Answer:

Beowulf is the earliest and the greatest complete epic or heroic poem in English poetry. The writer of Beowulf is anonymous. It is considered the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic. It deals with events of the early 6th century CE and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750. At first, it was untitled. Later, it was named after the Scandinavian hero Beowulf. The story of Beowulf was all about the Scandinavians. The angels (a principal Germanic tribe in the Anglo-Saxon colony of Britain) brought the story of Beowulf to England in the sixth century. The meaning of Beowulf is the “war wolf” like bear. Beowulf is the protagonist and central character of the first epic poem, Beowulf. Like many epic heroes, Beowulf is a noble-born: Beowulf’s uncle Hygelac is the king of the Geats. It is a tribe living in the south of the country now known as Sweden.

In the story of this epic poem, we can find that Beowulf arrives to help King Hrothgar, whose army is being threatened by Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel or monster. Then, he also kills Grendel’s mother — because she comes to avenge her son upon Beowulf. After defeating the monster, he became the king of his nation. Though no historical evidence of Beowulf exists, Some characters, sites, and events have kept it alive. There were two goals of Beowulf’s life: one was to prove himself to be a great warrior and protect Heorot from monstrous threats, second was to be a good king and protect his people from a dragon.

In short, Beowulf was one of the most popular epics of the Anglo-Saxon period. The central theme of Beowulf is heroism and loyalty. Loyalty is the guiding virtue of Beowulf in every step of his career. Besides, it portrayed all the issues of contemporary society vividly. So, Beowulf is a landmark in the history of English literature.