Summary of The Tempest

Summary

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare

Prospero was once Duke of Milan, but his brother Antonio took over when he began deeply studying literature. Later, Antonio and Alonso (king of Naples) banished him with his daughter, Miranda at the sea. Luckily, he landed in the island and survived since Gonzalo helped them. Now, he knows that his enemies (Antonio, Sebastian and Alonso) have sailed with Alonso’s son Ferdinand and Antonio’s counselor Gonzalo, so he creates a tempest to shipwreck them. Then, Prospero calls spirit Ariel to come. The spirit sings a song and scares Ferdinand as he wanders around the island. Later, Ferdinand meets with Prospero and Miranda. The both Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love. Elsewhere, Caliban (Sycorax’s deformed son) convinces Stephano to kill Prospero and seize Miranda so they can be king and queen. Ariel overhears and warns Prospero. In another part of the island, the nobles are wandering. Alonso fears Ferdinand is dead. Ariel causes all to sleep, except Sebastian and Antonio. Antonio convinces Sebastian to kill Alonso so he can be king of Naples’s. But, Ariel has awakened Gonzalo to warn Alonso. In the final act, Prospero brings the nobles to his cell and forgives Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian. He also reveals that Ferdinand is safe with Miranda. Prospero’s dukedom is restored by Alonso and Prospero promises to return them safely to Italy.

REFLECTION ON KING LEAR

Title : King Lear

Author : William Shakespeare

Year : 1606, first performed in 1608

Source : http://www.about-shakespeare.com/king_lear.php

KING LEAR

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

REFLECTION

In Britain King Lear, in old age, chooses to retire and divide up his kingdom among his three daughters. However, the three daughters must be wed before they are given the land. The two oldest, Goneril and Regan, both get the land and marriage to the Duke of Albany and the Duke of Cornwall, respectively. The youngest and the beloved daughter, Cordelia does not get anything. But the anger of the King’s since she refuses to profess blinding love to his father. The Earl of Kent tries to convince the King to reconsider his decision, but the King banishes him for acting traitorously by supporting Cordelia. Gloucester then brings the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy in and Lear offers Cordelia to Burgundy, though without dowry of land. Burgundy declines, but the French King takes her as queen of France. Next, the all powers of Britain down to Albany and Cornwell. Edmund, bastard son of Gloucester, play his father against Edgar, his another son. Edmund wants to get the all power of his father. Edgar flees. Goneril and Regan do not serve their father properly. They mistreat their own father since he continues to grow more unruly. To help his king, Kent sends a man to Dover to get Cordelia and her French forces to rescue Lear and help him fight Albany and Cornwall. Edmund informs Cornwall that his father deals with the French. Gloucester returns to Farmhouse. He convinces Lear, Kent and the fool to flee because Cornwall plans to kill him. Cornwall captures Gloucester and with Regan cheering him on, plucks out Gloucester’s eyeball with his bare fingers. Fortunately, a Gloucester’s servant rescues his master and flees. Albany refuses to fight the French, because he believes that the daughters mistreated their father (Lear). As a result, Goneril promises her love to Edmund. So does Regan. A messenger brings news about Gloucester and that Cornwall is dead by a Gloucester’s servant. Albany feeling sorry for Gloucester and vows revenge to Edmund of his deeds. In battle, Lear and Cordelia are captured by Edmund. He sends them to jail and command a captain to kill them. Edgar arrives and fights with Edmund, he can wound him. Goneril poisons Regan, them stabs herself. Lear then emerges with dead cordelia, and tells all he killed the Captain that hung her. Edmund dies and King Lear, in grief over Cordelia, dies.

The story is so full of moral. From the story we can take one precious things that is the true love and loyalty is not enough to be understood at glance. They are not only on the lips, just like Regan and Goneril say to their father. Or Edmund says to his father. They love power more than love to their own father. It so different, which is shown by Cordelia, Earl of Kent and Edgar, to their beloved people, King Lear and Gloucester. The story may reflect a true condition in this life. We can not deny that throne and wealth sometimes makes people change; sons have the heart to kill his own parents, just because the they want to dominate his parent’s wealth. They have denied a sacred relationship to their parents. The story actually resembles an Indian movie I have ever watched. It talks about life of a couple that can not enjoy his age since their children do not wants to serve them well, but always offend them. Until they meet their adapted son, who become a successful manager in one company. He is so polite and serves them well, although there is no biological relationship among them. In Islam, we know that the willingness of god depends on willingness of our parents. So, to serve our parents in their age is our biggest obligation since when we were in childhood, they always devout their life and love for us.

BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Shakespeare (1564-1616): Who was he?

William Shakespeare (1564–1616), `The Bard of Avon', English poet and playwright.

Though William Shakespeare is recognized as one of literature’s greatest influences, very little is actually known about him. What we do know about his life comes from registrar records, court records, wills, marriage certificates and his tombstone. Anecdotes and criticisms by his rivals also speak of the famous playwright and suggest that he was indeed a playwright, poet and an actor.

Date of Birth? (1564)

William was born in 1564. We know this from the earliest record we have of his life; his baptism which happened on Wednesday, April the 26th, 1564. We don’t actually know his birthday but from this record we assume he was born in 1564. Similarly by knowing the famous Bard's baptism date, we can guess that he was born three days earlier on St. George’s day, though we have no conclusive proof of this.

Brothers and Sisters.

William was the third child of John and Mary Shakespeare. The first two were daughters and William was himself followed by Gilbert who died in 1612 and Richard who died in 1613. Edmund (1580-1607), sixth in the line was baptized on May the third, 1580 and William's oldest living sister was Joan who outlived her famous playwright brother. Of William’s seven siblings, only Judith and four of his brothers survived to adulthood.

William's Father.

From baptism records, we know William's father was a John Shakespeare, said to be a town official of Stratford and a local businessman who dabbled in tanning, leatherwork and whittawering which is working with white leather to make items like purses and gloves. John also dealt in grain and sometimes was described as a glover by trade.

John was also a prominent man in Stratford. By 1560, he was one of fourteen burgesses which formed the town council. Interestingly, William himself is often described as a keen businessman so we can assume he got his business acumen from his father. In the Bard's case, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree at all...

William's mother: Mary Arden.

William's mother was Mary Arden who married John Shakespeare in 1557. The youngest daughter in her family, she inherited much of her father’s landowning and farming estate when he died.

The Bard's Education.

Very little is known about literature’s most famous playwright. We know that the King’s New Grammar School taught boys basic reading and writing. We assume William attended this school since it existed to educate the sons of Stratford but we have no definite proof. Likewise a lack of evidence suggests that William, whose works are studied universally at Universities, never attended one himself!

William marries an older woman. (1582)

A bond certificate dated November the 28th, 1582, reveals that an eighteen year old William married the twenty-six and pregnant Anne Hathaway. Barely seven months later, they had his first daughter, Susanna. Anne never left Stratford, living there her entire life.

The Bard's children. (1583 & 1592)

Baptism records show that William’s first child, Susanna was baptized in Stratford sometime in May, 1583. Baptism records again reveal that twins Hamnet and Judith were born in February 1592. Hamnet, William's only son died in 1596, just eleven years old. Hamnet and Judith were named after William’s close friends, Judith and Hamnet Sadler. William's family was unusually small in a time when families had many children to ensure parents were cared for in later years despite the very high mortality rates of children and also their life expectancy in the 1500s.

The Bard as a poet.

Evidence that the great Bard was also a poet comes from his entering his first poem Venus and Adonis in the Stationers’ Registrar on the 18th of April, 1593. The playwright registered his second poem The Rape of Lucrece by name on the 9th of May, 1594.

The Bard suffers breech of copyright. (1609)

In 1609, the Bard's sonnets were published without the Bard’s permission. It is considered unlikely that William wanted many of his deeply personal poems to be revealed to the outside world. It was not however the first time; in 1599, in a collection entitled "The Passionate Pilgrim" , two of his poems had been printed without William’s permission.

The Bard's will and death.

