| Shield Sheafson | The legendary Danish king from whom Hrothgar is descended, Shield Sheafson is the mythical founder who inaugurates a long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish tribe’s highest values of heroism and leadership. The poem opens with a brief account of his rise from orphan to warrior-king, concluding, “That was one good king” (11). |
| Beow | Son of Shield Sheafson, father of Halfdane |
| Beowulf | He is a thane of the Geat king Hygelac and eventually becomes King of the Geats. The poem relates his heroic exploits over 50 years, including the fights with Grendel and his mother and with the treasure-guarding dragon. |
| Halfdane | 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. |
| Hrothgar | He is the King of the Danes at the time of Grendel’s assaults. He builds the hall Heorot as a tribute to his people and his reign. |
| Grendel | This man-monster is a descendant of Cain. He attacks Heorot after hearing the sounds of revelry there. Beowulf eventually kills him, with his severed arm hung as a trophy in Heorot. His mother attempts to avenge his death. |
| Hygelac | Beowulf’s uncle, king of the Geats, and husband of Hygd. Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark. |
| Ecgtheow | Beowulf’s father, Hygelac’s brother-in-law, and Hrothgar’s friend. Ecgtheow is dead by the time the story begins, but he lives on through the noble reputation that he made for himself during his life and in his dutiful son’s remembrances. |
| Wulfgar | He is one of Hrothgar’s faithful thanes. As the watchman for the Danes, he is the first to greet Beowulf and his thanes to the land of the Danes. He also deems the Geat visitors as people worthy enough to meet with Hrothgar. |
| Unferth | A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf. |
| Breca | Beowulf’s childhood friend, whom he defeated in a swimming match. Unferth alludes to the story of their contest, and Beowulf then relates it in detail. |
| Wealtheow | Hrothgar’s wife who is queen of Danes |
| Sigemund | A figure from Norse mythology, famous for slaying a dragon. His story is told in praise of Beowulf and foreshadows Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon. |
| Heremod | He was an ancient Danish king who went from being a good king to a ruthlessly evil king. Hrothgar uses him as an example of bad kingship for Beowulf. |
| Finn | King of Frisians (lost to Danes) |
| Hildeburh | Her story in recounted during the second feast for Beowulf at Heorot. She is an ancient Danish princess who was married into the Frisian royalty. Her brother and her son were both killed in a war with the Frisians at Finnesburh. |
| Hengest | Dane responsible for slaughtering Finn |
| Grendel’s Mother | An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems to possess fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance—a human motivation. |
| Aeschere | the right hand man of Hrothgar killed by Grendel’s mother; led to Beowulf”s quest for their lair |
| Modthryth | A wicked queen of legend who punishes anyone who looks at her the wrong way. her story is told in order to contrast her cruelty with Hygd’s gentle and reasonable behavior. |
| Hygd | Hygelac’s wife, the young, beautiful, and intelligent Queen of the Geats. Hygd is contrasted with Queen Modthryth. |
| Ingeld | Freawaru’s husband, a Heathobard, married to form an alliance |
| Dragon | This is the third and last monster that Beowulf must defeat. After a Geat slave steals from his treasure, he goes on a rampage. Beowulf defeats him, but not before being struck with a mortal blow |
| Heardred | Killed by Onela, Son of Hygd. King of the Danes for a while, mother, Hygd, wanted Beowulf King over him. |
| Onela | Halfdane’s son in law, Swedish King who killed Heardred during a raid on Geatland. |
| Herebeald | Geat prince; eldest son of Hrethel; killed accidentally by Haethcyn |
| Haethcyn | Son of King Hrethel, brother of Hygelac and Herebeald, accidentally kills Herebeald |
| Wiglaf | A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away. Wiglaf adheres to the heroic code better than Beowulf’s other retainers, thereby proving himself a suitable successor to Beowulf. |
| Weohstan | Wiflaf’s dad who killed Eanmund and bequeathed his war gear to his son. |
| Wulf | Eofor’s brother–delivered crucial blow to Ongentheow but was injured by him |
| Hrethel | King of the Geats, father of Hygelac, takes in Beowulf |
| Danes | Tribe that hrothgar is king of |
| Ohthere | son of ongentheow, father of eadgils and eanmund |
| Eanmund | killed by Onela, son of Ohthere, brother of Eadgils, |
| Freawaru | She is the daughter of Hrothgar who is unmentioned until Beowulf tells Hygelac about her. Beowulf believes that her marriage to a Heathobard prince will do more harm than good for the Danes. |
| Heorogar | danish king, son of Halfdane |
| Geats | a poeple in Sweden. Beowulf becomes their king and rules them for 50 years. |
| Hnaef | Danish chieftain; killed by Finn’s men during battle; brother of Hildeburh |
| Shyflings | Foreign tribe of Wiglaf (the one that starts with an S) |
| Waegmundings | Tribe of Wiglaf (starts with W) |
beowulf characters
February 22, 2020