Introduce yourself to Anglo-Saxon literature by reading "Beowulf" and exploring its plot, themes, and characters with the help of this study guide. Check out a helpful "family tree" of the epic poem's characters, study new vocabulary words, respond to thought-provoking writing prompts, and compare the text to other pieces of literature, including John Gardner's "Grendel" and Dino Buzzati's "The Slaying of the Dragon."