Ordinary World: The Homeland of the hero where they are extraordinary
"In a far off home Bewoulf, Higlac's follower and strongest of the Geats
In Beowulf's homeland, he is considered extraordinary and extremely strong. Beowulf is called from his homeland to help Hrothgar. This can be related to the monomyth theory because Beowulf is different from everyone else, but he is needed elsewhere in the story.
Libisema: 2
The Call to Adventure: The hero is called from their ordinary world to begin their adventure
"Beowulf, you've come to us in friendship and because of the reception your father found at our court"(Beowulf 192)
I, alone with the help of my men may purge all evil from this hall(Beowulf 165).
"The Anglo- Saxons strongly valued familial ties- the kinless man was an object of pity"(The Anglo- Saxon culture). Beowulf is called to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel in exchange for his father's debt. This is Beowulf's call to adventure because the Anglo- Saxons valued kinship so highly.
Libisema: 3
Entering the Unknown/ Crossing the Threshold: The hero enters a new environment during the quest
"They live in secret places, windy cliffs, wolf dens where water pours from the rocks then runs underground"(Grendel's mother 425). "Beowulf accepts Hrothgar's challenge and the king and his men accompany the hero to the dreadful lair of Grendel's mother"(prose 450).
When Beowulf enters into Grendel's mother's lair, this is an unknown and hostile environment, symbolizing a very large threshold for him to cross/ face
Libisema: 4
Threshold guardians: These are the obstacles a hero must face in order to progress in their quest
"They wrestled, she ripped and tore and clawed at him, bit holes in his helmet and that too failed him(Battle with Grendel's mother 481).
Beowulf's quest progressed when he killed Grendel, although Beowulf thought he was finished, his quest had only just begun when he came into contact with Grendel's mother
Libisema: 5
The Supreme Ordeal Abyss: The hero is faced with the main obstacle during the quest, their lowest point, or even death
"Then the Geats built the tower, as Beowulf had asked, strong and tall, so sailors could see it from far and wide... Telling the stories of their dead king(Mourning Beowulf 871).
Beowulf dies in this part of the story. The battle with the dragon and his death symbolize his supreme ordeal
Libisema: 6
Transformation: Shows the effect completing the quest has on the hero, also shows how the hero has grown
"when the brave Geats hear how you bolted and ran none of your race will have anything left but their lives(The death of Beowulf 858).
He'd reached the end of his days, their mighty war- king, the great lord of the Geats, gone to a glorious death( The death of Beowulf 868).
This represents Beowulf's transformation as just a brave warrior in his earlier years to a wise and respected king in his later years, he has learned a lot through his travels.