The Death of Beowulf & Mourning Beowulf

The Death of Beowulf & Mourning Beowulf

Wiglaf joins Beowulf, who again attacks the dragon single-handedly; but the remnant of Beowulf ’s sword shatters, and the monster wounds him in the neck. Wiglaf then strikes the dragon, and he and Beowulf together finally succeed in killing the beast. Their triumph is short-lived, however, because Beowulf ’s wound proves to be mortal.

Multiple Choice

What's the name of the warrior who fought with Beowulf to kill the dragon?

• Wycliff

• Wiglav

• Wiglove

• Wiglaf

Multiple Choice

What happened to the brave warriors when they saw the dragon?

• They fled

• They stood their ground and fought

• They cried

• They sacrificed themselves

Multiple Choice

What can you infer about this Beowulf's character from this "He took us For soldiers, for men".

• He was a nice king

• He was a brutal king

• He cared for his warriors

• He was arrogant

 Beowulf spoke, in spite of the swollen,

Livid wound, knowing he’d unwound

His string of days on earth, seen

As much as God would grant him; all worldly Pleasure was gone, as life would go, Soon:    

 “I’d leave my armor to my son,

Now, if God had given me an heir,

A child born of my body, his life

Created from mine. I’ve worn this crown

For fifty winters: no neighboring people

Have tried to threaten the Geats, sent soldiers Against us or talked of terror.

My days Have gone by as fate willed, waiting For its word to be spoken, ruling as well

As I knew how, swearing no unholy oaths, Seeking no lying wars. I can leave

This life happy; I can die, here,

Knowing the Lord of all life has never

Watched me wash my sword in blood

Born of my own family.

Belovèd Wiglaf, go, quickly, find

The dragon’s treasure: we’ve taken its life,

But its gold is ours, too.

Open Ended

How does Beowulf summarize his 50 years of reign?

"For fifty winters: no neighboring people

Have tried to threaten the Geats, sent soldiers Against us or talked of terror.

My days Have gone by as fate willed, waiting For its word to be spoken, ruling as well

As I knew how, swearing no unholy oaths, Seeking no lying wars. I can leave

This life happy; I can die, here,

Knowing the Lord of all life has never

Watched me wash my sword in blood

Born of my own family."

Then Wexstan’s son went in, as quickly

As he could, did as the dying Beowulf

Asked, entered the inner darkness

Of the tower, went with his mail shirt and his sword.

Flushed with victory he groped his way,

A brave young warrior, and suddenly saw

Piles of gleaming gold, precious

Gems, scattered on the floor, cups

And bracelets, rusty old helmets, beautifully

Made but rotting with no hands to rub And polish them.

They lay where the dragon left them;

It had flown in the darkness, once, before fighting

Its final battle. (So gold can easily

Triumph, defeat the strongest of men,

No matter how deep it is hidden!) And he saw, Hanging high above, a golden

Banner, woven by the best of weavers And beautiful.

And over everything he saw

A strange light, shining everywhere,

On walls and floor and treasure. Nothing Moved, no other monsters appeared;

He took what he wanted, all the treasures That pleased his eye, heavy plates

Multiple Choice

Why did Beowulf name Wiglaf as his successor?

• Because he proved his loyalty, strength, and bravery

• Because Wiglaf is related to him

• Because Wiglaf is a Geats

Multiple Choice

What's the object that was shinning in the pile of gold? and why is it significant?

• Beowulf's Sword. It's important because it is the same sword he used to kill Grendel

• Beowulf's dagger, it's important because it's the same dagger used to kill Grendel's mother.

• Beowulf's dagger. It's the dagger the ended the dragon's reign of terror

Then Wiglaf went back, anxious

To return while Beowulf was alive, to bring him

Treasure they’d won together. He ran,

Hoping his wounded king, weak

And dying, had not left the world too soon. Then he brought their treasure to Beowulf, and found

His famous king bloody, gasping For breath. But Wiglaf sprinkled water

Over his lord, until the words

Deep in his breast broke through and were heard.

Beholding the treasure he spoke, haltingly:     

“For this, this gold, these jewels,

I thank God,

Ruler of the Earth— For all of this, that

His grace has given me,

Allowed me to bring to my people while breath S

till came to my lips. I sold my life

For this treasure, and I sold it well.

​Take What I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people, Help them; my time is gone.Have

The brave Geats build me a tomb,

When the funeral flames have burned me, and build it

Here, at the water’s edge, high

On this spit of land, so sailors can see

This tower, and remember my name, and call it

Beowulf ’s tower, and boats in the darkness

And mist, crossing the sea, will know it.”

Multiple Choice

What's Beowulf's last wish...

• For Wiglaf to build him a boat where sailors remember his legacy

• For Wiglaf to build him a tower as his tomb near the water, so sailors use it as a guide

• For Wiglaf to take all the treasures for himself

Then that brave king gave the golden

Necklace from around his throat to Wiglaf,

Gave him his gold-covered helmet, and his rings, And his mail shirt, and ordered him to use them well:   

  “You’re the last of all our far-flung family.

Fate has swept our race away,

Taken warriors in their strength and led them

To the death that was waiting.

And now I follow them.”    

 The old man’s mouth was silent, spoke

No more, had said as much as it could;

He would sleep in the fire, soon.

His soul Left his flesh, flew to glory. . . .

  And when the battle was over Beowulf ’s followers

Came out of the wood, cowards and traitors,

Knowing the dragon was dead. Afraid,

While it spit its fires, to fight in their lord’s

Defense, to throw their javelins and spears,

They came like shamefaced jackals, their shields In their hands, to the place where the prince lay dead,

And waited for Wiglaf to speak. He was sitting

Near Beowulf ’s body, wearily sprinkling

Water in the dead man’s face, trying

To stir him. He could not. No one could have kept

Life in their lord’s body, or turned

Aside the Lord’s will: world

And men and all move as He orders,

And always have, and always will.

Multiple Select

The mood of the epic poem in the last two slides is...

• Mournful

• Solemn

• Celebratory

• Suspenseful

Does this passage demonstrate the importance of loyalty and bravery to the Geats?

Then Wiglaf turned and angrily told them What men without courage must hear.

Wexstan’s brave son stared at the traitors,

(245) His heart sorrowful, and said what he had to:   

  “I say what anyone who speaks the truth Must say. . . .  

Too few of his warriors remembered

To come, when our lord faced death, alone. And now the giving of swords, of golden

Rings and rich estates, is over,

Ended for you and everyone who shares

Your blood: when the brave Geats hear

How you bolted and ran none of your race Will have anything left but their lives. And death

Would be better for them all, and for you, than the kind

Of life you can lead, branded with disgrace!”. Then the warriors rose,

Walked slowly down from the cliff, stared

(260) At those wonderful sights, stood weeping as they saw Beowulf dead on the sand, their bold

Ring-giver resting in his last bed;

He’d reached the end of his days, their mighty War-king, the great lord of the Geats,

Gone to a glorious death. . . .

Then the Geats built the tower, as Beowulf

Had asked, strong and tall, so sailors

Could find it from far and wide; working

For ten long days they made his monument,

Sealed his ashes in walls as straight

And high as wise and willing hands

Could raise them. And the riches he and Wiglaf

Had won from the dragon, rings, necklaces,

Ancient, hammered armor—all

The treasures they’d taken were left there, too,

Silver and jewels buried in the sandy

Ground, back in the earth, again

And forever hidden and useless to men.

Mourning Beowulf

After Beowulf dies, the Geats fulfill his wish to build a tower as his tomb. The tower and the warriors’ actions after building it serve to broadcast Beowulf ’s legacy not just to the Geats themselves but to others beyond the lands where Beowulf ruled.

Open Ended

Reread lines 282–286. Notice the alliteration in the phrases “words for their lords” and “warm with love.” How would you describe the tone of these lines? Cite another example of alliteration in your response.

And then twelve of the bravest Geats

(280) Rode their horses around the tower,

Telling their sorrow, telling stories

Of their dead king and his greatness, his glory,

Praising him for heroic deeds, for a life

As noble as his name.

So should all men

Raise up words for their lords, warm

(286) With love, when their shield and protector leaves

His body behind, sends his soul On high.

And so Beowulf ’s followers Rode, mourning their belovèd leader,

Crying that no better king had ever

Lived, no prince so mild, no man

So open to his people, so deserving of praise.