Chapter 10
Chapter 10 basically sets up 11, which is the story of Beowulf.
In the time of Charles I, there lived a man named Sir Robert Cotton, who was an antiquary. An antiquary is someone who collects books, coins and manuscripts.
His library was taken from him twice. Once, it was used for the King’s enemies, and that got the library taken away. The second time, he wasn’t even alive, but the library was given to his grandson.
One dark day, an antiquary’s worst nightmare happened the library. It burned down, with most of the books. One book that was almost still fully intact was a long poem called Beowulf…
Chapter 11, The Story of Beowulf:
There once lived a King named Hrothgar, who won many battles, had an enemy he could not defeat, a monster, called the Grendel. Of course, there’s always a hero that emerges to defeat an enemy, because that’s how stories work, you don’t just see “Then the monster killed everyone and ruled over the land forever.”.
This time, that hero is Beowulf!
Beowulf just comes, and just rips his arm off with his bare hands, where people once tried to hack off with swords…. But the Grendel escapes, but eventually dies. Then, Beowulf hears word of another monster, the Grendel’s mother, the Water-Witch. When he goes to fight, Beowulf is dragged beneath the waves of the ocean, but just kills the Water Witch too. Later, Beowulf hears of a Fire Dragon, and knows that this will be his last fight. He bravely fights to the death with his followers, all but 1 of which desert him. His last follower defeated the Dragon, after Beowulf’s death. Beowulf would be remembered as long as he would be…..