The Story

• First Battle: Grendel
  Beowulf begins with the story of King Hrothgar, who built the great hall Heorot for his people. In it he, his wife Wealhþeow, and his warriors spend their time singing and celebrating, until Grendel, an outcast from society who is angered by the singing, attacks the hall and kills many of Hroðgar's warriors while they sleep. But Grendel dares not touch the throne of Hroðgar, because he is described as protected by God. Hroðgar and his people, helpless against Grendel's attacks leave Heorot.
  Beowulf, a young warrior from Geatland, hears of Hroðgar's troubles and with his king's permission then leaves his homeland to help Hroðgar.
  After the guard questions them about why they land on the Dane's territory, Beowulf and his 15 men spend the night in Heorot. After they fall asleep, Grendel enters the hall and attacks, killing one of Beowulf's men. Beowulf, who has been pretending sleep, stands up and graps Grendel's hand, and the two battle until it seems as though the hall might fall down from their fighting. Beowulf's men take out their swords and rush to his help, but their swords do not pierce Grendel's skin, because he put a charm on all human weapons. Finally, Beowulf tears Grendel's arm from his body at the shoulder and Grendel runs to his home in the mountains to die.
  




• Second battle: Grendel's mother
  The next night, after celebrating Grendel's death, Hroðgar and his men sleep in Heorot. Grendel's mother appears, however, and attacks the hall. She kills Hroðgar's most trusted warrior, Æschere, in revenge for Grendel's death.
  Hroðgar, Beowulf, and their men follow Grendel's mother to her house under a lake. Beowulf prepares for battle; he has a sword, Hrunting, by a warrior called Unferth, who before had challenged Beowulf and tried to talk his heroic deeds.
  Beowulf dives into the lake. There, he is found and attacked by Grendel's mother. Unable to harm Beowulf through his armor, Grendel's mother drags him to the bottom of the lake. Under the lake, where Grendel's body lies, Grendel's mother and Beowulf continue the combat.
  Grendel's mother at first seems to win, after Beowulf, finding that the sword given him by Unferð cannot harm her, gets in panic. He finds a magic sword that works against her and kills her at once. Later he finds Grendel’s body, cuts off his head and takes it back to the surface.
  So he also won the fight against Grendel’s mother and gets more presents, like treasures, gold and another sword.

• Third battle: The dragon
  Beowulf returns home and eventually becomes king of his own people.
  One day, late in Beowulf's life, about 40 years later, a slave steals a golden cup from the lair of an unnamed dragon. The dragon sees that the cup has been stolen, it leaves its cave in a rage, burning up everything in sight. Beowulf and his warriors come to fight the dragon, but only one of the warriors, a brave man named Wiglaf, stays to help Beowulf, because the rest are too afraid. Beowulf kills the dragon with Wiglaf's help, but Beowulf dies from the wounds he has received.
  Beowulf is buried in the Geatland on a cliff overlooking the sea, where sailors are able to see his grave. The dragon's treasure is buried with him, to protect his people, because it has a spell on it.