Records reveal that the great Bard revised his will on March the 25th, 1616. Less than a month later, he died on April the 23rd, 1616. Literature's famous Bard is buried at the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. He infamously left his second-best bed to his wife Anne Hathaway and little else, giving most of his estate to his eldest daughter Susanna who has married a prominent and distinguished physician named John Hall in June 1607. This was not as callous as it seems; the Bard's best bed was for guests; his second-best bed was his marriage bed... His will also named actors Richard Burbage, Henry Condell and John Hemminges, providing proof to academics today that William was involved in theatre. The Bard's direct line of descendants ended some 54 years later until Susanna’s daughter Elizabeth died in 1670.

The Bard's last words...

Written upon William Shakespeare’s tombstone is an appeal that he be left to rest in peace with a curse on those who would move his bones...

Good friend, for Jesus´ sake forbeare
To digg the dust enclosed here!
Blest be ye man that spares thes stones
And curst be he that moues my bones.

Translated this reads as:

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here;

Blest be the man that spares these stones

And curst he that moves my bones.

The First Folio (1623): Conclusive proof that Shakespeare authored his plays.

The proof most often cited that Shakespeare authored his plays however, was the First Folio (1623) where Henry Condell and John Hemminges who were actors in the Bard's theatre company, claim in a dedicatory verse within the Folio that they recorded and collected his plays as a memorial to the late actor and playwright. In terms of value, the First Folio originally was sold for just 1 Pound in 1623. Today as one of just 250 still in existence, it would fetch nearly 3 million dollars (US).

Poetry

It is generally agreed that most of the Shakespearean Sonnets were written in the 1590s, some printed at this time as well. Others were written or revised right before being printed. 154 sonnets and "A Lover's Complaint" were published by Thomas Thorpe as Shake-speares Sonnets in 1609. The order, dates, and authorship of the Sonnets have been much debated with no conclusive findings. Many have claimed autobiographical details from them, including sonnet number 145 in reference to Anne. The dedication to "Mr. W.H." is said to possibly represent the initials of the third earl of Pembroke William Herbert, or perhaps being a reversal of Henry Wriothesly's initials. Regardless, there have been some unfortunate projections and interpretations of modern concepts onto centuries old works that, while a grasp of contextual historical information can certainly lend to their depth and meaning, can also be enjoyed as valuable poetical works that have transcended time and been surpassed by no other.

Evoking Petrarch's style and lyrically writing of beauty, mortality, and love with its moral anguish and worshipful adoration of a usually unattainable love, the first 126 sonnets are addressed to a young man, sonnets 127-152 to a dark lady. Ever the dramatist Shakespeare created a profound intrigue to scholars and novices alike as to the identities of these people.

Tragedies

Some probably inspired by Shakespeare's study of Lives (trans.1597) by Greek historian and essayist Plutarch and Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles (1587). Some are reworkings of previous stories, many based on English or Roman history. The dates given here are when they are said to have been first performed, followed by approximate printing dates in brackets, listed in chronological order of performance.

Titus Andronicus first performed in 1594 (printed in 1594),
Romeo and Juliet 1594-95 (1597),
Hamlet 1600-01 (1603),
Julius Caesar 1600-01 (1623),
Othello 1604-05 (1622),
Antony and Cleopatra 1606-07 (1623),
King Lear 1606 (1608),
Coriolanus 1607-08 (1623), derived from Plutarch
Timon of Athens 1607-08 (1623), and
Macbeth 1611-1612 (1623).

Histories

Shakespeare's series of historical dramas, based on the English Kings from John to Henry VIII were a tremendous undertaking to dramatise the lives and rule of kings and the changing political events of his time. No other playwright had attempted such an ambitious body of work. Some were printed on their own or in the First Folio (1623).

King Henry VI Part 1 1592 (printed in 1594);
King Henry VI Part 2 1592-93 (1594);
King Henry VI Part 3 1592-93 (1623);
King John 1596-97 (1623);
King Henry IV Part 1 1597-98 (1598);
King Henry IV Part 2 1597-98 (1600);
King Henry V 1598-99 (1600);
Richard II 1600-01 (1597);
Richard III 1601 (1597); and
King Henry VIII 1612-13 (1623)

Comedies, again listed in chronological order of performance.

