Athaulf Alternate Ending

He concedes that Beowulf wants to fight the fight alone, but recognizes the futility of the king’s prideful wishes and suggests that “sound men,” or men who are not weak and foolish, lend a hand to the old man.

          "....He meant to kill this monster himself, our mighty king, fight this battle alone               and unaided, as in the days when his strength and daring dazzled men's eyes. But               those days are over and gone and our lord must lean on younger arms. And we               must go to him, while angry flames burn at his flesh, help our glorious king! By               almighty God I'd rather burn myself than see flames swirling around my lord.               And who are we to carry home our shields before we've slain his enemy and ours,               to run back to our homes with Beowulf so hard pressed here? I swear that                    nothing he ever did deserved an end like this, dying miserable and alone,                    butchered by this savage beast: we swore that these swords and armor were each               for us all!..."

He tells them to let him fight the monster alone, “By my courage I will get gold, or war will take your king, dire life-evil.” (60)

Today has been one crazy day! First of all I sailed to Denmark. It was a long journey, but I enjoyed it. I saw many fish and even managed to catch one for my dinner. When I finally arrived in Denmark it was quiet and peaceful. I went to meet the king of Denmark. His name was Hrothgar. He was a very pleasant man. He was small, hairy but very cheerful. He was so pleased to see us because I told him we was here to kill the terrifying Grendel. That night in the hall, there was a huge feast. It had been specially prepared for beowulf and our team as a welcome from the king. Everything that day went as planned and grendel was slain and beowulf became king.

“They themselves looked on when, bloody from my foes, I came from the fight where I had bound five, destroyed a family of giants, and at night in the waves slain water-monsters, suffered great pain, avenged an affliction of the Weather-Geats on those who asked for trouble – ground enemies to bits”(8).

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.

They praise sir Beowulf, thanking him greatly. Yet little did this town or Beowulf know the agony yet to come. Grendel was indeed a monster, but a monster who was the spawn of a cruel creature. The slain monster’s mother, a she-wolf would be the hero’s next challenge. He would travel to the home of the monster’s mother, to yet again engage in the act of battle. They shall meet in the deep depths of the marshy hell. Beowulf would try to defeat the she-wolf with his sword but would not be enough. As he begins to become beaten, and weak, he sees a sword that may be to his advantage. “A heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong and blessed by their magic, the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length” (page 54 line 530-535) He raised thy mighty sword and struck the devil in the neck, cutting the entire head off. Hrothgar’s men watch the monster’s lake filled with blood. Thinking all hope and gone and mighty Beowulf had been killed. Yet as the old men begin to whisper the mighty hero rises from the lake, only holding the she-wolfs head and the giant’s sword. The Beowulf would return with the head and place the monsters head in front of the

more of our men- and stripped the dead bodies; The brave, bold Danes!” (Beowulf pg. 86]. These words prompt the youngsters to thirst for vengeance and glory with the mention of how their ancestors

15 men arrive in the area close by Grendel by sea. Grendel gets very excited with this occurrence. “I am mad with joy. - At least…I rest my ear to it…” (Gardner, 151)Grendel feel’s the presence of these strangers before he sees them, and they happen to be the reason why Grendel felt so anxious the night before. The reader should know by now (though Grendel does not) that the uneasy leader is clearly Beowulf. He is ecstatic that he has something to do instead of being bored because he says being bored is the worst pain possible. Grendel watches as the Geats go to Hart. As Grendel spies, he describes Beowulf’s voice as a strange disconnection between Beowulf’s mouth and his words. After listening to the conversation in Hart, he decides that ”It is

A. The king is sad and depressed that his kingdom has fallen into such a state of disrepair. He is overjoyed to learn that Beowulf, whom he knows from stories and his father, Ecgtheow, has come to fight Grendel. Hrothgar promises Beowulf treasure if he can defeat the monster.

The tale of Beowulf has been taught and studied for hundreds of years. As such, it only makes sense logically that scholars should discern certain lessons from the text, relevant to the original tellers’ lives and to our own. Throughout the poem, we see examples of leaders in Hrothgar and Beowulf, both epitomizing great leadership and displaying characteristics that people could learn from today. Beowulf shows us that a great leader inspires courage in his followers, remains true to his word, can swallow his pride, and rewards loyalty and acts of valor.

Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in Old English in between the 8th and 11th century. King Hrothgar who rules the Danes, is being tormented by this beast called, Grendel. For some time now, Grendel has been attacking Heorot Hall, a mead-hall, and has been killing off many of the Danish soldiers and sometimes even devouring some. The king didn’t seem able to protect the people in his village from this great demon. Until, one day, Beowulf shows up and actually offers to help King Hrothgar by volunteering to find and kill this dreaded monster.

Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, is a beloved king because he builds a strong army and is fair to his people, but his one downfall is his overconfidence that results in Grendel. The monster’s attacks resulted in Hrothgar’s withdrawal:

Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a “mighty” dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused the irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, “killing and destroying” them and their homes with its “molten” breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess.

Unknown to the warriors, however, Grendel's mother is plotting revenge (see "Grendel's Mother's Attack"). She arrives at the hall when all the warriors are sleeping and carries off Aeschere, Hrothgar's chief advisor along with her son's claw. (Click here to see the infamous claw!) Beowulf offers to dive to the bottom of the lake, find the monster and destroy her. He and his men follow the monster's tracks to the cliff overlooking the lake where Grendel's mother lives. They see Aeschere's bloody head sitting on the cliff. While preparing for battle, Beowulf asks Hrothgar to protect his warriors, and to send his treasures to his uncle, King Hygelac, if he doesn't return safely.