Beowulf is the greatest surviving poem in Old English. Set in Scandinavia, it tells a story that comes from myth, legend and history. The great warrior Beowulf comes to the help of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, whose people are under deadly attack from the savage monster Grendel. Later in life, he heroically faces a fire- breathing dragon.
In this epic poem the Anglo-Saxon values of courage and pride are set against the terrifying monsters that lurk on the edges of society.