Beowulf Grendel Attacks (Lines 86–193) Summary & Analysis

Beowulf Introduction + Context Plot Summary Detailed Summary & Analysis Prologue (Lines 1–63) Hrothgar’s Early Reign (Lines 64–85) Grendel Attacks (Lines 86–193) Beowulf Arrives (Lines 194–490) A Feast at Heorot (Lines 491–701) Beowulf vs. Grendel (Lines 702–836) Celebration (Lines 837–1250) Grendel’s Mother (Lines 1251–1407) A Second Fight (Lines 1408–1639) New Celebration (Lines 1640–1912) Beowulf at Home (Lines 1913–2199) The Dragon (Lines 2200–2323) Facing the Dragon (Lines 2324–2710) Beowulf and Wiglaf (Lines 2711–2845) Wiglaf Speaks (Lines 2846–3109) Beowulf’s Funeral (Lines 3110–3182) Themes All Themes Family and Tribe Good Warriors and Good Kings Fame, Pride, and Shame Repetition and Change Christianity and Paganism Quotes Characters All Characters Beowulf Hrothgar Wiglaf Unferth Grendel Dragon Symbols All Symbols Heorot and Mead-Halls Gold, Treasure, and Gifts Literary Devices All Literary Devices Alliteration Allusions Foil Foreshadowing Genre Hyperbole Idioms Imagery Irony Metaphors Mood Pathos Personification Setting Similes Style Tone Verbal Irony Download PDF Download Teacher Edition Sign In Sign up for A+ AI Tools

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Sign In Sign up for A+ Sign up Introduction Intro Plot Summary Plot Summary & Analysis

• Prologue (Lines 1–63)
• Hrothgar’s Early Reign (Lines 64–85)
• Grendel Attacks (Lines 86–193)
• Beowulf Arrives (Lines 194–490)
• A Feast at Heorot (Lines 491–701)
• Beowulf vs. Grendel (Lines 702–836)
• Celebration (Lines 837–1250)
• Grendel’s Mother (Lines 1251–1407)
• A Second Fight (Lines 1408–1639)
• New Celebration (Lines 1640–1912)
• Beowulf at Home (Lines 1913–2199)
• The Dragon (Lines 2200–2323)
• Facing the Dragon (Lines 2324–2710)
• Beowulf and Wiglaf (Lines 2711–2845)
• Wiglaf Speaks (Lines 2846–3109)
• Beowulf’s Funeral (Lines 3110–3182)

Themes

• All Themes
• Family and Tribe
• Good Warriors and Good Kings
• Fame, Pride, and Shame
• Repetition and Change
• Christianity and Paganism

Quotes Characters

• All Characters
• Beowulf
• Hrothgar
• Wiglaf
• Unferth
• Grendel
• Dragon

Symbols

• All Symbols
• Heorot and Mead-Halls
• Gold, Treasure, and Gifts

Lit Devices

• All Literary Devices
• Alliteration
• Allusions
• Foil
• Foreshadowing
• Genre
• Hyperbole
• Idioms
• Imagery
• Irony
• Metaphors
• Mood
• Pathos
• Personification
• Setting
• Similes
• Style
• Tone
• Verbal Irony

Theme Wheel Theme Viz Download this Chart (PDF) Download the Teacher Edition Download this Chart (PDF)

Previous Hrothgar’s Early Reign (Lines 64–85)

Beowulf: Grendel Attacks (Lines 86–193) Summary & Analysis

Next Beowulf Arrives (Lines 194–490)

Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Beowulf, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Family and Tribe Good Warriors and Good Kings Fame, Pride, and Shame Repetition and Change Christianity and Paganism Summary Analysis The Danes celebrate the completion of Heorot with a feast, at which Hrothgar's bard sings about the creation of the Earth. As a mead-hall, Heorot, like the Earth, is a source of life for its people. Active Themes But the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain and therefore an outcast from society, hears the singing from his home in the swamp. These sounds of community and merriment fill him with anger. Grendel, a monster with no tribe or people, hates any reminder that others do have these necessities. Active Themes Quotes Literary Devices That night, Grendel visits Heorot as the Danes are sleeping. Grendel seizes thirty warriors and carries them to his den to kill and eat them. The next night Grendel repeats his raid. After that, the Danes abandonHeorot to Grendel after nightfall. This situation continues for twelve years. Grendel turns Heorot, the heart of Danish society, into a slaughterhouse. Grendel the outcast has, symbolically, made the Danes outcasts. The defeat shames the Danes. Active Themes Literary Devices The narrator notes that unlike men, Grendel has no desire to end the feud, or to pay compensation for those he kills and thus make peace with their families. Hrothgar can neither make peace with Grendel, nor destroy him. Because Grendel is a being outside of society, there is no way for Danes to deal with him. Active Themes Quotes Get the entire Beowulf LitChart as a printable PDF. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S. Download In despair, Hrothgar and the Danes prayed to their heathen gods. The narrator pities them, since they did not know of the true "Lord God" and were therefore praying to demons to save them from a monster. Here the narrator says that the Danes of the time were not Christians. However, the characters speeches later in the text seem to contradict this statement. Active Themes Literary Devices Previous Hrothgar’s Early Reign (Lines 64–85) Previous Hrothgar’s Early Reign (Lines 64–85) Next Beowulf Arrives (Lines 194–490) Next Beowulf Arrives (Lines 194–490) Cite This Page Close Company About Us Our Story Support Help Center Contact Us Connect Facebook Twitter Legal Terms of Service Privacy Policy Privacy Request Home About Contact Help LitCharts, a Learneo, Inc. business Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved Terms Privacy Privacy Request Save time. Stress less. Sign up!

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