In Beowulf, a dragon attacks the Geatish kingdom after a thief steals a cup.
The dragon guards a buried treasure hoard in an ancient barrow. A fugitive slave discovers the hoard and takes a single decorated cup, hoping to appease his master. The theft enrages the dragon, which begins burning the surrounding land and homes at night.
By this point in the poem, Beowulf is an elderly king rather than the young warrior who defeated Grendel and Grendel’s mother. He goes to face the dragon with a shield and a small group of warriors. His sword fails to kill the creature, and most of his companions flee.
Wiglaf remains loyal and helps Beowulf defeat the dragon, but Beowulf receives a fatal wound from its bite. The hero dies after seeing the treasure, and the dragon’s hoard is buried with him. The dragon is therefore the final monster in the Old English epic, not one of its earlier enemies.