Beowulf: Study Guide

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem written anonymously around 975 AD.

Summary

Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line Summary and Analysis.

Plot Overview
Five Key Questions
What Does the Ending Mean?

Summary & Analysis
Lines 1-300
Lines 301-709
Lines 710-1007
Lines 1008-1250
Lines 1251–1491
Lines 1492–1924
Lines 1925–2210
Lines 2211–2515
Lines 2516–2820
Lines 2821–3182

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Beowulf and in-depth analyses of Beowulf, Grendel, Hrothgar, Unferth, Wiglaf, Grendel’s Mother, and The Dragon.

Character List
Beowulf
Grendel
Hrothgar
Unferth
Wiglaf
Grendel’s Mother
The Dragon

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Is Beowulf a hero?

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the poem by reading these key quotes.

Important Quotations Explained

Quotes by Theme
Heroism
Mortality
Treasure
Evil
Christianity

Quotes by Section
Lines 1–300
Lines 301–709
Lines 710–1007
Lines 1008–1250
Lines 1251–1491
Lines 1492–1924
Lines 1925–2210
Lines 2211–2515
Lines 2516–2820
Lines 2821–3182

Quotes by Character
Beowulf
Hrothgar
Grendel
Wealhtheow
Wiglaf

Further Study

Test your knowledge of Beowulf with our quizzes and study questions, or go further with essays on context, background, and movie adaptations, plus links to the best resources around the web.