1. Beowulf The Beginning of English Literature A Heroic Epic
Epic- a quest story on a grand scale
Heroic Epic Poetry - narrative poems that stress the battle between good and evil, superhuman feats of valor, and loyalty to one’s king and leader.

2. Background
Composed in Old English probably in Northumbria in northeast England sometime between
Scenery described is from Northumbria; assumed that poet was Northumbrian monk
Only manuscript available dates from the year 1000; discovered in the 18th century
Depicts a world from the early 6th century
Poem based on early Celtic and Scandinavian folk legends

3. The Importance of Beowulf
Beowulf: England:: Iliad and Odyssey : Greece
Longest surviving poem that’s written in Old English
(First great work of English national literature)
It was written when the Anglo-Saxons were in control in Britain. Remember: After the Norman conquest, Anglo- Saxon literature disappeared.
Consists of the tribal history of
the Anglos, Saxons and Jutes
Describes a history of pride, loud talk,
drunken violence, spies, raids and
bloody battles

4. That’s interesting
The Anglo-Saxons were in control of the area that is now Britain until 1066 when the Normans took over.
When the Normans took over, they wanted to oppress the Anglo-Saxons.
One way they did this was through language.
The Normans said that the Anglo-Saxon language was vulgar.

5. That’s interesting
The Normans used words like fornicate, defecate, and urinate – the Anglo-Saxon words for the same things were “bad” words.
That is why some words STILL TODAY are considered “bad” words.
Kind of funny that we still follow this tradition today.

6. Poetic Qualities Original is 3,000 lines long
Written in unrhymed alliterative lines
1. Alliteration- the repetition of initial consonant sounds at the beginning of words following each other immediately or at short intervals
Examples:
sweet smell of success/ a dime a dozen/
bigger and better/ jump for joy
Grendel gongan,         godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða         manna cynnes

7. Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Find examples of alliteration in Burton Raffel’s translation of lines 1-5:
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

8. Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

9. Literary Devices In Beowulf
2. Allusion-a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events.
Example: Even Noah would have struggled during Hurricane Katrina.

10. Literary Devices In Beowulf
3. Kenning- a short description of a thing (noun) used in place of the thing's name
(*metaphoric comparison- hyphenated or compound word, prepositional phrase,
or possessive)
*Metaphor- comparison between two otherwise dissimilar objects (I hit a homerun on that test.)

11. Kenning Examples: King- ring-giver Ship- sea-rider
Devil- shepherd of evil
Examples from Beowulf:
gold-shining hall= Herot
guardian of crime = Grendel
strong-hearted wakeful sleeper = Beowulf
cave-guard and sky-borne foe = dragon

12. Literary Devices In Beowulf
4. Simile- A comparison made between two things using the words “like” or “as.” The comparison must be between two essentially unlike things.
Example: He is as fast as lightning.

13. Literary Devices In Beowulf
5. Imagery- Words or phrases that create pictures or images in the reader's mind. Images can also relate to the other senses.
Example:
His face turned bright red and he seemed to be holding his breath right before he fumed and charged like an angry bull across the crowded auditorium.

14. 6. Caesura - Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses caesura
6. Caesura - Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses caesura. These rhythmic pauses could visibly be seen by gaps in the written line of text.
ða com of more         under misthleoþum Grendel gongan,         godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða         manna cynnes sumne besyrwan         in sele þam hean.

15. Punctuation reproduces the pause effect of the original caesura.
Here are the same lines in modern English from Burton Raffel’s translation:
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.
Punctuation reproduces the pause effect of the original caesura.

16. Anglo-Saxon Ideals They were warriors and seamen
(athletic, strong, seafaring, adventurous)
Extreme loyalty existed between these warriors and their king
Love for glory and fame
Honored the Truth

17. Overview of Plot
Beowulf is about a hero who becomes the leader of the people
He goes to help the Danish people defeat a monster that is tormenting them
The action is extraordinary and the hero is larger than life.

18. Characters People – Monsters –
Beowulf: nephew of Higlac, king of the Geats
Hrothgar: king of the Danes
Wiglaf: a Geat warrior, one of Beowulf’s select band and the only one to help him in his final fight with the monster, Grendel.
Monsters –
Grendel : man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere (mountain lake)
Grendel’s mother: water-witch who seeks revenge
Dragon: giant fire-breathing serpent whom Beowulf fights in Part Two of the epic

19. Setting Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia.
The action of the poem takes place
around 500. Beowulf was first written
down around 700, but it had been told
orally for many years before that.
Herot: the golden guest hall
built by King Hrothgar where
warriors gathered to celebrate.
Scholars think Herot might
have been built on the coast
of Zealand in Denmark.

20. Mead-Hall
Warriors gathered in front of their king to drink, boast, tell stories, receive treasures from the king
The scop or bards would sing stories (poems) telling familiar stories for audiences in the communal hall at night.
The hall offered safety but the paranoid sense of doom that runs throughout Beowulf shows the constant fear of invasion from other tribes that plagued the Scandinavian society.

21. Mead-Hall -symbolized victory in war -like a banquet hall
– used for parties and celebrations
Mead- a fermented liquor made from honey -----used at banquets and celebrations

22. The Epic Hero Beowulf is one of England’s ancient heroes.
Other times and other
cultures have had
other heroes.
King Arthur
Joan of Arc

23. The Epic Hero
In modern America, the hero may be a real person or a fictional character.
Can you think of others?

24. Now Write . . .
Write about a contemporary hero, real or fictional, and the challenges he or she faces. Describe your hero, and then briefly analyze him or her using these questions:
What sort of evil or oppression does your hero confront?
Why does he or she confront evil? What’s the motivation?
For whom does your hero confront evil?
What virtues does your hero represent?

25. The movies are full of contemporary heroes, including Batman
The movies are full of contemporary heroes, including Batman. Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne, must keep his identity hidden while fighting for justice because he is also a millionaire and owner of a large company. His dark persona also helps him create a fear factor. Batman has come up against many different bad guys, all who want to take advantage of the people of Gotham City. Although there is nothing “super” about Batman, he uses his wealth to create technology to help him fight for justice. He is willing to put his life on the line and spend his wealth to protect the average man of Gotham City. Although few people of Gotham know who Batman is, he is a hero who keeps the balance tipped toward good and not evil.