Photo EssayBy Mariana Rutledge

The slave steals a jewel cup from the dragon while the dragon is asleep. “So mankind’s enemy, the mighty

beast, slept in those stone walls for hundreds of years; a runaway slave roused it, stole a jeweled cup and

bought his master’s forgiveness, begged for mercy and was pardoned when his delighted lord took the

present he bore.”

The beast dragon finds out that the slave stole the jewel cup. “The cup

brought peace to a slave, pleased his master, but stirred a dragon’s anger.”

The dragon comes to Herot to get revenge on the slave that stole the cup. “Vomiting fire and smoke, the dragon burned down their homes.”

Prince Beowulf goes and fights the dragon. Beowulf uttered his final boast:

“I’ve never known fear; as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If

the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.”

The dragon blows out fire and melts Beowulf’s shield. “Flames beat at the iron Shield, and for a time it held, protected Beowulf as he’d planned; then it began to melt, and for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against

him, with glory denied him.”

Now Wiglaf comes in the picture. “Watching Beowulf, Wiglaf could see how his king was

suffering, burning. Remembering Everything his lord and cousin had given him, Armor and gold

and the great estates Wexstan’s family enjoyed, Wiglaf’s mind was made up; he raised his

yellow Shield and drew his sword.”

Wiglaf stabbing the sword in the dragons throat. “The sword sank in;

his hand was burned, but the shining blade had done its work, the

dragon’s belching flames began to flicker and die away.”

Then Beowulf cuts the dragon in half. “Quickly, he cut the beast in half, slit it apart. It fell, their courage had killed it,

two noble cousins had joined in the dragon’s death.”

The dragon’s tower where Wiglaf goes and gets the treasure. Beowulf says to Wiglaf,

“Beloved Wiglaf, go, quickly, find the dragon’s treasure: we’ve taken its life, but its gold is

ours, too. Hurry, bring me ancient sliver, precious jewels, shining armor and gems,

before I die.”

Wiglaf trying to keep Beowulf alive with water. “Then Wiglaf brought their treasure to Beowulf, and found his famous king bloody,

gasping for breath. But Wiglaf sprinkled water over his lord, until the words deep in his breast broke through and were heard.”

The Shield wall where Beowulf finally died. Beowulf tells Wiglaf to do him one last deed and he says, “Have the brave Geats build me a tomb, when the funeral flames have burned me, and build it here, at the water’s edge, high on this spit of land, so sailors can see this tower, and remember my name, and call it Beowulf’s tower,

and boats in the darkness and mist, crossing the sea, will know it.”

Works Cited

• Agree, clicking. “Beowulf and the dragon - Bing Images." Bing. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=beowulf+and+the+dragon&FORM=BIFD#>.

• “Beowulf the battle of the dragon - Google Images." Google Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&q=beowulf+the+battle+of+the+dragon&sa=N&start=18&ndsp=18>.