Section Seven – Summary and Analysis: The Death of Beowulf

Beowulf succumbs to the injuries inflicted by the dragon. Wiglaf is angry with the ten warriors who had deserted Beowulf and calls them traitors. He shames them for having violated comitatus. He deprives them of the right to property, which renders them unfit to enter into a comitatus in the future. Later, Wiglaf’s messenger informs the other Geats of Beowulf’s death. He also foresees trouble from Sweden.

Wiglaf urges the Geats to visit the site of Beowulf’s death, so that they can see the dragon and understand the greatness of Beowulf’s last act of bravery. The people, on the one hand, mourn the death of their great ruler, and, on the other, feel unsafe without his protection. They are also dismayed to learn that the treasure will not be divided among them; instead, Wiglaf has decided to bury it with Beowulf’s remains.

Beowulf’s body is placed on a funeral pyre for cremation. The ashes, along with the treasure, are buried in a barrow.