Taming of the Shrew first performed 1593-94 (1623),
Comedy of Errors 1594 (1623),
Two Gentlemen of Verona 1594-95 (1623),
Love's Labour's Lost 1594-95 (1598),
Midsummer Night's Dream 1595-96 (1600),
Merchant of Venice 1596-1597 (1600),
Much Ado About Nothing 1598-1599 (1600),
As You Like It 1599-00 (1623),
Merry Wives of Windsor 1600-01 (1602),
Troilus and Cressida 1602 (1609),
Twelfth Night 1602 (1623),
All's Well That Ends Well 1602-03 (1623),
Measure for Measure 1604 (1623),
Pericles, Prince of Tyre 1608-09 (1609),
Tempest (1611),
Cymbeline 1611-12 (1623),
Winter's Tale 1611-12 (1623).

Source : http://www.enotes.com/william-shakespeare/shakespeare-biography

http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/

The Rover (Banish'd Cavaliers)

The Rover

(Banish’d Cavaliers)

By Apra Benh

Summary:

Helena and Florinda are two sisters. Helena is the younger sister, which her brother Don pedro wants to send her to nunnery. But she does not want to be a convent. she wants to experience love and life. Most of the time, the first born girl is married off to a land owner to secure some sort of fortune and the second sister is often just sent to a convent. Florinda however is forced to marry his father’s choice for her, Don vicenta or her brother’s choice, Don Antonio. But she does not love the two men. Finally, they desperate to go to the carnivale and dress up like gypsies in order to go and not be recognized by their brother, Don pedro. Their cousin, Valeria and their governess, Callis help them to go out and accompany them.

Helena meets and sets a date with an English sailor, captain Wilmore. Florinda is also successful to meet colonel Belvile. Captain Wilmore, on the other hand, meets Angelica Bianca a very beautiful and highly paid prostitute, they end up on the bed together. He also promises her to stay with her forever. Florinda is nearly raped by drunken Wilmore and also Blunt, but it does not happen. Helena meets up with Wilmore again and she eventually forgives him for sleeping with Angelica Bianca if he promises never to meet her again. Angelica hears and she gets very upset. Then, she pulls a gun on him, but Don Antonio comes and offers to take care of her. Don pedro graciously approves Florinda’s marriage to Belvile and Helena marries Wilmore.

Source: http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/behn/aphra/b42r/

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost

By

John Milton

My Comment:

The story of Paradise Lost by John Milton resembled with story of Adam and Eve in the Holy Qur’an. But, actually there is a very crucial difference between the stories; John Milton of course set the story based on his point view as a Christian. So, in his Paradise Lost, we can know about the Christians concept of Trinity, there are god father, son and mother. But in Islam the only god is Allah. So the both stories actually have crucial difference. However, we can know that the real enemy for human kind is the Satan; it is stated both in the Holy Qur’an and in Paradise Lost.

REFLECTION ON "Oedipus, a Tragedy"

Oedipus the King

Oedipus is the king of Thebes. The citizens of Thebes ask their king to lift the plague that threatens to destroy the city. Oedipus orders his brother-in-law, Creon to the oracle to learn what to do.

On Creon’s return, he announces the oracle instruction that they must find the murderer of Laius, the previous king of Thebes. The discovery and punishment to the murderer will lift the plague.

Oedipus calls Tiresias, a blind prophet. At first he refuses to speak, but finally he accuses Oedipus as the murderer. Oedipus denies and rejects the prophet angrily. The blind prophet tells him that his future will be covered with incestuous marriage, blindness, and infamy and wandering.

Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife (also widow of Laius) advises her husband that the prophecy must be wrong. She explains him that once a prophet told her that Laius, her husband, would die at the hands of their son. According to Jocasta the prophecy did not come true because the Laius’ baby has been abandoned and die. Laius himself was killed by a band of robbers at a crossroads.

The story shocks him, because jus before he comes to Thebes, he has killed a man who resembled Laius at a crossroad. To know the truth of his birth, he tracks down the only living witness, a shepherd. He knows the Oedipus’ secret. He tells that actually Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta. It also becomes the proof that the Corinth’s king, Polybus and Merope are not Oedipus’ biological parents.

Realizing he has killed his father and married his mother, Oedipus is agonized by his fate. Jocasta also commits suicide. Oedipus takes pins from her gown and rakes out his eyes. He is blind now. He asks Creon to send him away from Thebes, but Creon waits the oracle who will determine whether he will stay in Thebes or be cast out forever.

Source: www.sparknotes.com/drama/oedipus

It is a good works from restoration era (plays by John Dryden) is an adaption of Sophocles' Oedipus. The plot of the story is very suitable to who like mystery. Since the story asks the reader to unfold murder mystery, political thriller. But not only those things, the story also provides a psychological conflict among the characters.

The fate which is provided during the story is a trigger to make the story interesting. Laius hears the prophecy that his son will murder him, so he abandons his son in order to kill him, but the baby is not dead. He grows to be a good man, Oedipus. And unfortunately, he kills his unrecognized father. The story reminds me to another story I have ever watched in “The Monkey King”. In the story there is a king who loves his son, but I changes when the king hears that his own son will kill him. The love changes to hatred. He always tortures his son. All the bad conducts fuels the son’s hatred to kill his father. He hates his father very much. Until one day, he can kill his own father. The fate comes true. I do not know to say it, is to kill their baby the right solution to avoid bad fate of them or otherwise?

In the story, we also find the incestuous marriage, Oedipus and Jocasta. It also reminds me to the popular story of Sundanese, Sangkuriang and Dayang Sumbi. Sangkuriang loves his own mother, but the both story is quiet different. Sangkuriang does not marry his biological mother since Dayang Sumbi has already known the true identity of Sangkuriang that he is her son.

REFLECTION ON "OTHELLO BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE"

OTHELLO

In Venice, Iago bear a grudge to Othello, because he has chosen Cassio as his lieutenant rather than him. He and Roderigo then inform Barbantio that his daughter, Desdemona is making love with Othello. But, then Othello proves this is not so and Barbantio reluctantly blesses their marriage. Iago begins to plot his revenge against Othello for choosing Cassio. In Cyprus, Iago convinces Roderigo to fight with Cassio to get Cassio in trouble. Governor Montano was pulled into the chaos. After the fight, Cassio is not Othello’s lieutenant anymore. Iago continue his plans. He convinces Othello that Desdemona has affairs with Cassio. It brings suspicion into Othello’s head. Othello becomes rude to Desdemona. Emilia wife of Iago’s picks up Desdemona handkerchief, it is Othello’s first gift to her. But Iago takes it from Emilia. He will plant if in Cassio’s room to fuel Othello’s suspicions. Iago tells Othello that he has seen Cassio wipe his beard with the handkerchief. Bianca, Cassio’s mistress likes the handkerchief and asks Cassio to copy it. Othello becomes so irritable. He asks Iago to kill Cassio and he will kill Desdemona. The noble Lodovico comes to Cyprus and brings a leeter to Othello, orders him home and Cassio to remain in Cyprus. Iago tells him that Othello has changed. Later, Iago sets Roderigo to kill Cassio, Iago thinks the both must die or his plotting will be revealed. The both is still alive, but wounded. Iago finds Roderigo and stabs him, making sure he has die. Othello kills Desdemona. Emilia hears Desdemona’s Cry. Grantiano, Montano and Iago appear and Emilia reveals all Iago’s Plot. Then, Iago kills her and escapes. Montano and Grantiano chase him. In front of Lodovico, Cassio, Montano, Othello, Iago reveals all his deeds. In a closing speech, Othello kills himself. Lodovico leaves Iago for Cassio to torture.

Source : www.about-shakespeare.com/othello.php

Iago is the man who has created all melees in this story. In my experience, the story becomes popular today. You can watch on TV, there are so many “sinetron” which talk about villains and their revenge. They do everything to egg someone on making wrong, damage their family, company and everything someone has. But I am sure that every evil plot will be revealed. It’s only matter of time.

BOOK SUMMARY 2

TREASURE ISLAND

Author : R.L.Stevenson

Title : Treasure Island

Publisher : Dian Rakyat

City : Jakarta

Year : 2003

Page : 64

Price : Rp.12.000

Summary

Jim Hawkins was twelve years old. His father was the owner of a small inn. One day, an old pirate visited the inn. He brought a heavy sea-chest. He had stayed at the inn for several days, until one day another pirate murdered him and wanted to take his sea-chest. Before another pirates attacked the inn, Jim took a map of Treasure Island from the sea-chest. Then, he with Doctor Livesey and a rich man, called Squire Jhon Trelawney sailed to the Treasure Island on Hispaniola. Squire jhon Trelawney paid crews to help them. But he did not know that most of the crews were pirates. So, Jim and his friend had to fight with them to get the treasure.

Comment on "Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare"

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar, a successful military leader wants the crown of Rome. Unfortunately, he is an imperious and overly ambitious. To get the crown, he manipulates the people of Rome into offering him the crown. But, Casca witness to the Caesar’s attempts. Then, he repots it to Brutus and Cassius. Later, Cicero, Cassius, Casca and Cinna organize a conspiracy to kill Caesar. They get some help from others (Decius, Brutus, Trebonius, and Metallus) to help them to kill Caesar. Cassius also try to convince Brutus to join too. Metallus talk to Caius Ligarius to convince him to join their cause. Finally, the conspirators succeed to murder him at the senate. After the Murder, Mark Antony incites the crowd to riot over Caesar’s murder. Then, Antony, Octavius and Lepidus form a triumvirate to rule Rome. Messala tells Brutus that the trium virate has killed 100 senators. Brutus, Messala, Titinius, Cassius decide to confront Antony’s army at Phillipi.

The ghost of Caesar appears at the Brutus’ tent and tells him that he will see him at Phillipi. The battle happens. Titinius is captured by octavius. Cassius commits suicide after convincing Pindarus to help him to commit suicide. Titanius kills himself with Cassius’ sword. In the second battle Antony’s army succeed to defeat Brutus’ army. Brutus finally convinces Strato to help him to commit suicide. Thus, Antony and Octavius prevail, while Cassius and Brutus both commit suicide, assumedly partly in grief over murdering Caesar.

Source: www.about-shakespeare.com/julius_caesar.php

This plays first written between the years 1600-01, first performed in 1623. The story is about tragedy of Julius Caesar. There is a conspiracy to murder Julius Caesar. They do it to prevent Julius Caesar to get the crown of Rome. They assume that Caesar is not the right man to rule Rome. He is too ambitious and will grow as the tyrants. But I think it is because of the power to rule Rome. Everyone wants to get it. Yeah I know that perhaps if Julius Caesar succeeds to reach the crown, he will be tyrants. But people do not understand it. After the tragedy the power of Rome was divided into 2; they are triumvirate of Octavius, Antony and Lepidus and in the other side, the conspirators. Later, the man who gets benefit from the tragedy is Mark Antony. In every riot there must be a man behind the gun who incites people to rebel.

BOOK SUMMARY 1

Meet me in Istanbul

Author : Richard Chilshom

Title : Meet me in Istanbul

Publisher : Dian Rakyat

City : Jakarta

Year : 2003

Page : 64

Price : Rp. 12.000

Summary

Tom smith was a young English man. He wanted to meet his fiancée in Istanbul. In the middle of his journey to Istanbul, he met with Kemal. Tom made a friend with him. In Istanbul, Tom got something strange with his fiancée, Angela. Angela failed to meet him. Tom tried to find Angela. But he did not find her. The next morning, he heard some terrible news, Angela was killed in a driving accident a week before he arrived. it was strange because he had looked at her as the first time he arrived in Istanbul. so, he asked some help from Kemal to find Angela. Then, they struggled together to find her.

It is a good book to improve your English. if you are an English student, it is appropriate book for you in order to build your understanding about English. so,,,, enjoy it.!!

REFLECTION ON "BEOWULF"

BEOWULF

King Hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king Shield Sheafson, reigned his Kingom and brought prosperity to his people. He built a great mead-hall, called Heorot. In the mead-hall, his warriors could gather to hold a feast and listened to the stories sung by the scops and bards. But the jubilant noise from Heorot made Grendel angry. It is a horrible monster who lived in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Then, Grendel terrorized the Danes every night and killing them. No one could fight against Grendel, all effort they had done to kill Grendel was always fail, because Grendel could defeat the efforts to fight him back.

