The final act of the Old English Poem Beowulf revolves around the mythic location of Earnaness (what is today modern Sweden). Earnaness is known for its breathtaking vistas and towering hills. Shrouded in an overbearing fog and expansive forests, it is the perfect location for such a legendary tale. In it, the titular hero is forced to confront a monstrous Dragon that has been terrorizing his kingdom’s people and razing its lands. The last five minutes of this animated short shows off the Dragon’s lair, where the two engage in mortal combat that eventually leaves both parties dead, bringing peace to the lands but simultaneously taking away its celebrated leader. This bittersweet victory is reflected in the media itself, as the somber rainstorm and intoxicating glow of the Dragon’s treasure set the stage for a battle of epic proportions. As a complement to the original poem, the animation here is arguably more effective than more popular adaptations, giving the story a sense of history with its classic color pallet and giving action scenes a sense a feeling of weight and motion that computer-generated graphics simply can’t mimic. Beowulf’s encounter with the Dragon is as dense thematically as it is visually, bringing our hero’s humanity and morality into question. Thomas Keller discusses the thin line between man and beast in ‘THE DRAGON IN "BEOWULF" REVISITED,’ claiming that Beowulf is hardly as innocent as we suspect all protagonists to be. He states: “Beowulf's first concern was to slay the dragon and rid the land of this menace. Only after he made this decision did the mention of the treasure increase his desire (P226),” suggesting that Beowulf is more drawn to the thrill of a fight than he is in actually protecting his people. However, other critics challenge this negative view of Beowulf’s motivation, such as Mary Tietjen. In ‘God, Fate, and the Hero of “Beowulf,”’ she cites the religious overtones of the poem as proof of Beowulf’s morality in the quote: “The poet is explicit on all of these points; however, other evidence makes it clear that Beowulf demonstrates not avarice but a thoroughly Christian attitude toward wealth (P4).” Regardless of modern scholars’ opinions, the original author of the poem clearly shows their perspective on the matter, concluding Beowulf’s epic tale with the lines:
“They said that of all the kings upon the earth,
he was the man most gracious and fair-minded,
kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.” -LN 3180-3182

Citations
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Beowulf. New York: Dutton, 1962. Print.
Keller, Thomas L. "THE DRAGON IN "BEOWULF" REVISITED." Aevum 55.2 (1981): 218-28. Web.
Tietjen, Mary C. Wilson. "God, Fate, and the Hero of "Beowulf"" The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 74.2 (1975): 159-71. Web.