the struggle between good and evil. At the start of the narrative, the poem introduces the legendary history of the Spear-Danes, detailing the glory of their kings, particularly Scyld, who rises from humble beginnings to become a mighty ruler. After Scyld’s passing, the lineage of Danish kings is explored, culminating in Hrothgar, who builds a grand mead-hall called Heorot. However, their joy is dampened by the terror of Grendel, a monstrous creature who preys on Hrothgar’s warriors. This struggle of man against monster sets the stage for Beowulf’s impending quest as he hears of Grendel's reign of terror and decides to cross the sea with a band of warriors, ready to confront the beast and restore peace to the Danes. (This is an automatically generated summary.)