The kingdom and its people suffered many years of fear, danger and death at the hand of Grendel. The news spread widely. Eventually, Beowulf, a young warrior of Geat heard the Hrothgar’s plight. Beowulf was a nephew of Geatish king, Hygelac. Then, he decided to sail to Denmark with a small company of his bravest men. He determined to defeat Grendel. Hrothgar, who had once done a great favor for Beowulf’s father, Ectheow, accepted Beowulf’s offer to defeat Grendel. To bring a honor to Beowulf, he held a feast of hero’s honor. But an envious Dane named Unferth insulted Beowulf and accused him of being unworthy of his reputation. He claimed that Beowulf once lost a swimming match against Breca, the sea monster and that he would find his second lost when he faces Grendel in the mead-hall. Beowulf responded with explaining the true version of his battle with Breca. He also described of some of his accomplishment boastfully. His confidence cheered the Danish warriors, and the feast still went into the night. At last, Grendel arrived. Beowulf fought against Grendel alone, unarmed. He wanted to prove himself that he was stronger than the demon. Finally, Beowulf could defeat Grendel and tears the monster’s arm off. Mortally wounded, Grendel slinked back into swamp to die. The severed Grendel’s arm was hung high in the Mead-hall as a trophy of victory.

Because of his victory, Beowulf was showered with gifts and treasure at a feast. They sung the songs in praise of Beowulf, and the celebration lasted late into the night. But another threat was approaching. Grendel’s mother, came to the kingdom to seek for revenge for her son’s death. She could kill Aeschere, one of Hrothgar’s most trusted advisers, before slinking away. To avenge Aeschere death, the company went to the dark swamp. There Beowulf dived into the underwater of her lair and fighting against her. He killed her with a sword which is forged for a giant. He also found Grendel’s corpse, then he decapitated it and brought the head as a prize to Hrothgar.

The Danes are again overjoyed, and Beowulf became popular warrior and the fame spread accros the kingdom. He returned to Geatland. In the Geatland, he recounted his adventure in Denmark to his king and queen, Hygelac and Hygd. Beowulf then handed over most of his treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewarded him.

In time, Hygelac was killed in a war against the Shylfings, and after Hygelac’s son died, Beowulf became the next king. He ruled the kingdom wisely for fifty years, made Geatland as a prosperous kingdom. When Beowulf was an old man, the kingdom was in the horrible obstruction, a thief disturbed a barrow where a great Dragon lied to guard a horde of treasure. The Dragon emerged and triggered horrible destruction to Geatland. To protect his kingdom and sensing his own death approaching, he went to fight against the Dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeded in killing the Dragon. But the Dragon could bite Beowulf in the neck and its venom killed him moments after their encounter. After his death the Geats feared that their enemies would attack them now after Beowulf died. According to Beowulf’s wishes, they burnt their king’s body on a huge pyre and then buried him with a massive treasure in a barrow overlooking the sea.

Source:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/beowulf/summary.html

http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~beowulf/main.html

I like the stories. It is about the traits of hero. Beowulf shows that he cares with plight of his neighboring country and doing all effort to overcome the obstruction. Wow…it is a good deed! That’s the hero. He care with another kingdom’ plight. Can you find the such deed right now? I hope there will be a true warrior like Beowulf in the world and finish all obstructions which is being occurred in this world. I regarded Grendel and all monster of the story like capitalism system which is destroying and dominating the world. The system make many people sad, hungry, and death. So, I hope The next warrior will come to defeat the systemic monster with a sword to kill the system, and of course it must be a system too. The best system, the Islamic system. Rise! Rise!

I guess that why Beowulf wanted to do his best effort to defeat Grendel, it is because his father and Hrothgar had friendship.

His heroism can be explored in two separates phase-youth and age-and through three battle with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and The Dragon. When he was young, he was a great warrior and when he was age, he was a wise king for his kingdom. The ends of his life bring a conflict for himself, in other hand he had to save his kingdom from the Dragon, and also he had to defend his kingdom from another tribes attack. This conflict bring me a good aura of the story. Beowulf finally decided that he must defeat the Dragon, although at a heavy cost, he died. Was it wise choice? As a heroic tradition, I think he must take the best decision. And I think the Beowulf choice is wise. The old king must think best for his kingdom, and maybe he thought that from the kingdom will come a new great warrior to defend it. His virtue make him popular in across his kingdom. so get it and enjoy the story!!!