Final answer:
Beowulf and the dragon are engaged in a fierce battle. The protagonist uses a brass shield and his mace to successfully defeat the dragon, enduring its final shriek.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the specified lines from the text, Beowulf and the dragon are locked in a fierce battle, which does not seem easy or one-sided. Within these lines, the hero, presumably Beowulf, having avoided the furious onslaught of the dragon, considers his next move, which involves a brass shield that appears to have some enchantment on it. Upon reaching the shield, it falls before him, creating a loud, resounding noise as it hits the silver floor. Ethelred (which could be an error for Beowulf, an indication of the historical blend of fiction and fact in the poem) then courageously enters the lair, finds no hermit, but instead a dragon which he engages in combat, ultimately killing the creature with his mace and enduring its harsh death shriek. The answer to the student's query is that Beowulf and the dragon engage in a fierce battle (option b).