Ten of Beowulf’s warriors flee from the dragon. Beowulf brings eleven chosen thanes to the dragon’s barrow, but when the battle begins, ten of them retreat in fear. Only Wiglaf remains willing to help his lord, fulfilling the heroic obligation of loyalty that the others abandon.
The episode forms the tragic climax of the poem. Beowulf is now an aging king who has ruled the Geats for fifty years, and the dragon has begun attacking his people after a thief steals a cup from its treasure hoard. Beowulf chooses to confront the creature despite knowing that the fight may be his last.
The number can cause confusion because the poem also mentions a guide who knows the way to the barrow, and different summaries count the wider group differently. The standard quiz answer refers to the eleven warriors accompanying Beowulf as his fighting companions: ten flee, while Wiglaf stays. Wiglaf’s loyalty contrasts sharply with the cowardice of the deserters, who are later condemned and dishonoured.