The Legend of Beowulf and the Dragon:
This is a short story essay I wrote for 12th grade which retells the legend of Beowulf and his fight against a dragon. I consider that essay to be one of my best works, so I chose to see how I could improve it now that I have more skill in writing.
The mighty Beowulf was a hero of heroes, a paragon among men. He was a very tall and muscular man, which along with his large beard and brown hair, gave him the appearance of a youthful warrior, although he was quite old and a seasoned veteran of war. Beowulf was regarded as a hero of the people and was made famous by his slaying of the monster Grendel with his bare hands, so after two bloody wars that resulted in the death of his friend King Higlac, Beowulf was crowned as the new king of the Geats.
After a period of peace under Beowulf’s rule, a foolish thief awoke a fearsome dragon while trying to rob it of its treasures. Now, the entirety of Geatland was threatened by the dragon’s fury. It was a massive beast, with long sharp claws that rivaled the strongest of swords, black scales tougher than any knight’s armor, and had a breath of molten fire that brought ruin and disaster to wherever the dragon went. Its wings were said to create storms as it raced across the skies, and the venomous spear-like teeth that lined its cavernous maw crushed anything that survived the flames. The dragon even had the audacity to destroy the great mead hall of King Higlac by torching it with its flames, razing it to the ground and leaving it’s once wonderous majesty as nothing more than charred wood and ash.
Angered by the destruction of the hall that was once his friend’s home, Beowulf rose up and prepared to slay the creature, but he was no fool. This would not be like Grendel or the other battles he had fought. The dragon was sure to be his most fearsome opponent, and he knew that if he dared fought the dragon without the sharpest of weapons and toughest of armor, he would surely perish to its flames.
Before he left to what may be his final battle, Beowulf reminded himself that he had survived many conflicts in the past, Grendel, his mother, and both of the wars that had been responsible for Higlac’s death, yet he still was unsure if he would survive the encounter. However, Beowulf was brave and knew that he was the only one who could save the Geats from the dragon’s fiery wrath even if it cost him his own life. Turning to the companions who had been with him throughout his many adventures, Beowulf boasted to them saying: “I have never known fear and in my youth, I fought countless wars. I may now be old, but I shall seek glory once more!”
As Beowulf and his companions traveled to the dragon’s lair, the landscape slowly changed from a forest of mighty oaks that touched the sky, to a mountainous land of hard and smooth rock, with only an occasional patch of plant life. The putrid stench of thick black smoke became more and more evident with each step they took, until at last, they reached the dragon’s tower. The tower itself was clearly long abandoned by mankind, with green, slimy moss growing on its base, with bricks cracked, broken, and with chunks laying on the ground. Beowulf then stepped forward, sword in hand, and let out his loudest battle cry, so loud that all of Geatland would hear it, including the dragon. As the thundering sound of footsteps approached, Beowulf prepared to meet his next adversary.
The large body of the dragon burst forth from the tower, roaring and breathing out an inferno so hot that even Beowulf himself felt somewhat dizzy from the heat. He held up his shield to protect him from the dragon’s blazing fire, but even the metal of his shield began to melt. In an act of desperation to be spared the beast’s flames, Beowulf thrust his sword into the dragon’s hide, and although it gave the group a moment of respite, Beowulf’s could not push it deep enough to kill his foe. Glancing at the backs of his fleeing comrades, Beowulf knew he was now defenseless. His weapons made useless, his strength fading, and all but one of his companions had abandoned him, with only a skinny Swedish boy named Wiglaf remaining behind. Wiglaf wasn’t a tall or muscular hero like Beowulf, in fact, he was one of the weakest in Beowulf’s group, but his bravery was a match for even Beowulf’s, and he would fight for Geatland until the bitter end.
Seeing that his king was in danger, Wiglaf rushed forwards into battle, ready to trade his life for Beowulf’s if necessary. Charging towards the dragon with his yellow shield and shining blade, Wiglaf called out to Beowulf: “My lord, do not forget how you boasted that none could tarnish your glory and fame! Get up and fight to defend your fame and honor!” Hearing Wiglaf’s emboldening words, the two warriors went to attack the beast, as it swooped down to finish the battle. As the dragon descended, it quickly sunk its teeth into Beowulf’s neck, attempting to chew off his head. Beowulf cried out in anguish as he and Wiglaf both stabbed their swords into the beast’s eye, causing it to rear backwards and hit the ground with an earthshaking thud. Even as he felt his body shutting down from the pain of his wound, Beowulf got up, and in a prideful effort to avenge himself, he stabbed the dragon once more with a knife, killing the creature once and for all.
However, Beowulf’s wound had become too much for him to bear, and he fell to the ground, next to the corpse of his enemy. The dragon’s venom that was flowing through his body finally brought the once mighty hero to his knees. In his dying breaths, Beowulf said to Wiglaf: “I have sold my very life for the dragon’s wealth, and I have sold it well. When I die, I want you to lead my people, and have them build a monument to my deeds here. This tower shall be named Beowulf’s tower, so that all who look upon it shall remember my name and my glory.” Then Beowulf’s wound claimed his life, and he perished. Wiglaf went on to do all Beowulf commanded him and the monument built by the Geats has preserved the glory of Beowulf and his name has been remembered for centuries.
The End
A link to the original story’s Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dragon_(Beowulf)
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(Sorry if I sound monotone, I don’t have much experience in public speaking)