and becomes king of the Geats. Fifty years pass with Beowulf in charge, when a local dragon is angered when a slave enters its lair and takes a cup from its treasure. The creature attacks the neighboring towns in revenge. Beowulf and a troop of men leave to find the dragon's lair. Beowulf tells his men to stay outside, that this fight is his alone, but the dragon proves too strong and mortally wounds Beow…
Background
Beowulf is the oldest extant heroic poem in English and the first to present a dragon slayer. The legend of the dragon-slayer already existed in Norse sagas such as the tale of Sigurd and Fafnir, and the Beowulf poet incorporates motifs and themes common to dragon-lore in the poem. Beowulf is the earliest surviving piece of Anglo-Saxon literature to feature a dragon, and it is possible t…
Characterization
The Beowulf dragon is the earliest example in literature of the typical European dragon and first incidence of a fire-breathing dragon. The Beowulf dragon is described with Old English terms such as draca (dragon), and wyrm (reptile, or serpent), and as a creature with a venomous bite. Also, the Beowulf poet created a dragon with specific traits: a nocturnal, treasure-hoarding, inquisitive, vengeful, fire-breathing creature.
Importance
The third act of the poem differs from the first two. In Beowulf's two earlier battles, Grendel and Grendel's mother are characterized as descendants of Cain: "[Grendel] had long lived in the land of monsters / since the creator cast them out / as the kindred of Cain" and seem to be humanoid: in the poet's rendition they can be seen as giants, trolls, or monsters. The dragon, therefore, is a stark …
Critical reception
In 1918, William Witherle Lawrence argued in his article "The Dragon and His Lair in Beowulf" that the fight between Beowulf and the dragon tends to receive less critical attention than other portions of the poem, commenting that "Grendel and his dam have, as it were, become more beloved of the commentators". Conversely, Kemp Malone writes in "The Kenning in Beowulf" that Beowulf's fight with the dragon receives much critical attention, but that commentators fail to no…
Legacy
In From Homer to Harry Potter: A Handbook on Myth and Fantasy, Matthew Dickerson and David O'Hara argue that the Beowulf poet added the figure of the dragon to "the pot...that is ladled out of by most modern fantasy writers"; they argued that both numerous works with villainous dragons, as well as literature with benign dragons like the My Father's Dragon books and the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, were influenced by Beowulf's dragon. Dickerson and O'Hara further elaborated …
Sources
• Alexander, Michael (2003) [1973]. Beowulf: a verse translation. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-044931-0.
• Clark, George (2003) [1998]. "The Hero and the Theme". In Bjork, Robert E.; Niles, John D. (eds.). A Beowulf Handbook. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6150-1.
• Crossley-Holland, Kevin (1999). O'Donohue, Heather (ed.). Beowulf: The fight at Finnsburh. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-283320-4.