Beowulf starts off by mentioning how there is trouble in the land of Hrothgar with a cretin named Grendel who is slowly picking off men in Herot. After many men die to this veracious beast Beowulf is called upon to test his mettle against the awesome might of Grendel. Their legendary battle puts Beowulf in the fictional history books as a great conqueror of challenges, and he solidifies this status when he takes on Grendel’s mother and a dragon. His amazing and courageous deeds are what makes this story an epic as Beowulf stands up to any challenge, some even …show more content…
One such device that Beowulf uses is a Kenning, examples of this are ring-giver, which means king, and mead-hall, which is a combination of a bar and an inn. Another device used is alliteration, one such example was given by Hrothgar when talking to Beowulf, “Killing Hathlaf, a Wulfing warrior” (Line 194). There also is the device of lament which is used as Beowulf dies and everyone feels remorse over the loss of a great warrior. The story becomes elegiac when it tells how the companions of Beowulf talked in remembrance of Beowulf’s accomplishments in life after Beowulf dies. Finally, the story Beowulf was told by scops and bards at tribal feasts, in fact the passing of the story through mouth is the only reason we know about it as the actual creator is