Beowulf
Beowulf is a poem that was written in Old English by an Anglo-Saxon scribe around 1000 CE, although the original poem is believed to date to the 8th to 11th centuries CE, and the story is set in Scandinavia.
Background Context
Who wrote Beowulf?
Nobody knows. The poem is anonymous, written down by an unknown Anglo-Saxon scribe around 1000 CE, though the story itself is much older. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature in the English language.
When was it written?
Scholars believe the poem was written somewhere between the 8th and 11th centuries AD. The only surviving manuscript is kept in the British Library in London.
Who are the Geats?
The Geats were a real Germanic tribe who lived in what is now southern Sweden. Beowulf is their greatest warrior. The poem is English, but almost none of the characters or events are set in England, they take place in Scandinavia.
Who are the Danes?
The Danes are the people of Denmark. Their king is Hrothgar, and his great hall is called Heorot. It is Heorot that Grendel attacks.
Who is Wiglaf?
Wiglaf is a young Geatish warrior who appears in the final section of the original poem. In this retelling, he narrates the whole story looking back, which means students should think about him as a witness and storyteller, not just a character.
What is a mead-hall?
A mead-hall was the great communal building at the heart of Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian warrior society. Warriors ate, drank, slept, celebrated, and received gifts from their lord there. Heorot is the most famous mead-hall in all of Old English literature.
Kin to Cain
The poem describes Grendel as descended from Cain, the biblical figure who murdered his brother Abel and was cursed by God. This is an example of the Christian overlay on the older Germanic story. The original audience would have understood immediately that Grendel was irredeemably evil and cut off from God and human society.
Who were the Anglo-Saxons?
The Anglo-Saxons were the people who lived in England from roughly the 5th century AD until the Norman Conquest in 1066. They were descended from Germanic tribes (the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) who migrated to Britain from northern Europe. They spoke Old English, the language in which Beowulf was written. Although Beowulf is set in Scandinavia and none of its main characters are English, it is very much a product of Anglo-Saxon culture, values, and imagination.
What is Old English?
Old English is the earliest form of the English language. It was spoken and written in England from roughly the 5th century AD until around 1150. It looks almost nothing like modern English, it’s closer to German or Dutch than to the language we speak today. The opening line of Beowulf, Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, roughly means "Listen! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in days of old." Students sometimes find it surprising that this strange-looking language is the direct ancestor of the words they use every day.
Part One
The Monster and the Mere
WRITING
The Scop's Song
A scop was a travelling poet who sang stories aloud. Pupils write a short poem or simple ballad (four to eight lines) retelling the moment Beowulf arrives at Heorot. Encourage use of repeated phrases, strong rhythms, and alliteration. These should be performed aloud, not just read silently. Share with the class and let pupils vote on their favourite line.
Best for Grades 4-5 | Individual or pairs | 1 lesson
WRITING
The Monster's Diary
Grendel is cruel and terrifying but he is also lonely and cast out. Pupils write a short diary entry (8–10 sentences) from Grendel's point of view on the night before he attacks Heorot. What can he hear? How does it make him feel? Does he want to be feared, or does he want something else? Encourage empathy. Grendel can feel things too, even if he acts terribly.
Best for Grades 4-5 | Individual | Homework or 1 lesson
WRITING
A Letter Home
One of Beowulf's fourteen companions writes a letter to his family the night before they land in Denmark. What does he say? Is he scared? Does he tell the truth about how dangerous the mission is, or does he pretend to be braver than he feels? Pupils must use details from the text (the sea crossing, the stories of Grendel, Beowulf's plan to fight bare-handed). Provide a letter template for P4.
Best for Grades 3-4 | Individual | 1 lesson or homework
DRAMA
Freeze Frame: The Night Grendel Came
Pupils work in groups of five. Each group creates three freeze frames: (1) the hall full of feasting warriors, (2) the moment Grendel enters, (3) the aftermath at dawn. Pupils must use body language and facial expression to tell the story without speaking. After each freeze frame, the teacher taps one pupil who speaks their character's thoughts aloud in role.
Best for Grades 3-5 | Groups of 5 | 30–40 minutes
SEL
What Makes Someone Brave?
Wiglaf watches Beowulf and feels inspired. Bravery is a key theme of the whole poem. Discuss with pupils: What does it mean to be brave? Is it brave to do something if you are not afraid? What is the difference between bravery and showing off? Can you think of a time you were brave? Connect to everyday situations like speaking up, standing up for a friend, admitting a mistake.
