The Script

The poem tells the story of the hero Beowulf, who rescues the Danes by killing the monstrous Grendel. He goes on to kill Grendel’s mother, become king, and then—in his old age—must face a dragon. Throughout, he learns lessons about kingship, feud, and the dangers inherent in fighting monsters.

The performance will be presented with the natural, organic backgrounds of our homes—bookshelves, workshops, home offices, kitchens, and living rooms. We will tell the story without stage magic, but instead will use the available medium to bring Beowulf into the homes of the audience.

While the exact age of Beowulf is not known, the anonymously written poem is the earliest work of full-scale English literature.

Beowulf consists of 3182 lines of poetry. It takes three and a half hours to perform in its entirety.

We gratefully acknowledge the following scholars for permission to use portions of their work: