Grendel Beowulf Essay Example For Students

Grendel Beowulf Essay PROLOGUEEarly History of the DanesListen:You have heard of the Danish Kingsin the old days and how they were great warriors. Shield, the son of Sheaf,took many an enemys chair,terrified many a warrior,after he was found an orphan. He prospered under the skyuntil people everywherelistened when he spoke. He was a good king!Shield had a son,child for his yard,sent by Godto comfort the people,to keep them from fearGrain was his name;he was famous throughout the North. Young princes should do as he didgive out treasureswhile theyre still youngso that when theyre oldpeople will support themin time of war. A man prospersby good deedsin any nation. Shield died at his fated hour,went to God still strong. His people carried him to the sea,which was his last request. In the harbor stooda well-built ship,icy but ready for the sea. They laid Shield there,propped him against the mastsurrounded by goldand treasure from distant lands. Ive never heardof a more beautiful ship,filled with shields, swords,and coats of mail, gifts to him for his long trip. No doubt he had a little morethan he did as a childwhen he was sent out,a naked orphan in an empty boat. Now he had a golden bannerhigh over his head, was,sadly by a rich people,given to the sea. The wisest alive cant tell where a death ship goes. Grain ruled the Danesa long time after his fathers death,and to him was bornthe great Healfdene, fierce in battle,who ruled until he was old. Healfdene had four childrenHeorogar, Hrothgar, Halga the Good,and a daughter who marriedOnela, King of the Swedes. Hrothgar Becomes King of the DanesAfter Hrothgar became king he won many battles:his friends and familywillingly obeyed him;his childhood friendsbecame famous soldiers. So Hrothgar decided he would build a mead-hall,the greatest the world had ever seen, or even imagined. There he would share outto young and old alikeall that God gave him(except for public lands and mens lives). I have heard that orders went out far and wide;tribes throughout the worldset to work on that building. And it was built, the worlds greatest mead-hall. And that great mancalled the building Herot, the hart. After it was built,Hrothgar did what he said he would: handed out gold and treasure at huge feasts. That hall was high-towered,tall and wide-gabled(though destruction awaited,fire and swords of family trouble;and outside in the night waited a tortured spirit of hell). The words of the poet,the sounds of the harp,the joy of people echoed. The poet told how the world came to be, how God made the earthand the water surrounding,how He set the sun and the moonas lights for peopleand adorned the earthwith limbs and leaves for everyone. Hrothgars people lived in joy, happy until that wanderer of the wasteland,Grendel the demon, possessor of the moors,began his crimes. He was of a race of monstersexiled from mankind by GodHe was of the race of Cain, that man punished for murdering his brother. From that family comesall evil beingsmonsters, elves, zombies. Also the giants who fought with God and got repaid with the flood. Words/ Pages : 479 / 24