Summary
Soon it is Geatland’s turn to face terror. A great dragon
lurks beneath the earth, jealously guarding its treasure, until
one day a thief manages to infiltrate the barrow, or mound, where
the treasure lies. The thief steals a gem-covered goblet, arousing
the wrath of the dragon. The intruder, a slave on the run from a
hard-handed master, intends no harm by his theft and flees in a
panic with the goblet.
The poet relates that many centuries earlier, the last
survivor of an ancient race buried the treasure in the barrow when
he realized that the treasure would be of no use to him
because he, like his ancestors, was destined to die. He carefully
buried the precious objects, lamenting all the while his lonely
state. The defeat of his people had left the treasures to deteriorate.
The dragon chanced upon the hoard and has been guarding it for the
past three hundred years.
Waking up to find the goblet stolen, the dragon
bursts forth from the barrow to hunt the thief, scorching the earth
as it travels. Not finding the offender, the dragon goes on a rampage,
breathing fire and incinerating homes and villages. It begins to
emerge nightly from its barrow to torment the countryside, still
seething with rage at the theft.
Soon, Beowulf’s own throne-hall becomes the target of
the dragon’s fiery breath, and it is burned to the ground. Now an
old king, Beowulf grieves and wonders what he might have done to deserve
such punishment from God. He begins to plot his revenge. He commissions
a mighty shield from the iron-smith, one that he hopes will stand
up against the breath of flame. He is too proud to assemble a huge
army for the fight, and, remembering how he defeated Grendel single-handedly
in his youth, feels no fear of the dragon.
The poet recounts the death of King Hygelac in combat
in Friesland. Hygelac fell while Beowulf survived thanks to his
great strength and swimming ability. Upon returning home, Beowulf
was offered the throne by the widowed Hygd, who knew that her own son
was too young and inexperienced to be an effective ruler. Beowulf
declined, however, not wanting to disturb the order of succession.
Instead, he acted as protector and guardian to the prince and supported
his rule. Only when Hygelac’s son met his end in a skirmish against
the Swedes did Beowulf ascend the throne. Under Beowulf’s reign,
the feuding with Sweden eventually ceased when Beowulf avenged Hygelac’s
death.
Now, ready to face one last adversary, Beowulf gathers
eleven men to investigate the area. They discover the thief who
stole the dragon’s goblet and press him to take them to the barrow.
They wish each other luck in the fight that will follow, and Beowulf
has a premonition of his own death. On the cliff outside the barrow,
Beowulf speaks to his men, recounting his youth as a ward in King
Hrethel’s court. He tells of the accidental killing of one of Hrethel’s
sons by another and attempts to characterize the king’s great grief.
He describes the wars between the Geats and the Swedes after Hrethel’s death,
recalling his proud days as a warrior in the service of Hygelac.
He then makes his final boast: he vows to fight the dragon, if only
it will abandon its barrow and face him on open ground.
