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| He is the dear friend and
chief advisor of King Hrothgar. He is the man who is killed brutally by Grendel's
mother. It is his bloody head that Grendel's mother leaves sitting on
the edge of a cliff as a sign of her revenge. |
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| "The hero of all heroes," Beowulf,
strong and courageous, is the prince of Geats. Once he makes a vow, he
stands by his word, no matter what the cost, even if it takes his life. He
is reluctant to back down from battle, just so he can be there for the
people who are in great need to be saved from evil. He signifies the true
heroic character because he is willing to risk his life for his ideals.
Beowulf defeats three gruesome monsters, two of whom are descendants of Cain. |
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| She is King Hrothgar's daughter.
She was married to Ingeld as a proposed peace-settlement
between the Danes and the Heatho-Bards. |
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| He is a monster that is
half-man and half-fiend. He is the first monster that Beowulf kills. Also he
is enormous and possesses superhuman strength, which makes him undefeatable
by the warriors of Denmark. He lives in the bottom of the lake not far
from Heorot. Grendel is the descendant of Cain who represents evil and corruption.
He has been attacking Heorot, where Denmark's warriors live, for twelve years,
causing suffering and misery. |
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| She is another monster that
Beowulf kills. She is virtually undefeatable by any human. She is a descendant
of Cain. She kills Aeschere as revenge for her son's death. She finally
dies in an underwater battle with the hero, Beowulf. |
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| He is Beowulf's uncle,
King of the Geats.It is to him that Beowulf wishes his treasures to be sent
if anything should happen to him. |
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| He is the King of Danes.
He has a great deal of compassion for his warriors and his people. This man
isn't afraid to hide his emotions. This is important because at the time,
according to the warrior code, a man was not to show his feelings publicly.
He builds a mead-hall and names it Heorot for his warriors to celebrate
success. Hrothgar is a wise and admirable king to his people, but lacks strength
to physically combat his and his people's enemies, as he is an aging King. |
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| He is King of the Heatho-Bards.
He is offered the hand of Freawaru as a proposed peace-settlement
from King Hrothgar of the Danes. |
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| He is a courtier, jealous
of Beowulf, who feels inferior to Beowulf. He doubts Beowulf's
power to defeat Grendel, claiming that it is luck that has been helping
Beowulf in his previous encounters. Upon learning of Grendel's defeat, Unferth
is impressed by Beowulf and presents him his sword as a sign of reconciliation. |
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| He is a warrior who aids Beowulf against the battle
with the dragon. At this point, Beowulf is an old aging king. He no
longer possesses the power he once had to fight Grendel and his mother.
Wiglaf's relationshipo with Beowulf is parallel to Beowulf's relationship
with King Hrothgar. |