Epics typically begin as oral traditions, passed down for generations before being written down. Because of this, epics have an order and repetition of the events that made them easier to remember. Due to their length, these works often took days to tell.

"I'm Beowulf! I've killed nine sea monsters." In cell one, this quote shows Beowulf's notoriety. When he first gets to the Denmark, the Dane's throw him a great feast. While there, he brags to Hrothgar about all he's accomplished

After bragging, Beowulf also tells a story about a swimming match with his friend Brecca. During the match, sea monsters attack, and Beowulf was able to slay the monsters, save his friend, and finish the race.

In Beowulf, much of the action takes place in or around Hrothgar's hall of Heorot, but Beowulf also goes to the to kill the swamp hag in her underwater lair, and his fight against the dragon is in his home of Geatland.

In this epic tale, our hero encounters monsters, a witch, and a fire-breathing dragon. He uses a sword forged by giants to kill his enemies.

The poem uses traditional "kennings", or compound metaphors, to replace simple objects, and much of the action is relayed at breathless pace, interspersed with digressions about lineage and past deeds. Characters and events are described in a truly epic and poetic manner.

Throughout Beowulf, the narrator uses 3rd person omniscient narration to tell us the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the characters. He writes as though from a god’s point of view, witnessing and experiencing everything that takes place in the story and sometimes even spoiling what's going to happen next!

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Beowulf is saturated with the importance of customs and following them. These fierce medieval warriors had strong laws and customs to reduce bloodshed and keep the clans together. Beliefs about hospitality, loyalty, and valor were particularly strong. See if your students can find examples of each in the text.

In the epic, the battle between good and evil is made very literal. The good is represented by the brave warriors, both Danes and Geats, while the evil is represented by the threatening monsters in the form of Grendel, his mother, and the dragon.

A prominent theme in many epic stories is the use of wit over brute strength. In Beowulf's case, although he possesses the strength to win battles, his cunning is an invaluable asset. A prime example is when he tricks Grendel and tears off Grendel's arm.