Best for Grades 3-5 | RME / PSHE | Discussion lesson
Additional Activity Ideas
The Words of Wiglaf: A Retelling of Beowulf
Part Two
The Dragon Wakes
DRAMA
The Feast: In Role
Pupils take on the roles of the eleven warriors at the feast the night before the dragon fight. Half the class must maintain the bravado described in the text — loud laughter, boasting, talking of glory. The other half must try to show, through small gestures and quieter moments, what lies beneath. After ten minutes in role, step out and discuss: which was harder to play? What does it feel like to pretend to be braver than you are?
Best for Grades 5-7 | Whole class drama | 30–40 minutes
SEL
The Debate: Should Beowulf Have Gone?
Beowulf is an old man when he faces the dragon. He is also a king with a people who depend on him. Run a structured debate: should he have faced the dragon himself, or sent younger warriors? One side argues it was his duty and his right. The other argues a king's first duty is to his people, and an old king risking death for glory is reckless. Pupils find evidence from the text for both sides.
Best for Grade 7 | Whole class | 1 lesson
DISCUSSION
History: The Role of the King
Part Two gives a rich picture of what made a good king in the world of the poem: generosity, personal courage, remembering names, opening storehouses in hard winters. Pupils research the concept of kingship in early medieval Britain, comparing Beowulf's qualities to what historians know about real Anglo-Saxon and early Scottish kings. What qualities were valued then? How do they compare to ideas about leadership today?
Best for Grade 7 | History / Humanities | 1–2 lessons
DISCUSSION
Promises and Pledges
The warriors pledged their lives to Beowulf over their drinking cups. Wiglaf says he meant every word (at the time). Use this as a discussion stimulus: What makes a promise real? Is it possible to mean something sincerely and still not keep it when the moment arrives? Have you ever made a promise that was harder to keep than you expected? Connect to concepts of integrity, loyalty, and the difference between intention and action.
Best for Grades 5-7 | RME / PSHE | Discussion lesson
Part Three
The Day I Did Not Run
ART
The Colour of Ash
Wiglaf says the victory "was the colour of ash." Pupils create a two-part response: first, a small artwork (postcard-sized) using only grey, white, and black to capture the mood of the ending — no figures, just texture and tone. Then, on the back, they write three sentences explaining their choices. What does their image show? Why those tones? This bridges visual and written response without requiring drawing skill.
Best for: P5–P7 | Individual | 1 lesson
DRAMA
Twelve Riders
The text tells us twelve riders circled the barrow chanting Beowulf's name and his deeds. In groups of four to six, pupils create a short choral piece, part movement, part spoken word, to perform as the funeral procession. Each pupil is responsible for one deed or quality, chosen from the text. The piece must begin with silence and end with silence. No music, no props: just voice and stillness.
Best for Grades 4-6 | Groups of 4–6 | 1–2 lessons
SEL
Hot Seat: One of the Ten
One of the ten warriors who fled has returned, shamefaced. One pupil sits in the hot seat as that warrior. The class questions him: Why did you run? What did you tell yourself? What will you do now? The pupil in the hot seat must stay in role and answer honestly, no easy excuses. Before the activity, give the class five minutes to prepare their questions in pairs, and give the hot-seat pupil five minutes to think about who their character is.
Best for Grades 4-6 | Whole class / 1 pupil in role | 30–40 minutes
SEL
What Do We Owe Each Other?
Wiglaf stays. Ten warriors run. Both choices are human. Discuss with pupils: Is it fair to judge the ten? What does loyalty actually mean — and does it have limits? Is there a difference between being afraid and being a coward? Use Wiglaf's line "anger felt too small" as a starting point: what emotions are bigger than anger? Connect to real situations, standing up for someone, telling the truth when it's hard, staying when it would be easier to go.
Best for Grades 4-6 | RME / PSHE | Discussion lesson
WRITING
Kenning for a Dragon
The Old English poets used kennings (two-word compound descriptions) to name things without naming them directly (whale-road = sea; bone-house = body). Pupils invent kennings for the dragon in Part 3, drawing on specific details from the text: the fire, the scales, the barrow, the poison. They must write at least five kennings and then choose their best one to illustrate. Share and compile a class "dragon glossary." Challenge extension: write two kennings for Wiglaf.
Best for Grades 3-5 | Individual | 45 minutes