Beowulf, Part 32 summary
Part 32 of 43 · 4 min to read the part
In XXXII The Hoard and the Dragon, a servant fleeing violence takes a precious cup from a dragon’s treasure and gains his lord’s forgiveness. The account traces the hoard to a grieving survivor of a vanished people, then shows the dragon discovering the theft and setting out in fiery anger.
What happens
- A servant escapes deadly blows, takes shelter in a treasure cave, and finds a jeweled vessel.
- The account turns to the last survivor of a noble people, who stores their wealth in a barrow and mourns his companions.
- After the survivor dies, a dragon finds the treasure and guards it for three hundred winters.
- The servant brings the cup to his lord, asks forgiveness for his negligence, and receives it.
- The dragon wakes, finds a footprint, and searches the cave and surrounding ground for the intruder and missing cup.
- At day’s end, the enraged dragon sets out blazing, intent on answering the theft with fire.
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In this part
What to notice
The narrator links escape from suffering to heavenly favor while describing the servant’s dangerous approach to the sleeping dragon.
Quick check
Why does the servant bring the cup to his lord?
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