Who is wiglaf father

It is true that the old warrior is proud; perhaps excessive pride ofer-mod causes him to use poor judgment, as Hrothgar warned that it might. Beowulf is up against a formidable foe, and he is no longer a young man. Employing his troops to surround the barrow and overwhelm the dragon through force of numbers might be more prudent. But Beowulf has earned the right to try to be a champion one more time.

If his people will be considerably worse off without him — and they will — his service to them is nearly over anyway. He deserves the chance to die like a warrior. Beowulf seems to know that he is going to die. After reaching the barrow, he sits down with his men and wishes them good fortune. His recollections are probably more important than the names.

Beowulf was seven years old when King Hrethel became his foster father. Hrethel had three sons of his own: Herebeald, Haethcyn, and Hygelac. Beowulf recalls the kind generosity of the father and a tragic dilemma that is difficult for a modern audience to grasp. The code of vengeance of the heroic age probably exceeds the modern audience's capacity to understand.

When they were young men, Haethcyn killed his older brother, Herebeald, with an errant arrow in a shooting accident. Although that incident is tragic in itself, the grief was exacerbated because the code required King Hrethel to seek vengeance, even against his own son and even though the death was accidental.

Unable to endure the dilemma, the father suffered and died without taking action against Haethcyn. In a passage that some critics find one of the finest examples of poetry in the epic, but which might slip by the casual reader, Beowulf compares Hrethel's grief to that of a father whose son is on the gallows ff. The first word of the passage is correctly translated "So," but the meaning might be more clear if it were "So also" or "Thus. Succeeding his father as king, he is killed in the feud with the Swedes Scylfings.

The crown then went to the third brother, Hygelac. The poet once more has interrupted the dramatic flow, but this time the interruption is effective. In addition to the losses in his foster family, Beowulf recalls many personal victories. He is proud that he served Hygelac well and, like any old man reflecting on his youth, delights in his glories.

He always led the troops into battle and is not about to back off now. Addressing his men for the last time, Beowulf seems apologetic about using weapons against the dragon. He says he would fight barehanded, as he did against Grendel, if he knew a way to do so against this enemy. At any rate, he promises not to retreat. How ironic and sad that Beowulf thinks he needs to explain any of his actions or decisions to men who will flee in fear when the battle commences.

The old champion certainly does not lack courage as he calls out the dragon, his voice "a strong-hearted bellow" one last time. This is no place for more talk; it is a battleground. The earth shakes as the two meet, the dragon clearly gaining early advantage as Beowulf's shield provides little protection, and his sword chips against the hide of the reptile, reminiscent of the failure of Hrunting against Grendel's mother. For the first time, Beowulf feels that he will lose a fight and be forced to "give up loaned time" on earth.

The great champion is injured and needs help. The second king listed in the genealogy of Danish rulers with which the poem begins. Beow is the son of Shield Sheafson and father of Halfdane.

The narrator presents Beow as a gift from God to a people in need of a leader. The father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, Halga, and an unnamed daughter who married a king of the Swedes, Halfdane succeeded Beow as ruler of the Danes. A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf.

Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark. Hygd is contrasted with Queen Modthryth. A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away. Unferth alludes to the story of their contest, and Beowulf then relates it in detail. A figure from Norse mythology, famous for slaying a dragon. An evil king of legend. The scop, or bard, at Heorot discusses King Heremod as a figure who contrasts greatly with Beowulf.

A wicked queen of legend who punishes anyone who looks at her the wrong way. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook.

Why does Beowulf want to fight Grendel? What warning does Hrothgar give Beowulf? What is Grendel? Why does Beowulf want to see the treasure? Characters Character List. Read an in-depth analysis of Beowulf. King Hrothgar The king of the Danes.