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Beowulf is the earliest surviving poem in Old English. Although the authorship is anonymous it is believed to have been written before the 10th century AD. The only extant European manuscript of the Beowulf text is placed at around 1010. The epic tells the tale of the Scandinavian hero Beowulf as he struggles against three adversaries; the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and an unnamed dragon.

Beowulf is the earliest surviving poem in Old English. Although the authorship is anonymous it is believed to have been written before the 10th century AD. The only extant European manuscript of the Beowulf text is placed at around 1010. The epic tells the tale of the Scandinavian hero Beowulf as he struggles against three adversaries; the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and an unnamed dragon.

Beowulf is the earliest surviving poem in Old English. Although the authorship is anonymous it is believed to have been written before the 10th century AD. The only extant European manuscript of the Beowulf text is placed at around 1010. The epic tells the tale of the Scandinavian hero Beowulf as he struggles against three adversaries; the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and an unnamed dragon.

Beowulf is considered an epic poem, in that the main character is a hero who travels great distances to prove his strength at impossible odds against supernatural demons and beasts. The poem also begins in medias ("into the middle of affairs") or simply, "in the middle", which is a characteristic of the epics of antiquity. Although the poem begins with Beowulf's arrival, Grendel's attacks have been an ongoing event. An elaborate history of characters and their lineages are spoken of, as well as their interactions with each other, debts owed and repaid, and deeds of valour.

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem. It may be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English and is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature. A date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars; the only certain dating pertains to the manuscript, which was produced between 975 and 1025. The author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet.The history is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot in has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays the monster, Grendel’s mother attacks the hall and is defeated by Beowulf, who later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf has to fight against a dragon, but is mortally wounded in the battle.The poem was composed for entertainment, and does not separate between fictional elements and real historic events.Though Beowulf himself is not mentioned in any other Anglo-Saxon manuscript, scholars generally agree that many of the other personalities of the text also appear in Scandinavian sources, and the dating of the events in the poem has been confirmed by recent archaeological excavations.The full poem survives in the manuscript known as the Nowell Codex that is currently housed in the British Library. It has no title in the original manuscript, but has become known by the name of the story's protagonist.

Literary scholar, professor, and poet J. Lesslie Hall is best known for his 1897 translation of the Old English epic poem "Beowulf." The famous plot focuses on the titular character of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who comes to the aid of the Danes to save their land from a human-demon monster named Grendel. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf must then kill Grendel's mother. He returns to Scandinavia with more fame and accord and eventually becomes king. Then fifty years later, a dragon attacks his kingdom, and the hero must fight once again to defend his title and his honor. What makes "Beowulf" a lasting classic is its depiction of the Norse traditions and culture. The people have strong connections inherent within a kinship society; if someone was killed, it was the family's duty to exact justice or receive payment for the death. "Beowulf "also shows an interesting dichotomy between the Norse pagan religion of when the story is set paired with the monotheistic Christian storytellers. Many scholars debate the epic poem's true stance on religion, but the tale gives an accurate depiction of how paganism deteriorated as monotheism flourished. Regardless of the reader's intent, though, J. Lesslie Hall's translation of "Beowulf" is a must-read for anyone interested in classic Anglo-Saxon literature.

Beowulf is the earliest surviving poem in Old English. Although the authorship is anonymous it is believed to have been written before the 10th century AD. The only extant European manuscript of the Beowulf text is placed at around 1010. The epic tells the tale of the Scandinavian hero Beowulf as he struggles against three adversaries; the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and an unnamed dragon.