| A | B |
|---|
| Herot | the mead hall |
| King Hrothgar | King of the Danes; his people are being terrorized by an evil monster |
| Beowulf | The epic hero who represents Geatish values |
| Grendel | a monster who has attacked the Danes for twelve years |
| Grendel's mother | a monster who wants revenge for the death of her son |
| Wiglaf | the only one who stayed loyal to his king during the fight against the dragon |
| the dragon | a monster who wants revenge for a thief stealing a golden cup from his treasure horde |
| the narrator | a Christian telling of a hero of olden times |
| setting | Denmark and Geatland (modern day Sweden) |
| Tone | Serious, lofty, and dramatic |
