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### Character Descriptions:

1. Beowulf:

- Relation: Main character.

- Significance: The epic’s hero known for his unmatched strength, bravery, and sense of duty. He fights Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. His battles symbolize the conflict between good and evil.

2. King Hrothgar:

- Relation: Beowulf’s ally.

- Significance: The Danish king who is tormented by Grendel. Hrothgar represents wisdom, and he becomes a father-like figure to Beowulf, offering advice on leadership and humility.

3. Grendel:

- Relation: Beowulf’s enemy.

- Significance: The monster terrorizing Hrothgar’s hall, symbolizing chaos and evil. Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel proves his heroism.

4. Wealhtheow:

- Relation: Hrothgar’s wife.

- Significance: The queen of the Danes who plays a significant role in court politics. She embodies hospitality and grace and praises Beowulf for his service to her people.

5. Grendel’s Mother:

- Relation: Beowulf’s enemy.

- Significance: After Grendel’s death, his mother seeks revenge. Beowulf’s battle with her represents the continuing struggle against evil forces.

6. Dragon:

- Relation: Beowulf’s final enemy.

- Significance: The dragon guards a treasure and symbolizes death and fate. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon is his final heroic act, and though he slays it, he dies as a result of the fight.

7. Wiglaf:

- Relation: Beowulf’s loyal warrior.

- Significance: Wiglaf stays by Beowulf’s side during the dragon fight when all others flee. He represents loyalty and is chosen as Beowulf’s successor, symbolizing hope for the future.

8. Hygelac:

- Relation: Beowulf’s uncle.

- Significance: The king of the Geats and Beowulf’s lord. Beowulf is extremely loyal to him, and his death marks a turning point in Beowulf’s journey.

9. Breca:

- Relation: Childhood friend and competitor.

- Significance: Beowulf’s swimming contest with Breca is used by Unferth to challenge Beowulf’s strength and skill. The contest showcases Beowulf’s youthful courage and ambition.

10. Finn:

- Relation: None to Beowulf.

- Significance: Finn is a Frisian king in a side story about revenge and loyalty, emphasizing the warrior culture that dominates the poem.

11. Halfdane:

- Relation: Ancestor of Hrothgar.

- Significance: Former king of the Danes, father to Hrothgar, his lineage helps establish Hrothgar’s right to rule.

12. Ecgtheow:

- Relation: Beowulf’s father.

- Significance: Beowulf’s loyalty to Hrothgar stems from his father’s unresolved feud, which Hrothgar helped settle, forging a bond between their families.

13. Shield Sheafson:

- Relation: None to Beowulf.

- Significance: An idealized figure of kingship at the beginning of the poem. His story sets the tone for what it means to be a strong and successful ruler.

14. Sigemund:

- Relation: None to Beowulf.

- Significance: A legendary hero known for slaying a dragon. He’s compared to Beowulf, emphasizing Beowulf’s heroic qualities.

15. Unferth:

- Relation: Hrothgar’s warrior.

- Significance: Initially questions Beowulf’s abilities but later offers him the sword Hrunting for the battle against Grendel’s mother. He represents the theme of envy and eventual respect.

16. The Geats:

- Relation: Beowulf’s people.

- Significance: Beowulf’s tribe. His loyalty and service to them demonstrate his sense of duty, and they look to him for protection and leadership.

### Plot of the Poem:

- Beowulf tells the story of a hero who travels from Geatland to Denmark to aid King Hrothgar by slaying the monster Grendel. After defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother, Beowulf returns home and later becomes king. His final battle against a dragon ends in his death but secures his legacy as a hero.

### Epic Poetry:

- Epic poetry is a long narrative that celebrates the deeds of legendary heroes. Beowulf is an example of this, featuring a heroic journey, supernatural elements, and the struggle between good and evil.

### Symbols:

1. Grendel: Symbolizes evil and chaos, terrorizing the community.

2. Dragon: Represents death, fate, and the inevitable end.

3. Heorot Hall: A symbol of community, peace, and civilization, threatened by the forces of chaos (Grendel).

### Themes:

1. Christianity & Paganism: The poem combines elements of Christian faith (divine intervention) and pagan values (fate, warrior honor).

2. Good vs. Evil: Central conflict in Beowulf’s battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon.

3. Loyalty: Displayed through Beowulf’s relationships with Hrothgar, his men, and Wiglaf.

4. Death & Defeat: The inevitability of death is a key theme, especially in Beowulf’s final battle with the dragon.

5. Hospitality: The importance of generosity and protection, seen in Hrothgar’s hall and Beowulf’s loyalty to his people.

6. Fate: Known as "wyrd," fate plays a significant role in Beowulf's understanding of life and death.

### Connection to Oedipus:

- Both Beowulf and the legend of Oedipus involve a hero confronting fate, with a tragic outcome. While Oedipus is doomed by prophecy, Beowulf faces the inevitability of death in his final battle.

### Anglo-Saxon Poetic Devices:

1. Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds (e.g., “mighty man”).

2. Caesura: A pause in the middle of a line of poetry, common in Old English verse.

3. Kenning: A metaphorical compound word or phrase (e.g., “whale-road” for the sea).

### Literary Time Period:

- Beowulf was composed during the Anglo-Saxon period, reflecting the values of heroism, honor, and warrior culture in a society transitioning from paganism to Christianity.

### Beowulf Questions:

- Refer to homework questions, focusing on character motivations, major plot points, and key themes.

### Tone:

- Beowulf’s tone shifts from neutral to positive or negative depending on the passage, reflecting both the heroic triumphs and the inevitable sorrow of fate.

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