| Shield Sheafson | Dane; good warrior king who established the ruling house in Denmark, father of Beow |
| Halfdane | Dane; father of Hrothgar |
| Heorogar | Dane; Hrothgar’s older brother |
| Hrothgar | Dane; great Danish king who is afflicted by Grendel |
| Halga | Dane; Hrothgar’s younger brother |
| Onela | Swede; Swedish king |
| Heorot | Danish; the great mead-hall of King Hrothgar that is struck by Grendel; means “Hall of the Hart” and represents the heart of the Danish community |
| Grendel | (Dane?); brutal monster that terrorizes Heorot and the Danish community; may represent fear itself or fear of the unknown; may also be an outcast Dane |
| Hygelac | Geat; king of the Geats |
| Ecgtheow | Beowulf’s father |
| Wulfgar | Dane; Hrothgar’s herald |
| Hrethel | Geat; father of Beowulf’s mother, Geatish king |
| Unferth | Dane; Hrothgar’s nephew and thane; tries to verbally attack Beowulf in the mead-hall; later lends Hrunting to Beowulf |
| Breca | Geat; Beowulf’s friend who raced through the sea with Beowulf |
| Wealhtheow | Dane; Hrothgar’s wife; Queen of the Geats; successful peace-weaver |
| Sigemund | (Geat?), great warrior who killed a dragon in Sigemund’s Lay |
| Fitela | (Geat?); Sigemund’s nephew who helped Sigemund in battle |
| Heremod | Dane; old and betrayed Danish king who abused his power |
| Hrothulf | Dane; Hrothgar’s nephew who is foreshadowed to later start a blood feud within the family which leads to the burning of Hall Heorot |
| Finn | Frisian; Frisian king |
| Hnaef | Dane; brother of Hildeburh; killed by Finn |
| Hildeburh | Frisian/Dane; daughter of Danish king but wife of Finn; her brother, son, and husband were all killed and she was not successful as a peace-weaver |
| Hengest | Dane; attacked the Frisians to avenge Hnaef* |
| Hrethic and Hrothmund | Danes; Hrothgar’s and Wealhtheow’s two sons |
| Grendel’s Mother | Dane; minatory mother of Grendel who attacks Hall Heorot to gain revenge after her son’s death; represents revenge |
| Aeschere | Dane; one of Hrothgar’s best friends, advisors, and warriors who was slaughtered by Grendel’s Mother |
| Hrunting | (Dane?); the great sword that Unferth gave to Beowulf to help Beowulf kill Grendel’s Mother; however, the sword did not work |
| Hygd | Geat; Geatish Queen and wife of Hygelac |
| Modthryth | (Geat?); a cruel queen who tortured her people but later transformed after marrying King Offa |
| Offa | (Geat?); brave and heroic king |
| Freawaru | Dane; Hrothgar’s daughter |
| Ingeld | Heathobard?; Freawaru’s husband |
| Handscio | Geat; one of Beowulf’s warriors who was killed by Grendel |
| Heardred | Geat; son of Hygelac and king after Hygelac’s death |
| The Dragon | (Geatish); a fearsome beast who greedily guards the treasure hoard that was abandoned by an ancient and forgotten race |
| Ongentheow | Swede; Swedish king; father of Ohthere; killed Haethcyn; killed by Eofor |
| Herebeald | Geat; son of Hrethel, but killed by brother Haethcyn accidentally |
| Haethcyn | Geat; son of Hrethel who accidentally killed Herebeald |
| Eofor | Geat; husband of Hygelac’s daughter; brother of Wulf; killed Ongentheow |
| Wiglaf | Geat; son of Weohstan who is the only one who does not abandon Beowulf against the dragon |
| Naegling | (Geat?); Beowulf’s sword that fails against the dragon |
| Wulf | Geat; brother of Eofor, fought Ongentheow |
Beowulf Characters
February 22, 2020