[4] Although the dragons of hagiography were less fierce than the dragon in Beowulf, similarities exist in the stories such as presenting the journey to the dragon's lair, cowering spectators, and the sending of messages relaying the outcome of the fight. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. [29], The dragon battle is structured in thirds: the preparation for the battle, the events prior to the battle, and the battle itself. [41], Peter Gainsford noted in the article "The Deaths of Beowulf and Odysseus: Narrative Time and Mythological Tale Types" that "In the twenty-first century Beowulf does not lack for commentators to defend the literary merit of the dragon episode". This was one of Beowulf characteristics in the story. [2] Beowulf is the earliest surviving piece of Anglo-Saxon literature to feature a dragon, and it is possible that the poet had access to similar stories from Germanic legend. [46] J. R. R. Tolkien used the dragon story of Beowulf as a template for Smaug of The Hobbit; in each case, the dragon awakens upon the hoard being disturbed by one stealing a chalice and goes into a wrathful rampage until slain by another person. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Dragon appears in, ...king for fifty years. Cain's monstrous progeny in Beowulf: part I, Noachic tradition, "The Dragon-Lore of Middle-earth: Tolkien and Old English and Old Norse Tradition", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_dragon_(Beowulf)&oldid=984960602, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 October 2020, at 03:38. [12], The fire is likely symbolic of the hellfire of the devil, reminiscent of the monster in the Book of Job. "[13], A study of German and Norse texts reveals three typical narratives for the dragonslayer: a fight for the treasure, a battle to save the slayer's people, or a fight to free a woman. [40] Adrien Bonjour opined in 1953 that the dragon's "ultimate significance in the poem" remains a "mystery". Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. [36] 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 note that "the dragon was no fighter. In Beowulf, the This depiction indicates the growing importance and stabilization of the modern concept of the dragon within European mythology. Another brave deed, for an example, was Beowulf battling against Grendel. After his battles against Grendel's mother and Grendel, Beowulf returns home and becomes king of the Geats. The dragon fight ends Beowulf, while Tolkien uses the dragon motif (and the dragon's love for treasure) to trigger a chain of events in The Hobbit. The dragon is exceedingly greedy – marking a stark contrast to good kings, who create loyalty and love among their people and warriors through generosity. Beowulf is an epic hero and showed characteristics. Moreover, he has a responsibility to serve as a good example for the Geats by showing them that they can not let fear or age hinder their efforts; they have an obligation not only to themselves but to their fellow countrymen. Also, the Beowulf poet created a dragon with specific traits: a nocturnal, treasure-hoarding, inquisitive, vengeful, fire-breathing creature. punishment for him. (39) When Beowulf becomes aware of the burning of his hall, he decides to take revenge When the angry dragon mercilessly burns the Geats' homes and lands, Beowulf decides to fight and kill the monster personally. 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. [39] W. P. Ker criticized the inclusion of Beowulf's fight with the dragon and his subsequent death in the poem, writing "It is as if to the end of the Odyssey there had been added some later books telling in full of the old age of Odysseus, far from the sea, and his death at the hands of Telegonus". [20] In contrast with the previous battles, the fight with the dragon occurs in Beowulf's kingdom and ends in defeat, whereas Beowulf fought the other monsters victoriously in a land distant from his home. [43] As Beowulf dies from his fight with the dragon, despite defeating it, James Parker of The Atlantic writes that "There is no transcendence in Beowulf, and no redemption [...] kill the dragon—but the dragon will get you anyway". The dragons reaction is to get revenge. The threat posed by the dragon … The cup was quite important In his death-speech, Beowulf nominates Wiglaf as his heir and asks for a monument to be built for him on the shoreline. For an example, Beowulf showed this by fighting for his people. The three main characteristics of an epic hero shows he performs brave deeds, he is a strong and responsible leader, and he risk death for glory or for greater good of society. For an example, in comparison of the first characteristic he battled against Brecca , Grendel and his mother, and The dragon. [2] Within the plot structure, however, the dragon functions differently in Beowulf than in Tolkien's fiction. But then Beowulf's reign is disrupted by the appearance of a, ...who killed Hygelac in battle. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. [5], The dragon with his hoard is a common motif in early Germanic literature with the story existing to varying extents in the Norse sagas, but it is most notable in the Völsunga saga and in Beowulf. Beowulf performed his brave deeds in the story. [9], The Beowulf dragon is the earliest example in literature of the typical European dragon and first incidence of a fire-breathing dragon. The Hero-Beowulf goes on quests to save the Hall and his kingdom, and has the standard characteristics of a hero (courage, strength, and honor). They are 'inmates of hell', 'adversaries of God', 'offspring of Cain', 'enemies of mankind'....And so Beowulf, for all that he moves in the world of the primitive Heroic Age of the Germans, nevertheless is almost a Christian knight". Strong and responsible leaders stand up tough even when they think they can not win the battle, The dragon for an example. The Beowulf dragon was later copied in literature with similar themes such as J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937), one of the forerunners of modern high fantasy. This was one of Beowulf characteristics in the story. For an example when Beowulf swam against Brecca. Beowulf receives a substantial number of wounds in the battle. down the homes of the local villagers. Since he's a classic epic hero, that means he's a fierce fighter and the embodiment of Anglo-Saxon values. deaths. The dragon fight, occurring at the end of the poem, is foreshadowed in earlier scenes. 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. The three main characteristics of an epic hero shows he performs brave deeds, he is a strong and responsible leader, and he risk death for glory or for the greater of society. Now, Beowulf says, he shall fight once more: against the, Beowulf enters the barrow and shouts to wake the, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. In northern literature there are only two that are significant ... we have but the dragon of the Völsungs, Fáfnir, and Beowulf's bane. LitCharts Teacher Editions.
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