Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem set in Scandinavia and is cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.
In the poem the hero Beowulf battles three antagonists: Grendel, who has been attacking the resident warriors of the mead hall of Hroðgar, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. After the first two victories, Beowulf goes home to Geatland in Sweden and becomes king of the Geats. The last fight takes place fifty years later as Beowulf finds his realm terrorized by a dragon whose treasure had been stolen.
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.
