Beowulf All About Epics…. Historical Background Literary Devices Characters & Plot Points Significant Themes

Beowulf, the epic Epic as a literary genre: a long narrative poem that recounts (tells) the adventures of a legendary hero Unknown author- time frame ranging from 6th to 10th century- written down around 1000 AD (approximate, somewhat debatable) Composed in what is referred to as Old English 4 key parts or conventions: epic hero, quest, valorous deeds, & divine intervention

Setting: Beowulf’s time and place Insert: Time of Beowulf Europe today

Anglo-Saxon Poetry & Literary Devices Alliteration- repetition of initial consonant sounds (aid memorization; enhance imagery)* Assonance- repetition of internal vowel sounds within a line of poetry Caesuras- rhythmic breaks in the middle of a line where the reciter would pause Kennings- poetic renaming of something Elegy- lyric poem mourning a loss

Anglo-Saxon Poetry & Literary Devices “So the living sorrow of Healfdane’s son/ Simmered….- Alliteration “in the darkness, growled in pAIn, impAtient- --Assonance “I make this song about me full sadly- Caesuras “shepherd of evil, guardian of crime- Kennings - “The days are gone/ When the kingdoms of the earth flourished in glory…” - Elegy

Key Characters/Names Beowulf Grendel Herot Hrothgar Healfdane Geats Higlac Edgetho Unferth Hrunting Wiglaf Wextan

Beowulf- protagonist & epic hero Grendel- one of the antagonists Herot- name of the mead hall Hrothgar- king of the Danes, enlists Beowulf’s help Healfdane- Hrothgar’s dad Geats- refers to the people of Sweden; Beowulf’s people Higlac- king of the Geats; Bewoulf’s lord and uncle Edgetho- Beowulf’s father Unferth- Danish warrior who had questioned Beowulf’ s bravery Hrunting- Beowulf’s mighty sword Wiglaf- brave soldier who stands by Beowulf as he dies Wextan- Wiglaf’s dad

The Wrath of Grendel The overall mood changes very quickly as the poems opens… Grendel’s violence is swift and devastating. Allusion- reference in a literary work to another person, event, place, etc. Note the first significant biblical allusion: “born of Cain”- indicates Grendel’s evil origins- one of the first Christian references in the poem. Others: “Almighty” “Fate” “God” “He”

The Wrath of Grendel Herot stands deserted for “twelve winters of grief.” “ sorrow heaped” & “misery leaped”- personification Pagan allusions: sacrifices made to “old stone gods” in the hopes of preventing more killings in Hrothgar’s kingdom…..

The Coming of Beowulf Our epic hero chooses 14 of his closest comrades to accompany him to Denmark to conquer Grendel. Notice that this marks the start of his great quest. He has not been asked to do this, but as an epic hero, he seeks honor and great fame. Reader meets the Danish watchman. Beowulf chooses to not use his powerful sword.

The Battle with Grendel Pay close attention to the many instances of kennings throughout this epic. Notice the realism of the imagery surrounding the battle between Beowulf and Grendel as Grendel’s arm is snapped off and he is left to limp away and just bleed to death…. The head becomes a badge of honor, “a terrible trophy…” (kenning)

The Monster’s Lair & The Battle with Grendel’s Mother Grendel’s mother seeks revenge for her son’s death, killing Hrothgar’s friend. Christian element: Grendel’s mother lives in a dark underworld similar to Hell. Bewoulf “longed for fame.” Notice that “Fate” is also a key part of his warrior code. He understands and accepts that death is always a possibility. After defeating the “water witch,” he becomes a great hero, ruling Geatland for 50 yrs.

The Monster’s Lair & The Battle with Grendel’s Mother Pay close attention to the role of divine intervention in the outcome of the epic battles: Grendel cannot/will not touch Hrothgar’s throne as it is “protected by God.” Also, a ridiculously heavy sword that has been blessed by giants appears out of nowhere, helping him kill Grendel’s mother. Beowulf’s mail shirt, too, seems to have received some sort of blessing from God.

The Last Battle & The Spoils Notice that both Grendel’s and Beowulf’s death are foreshadowed. Death and “Fate” are always discussed alongside one another, too… Grendel’s death: “fate, that night, intended Grendel to gnaw the broken bones of his last human supper.” Beowulf’s death: “Beowulf uttered his final boast…. “And for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him…” The Last Battle & The Spoils

The Spoils & The Farewell Beowulf accepts death with great honor and humility- key characteristic of an epic hero. Other key characteristics of epic heroes: great physical strength, impressive family history or lineage, tremendous bravery and fearlessness, honor, natural leader Reader is introduced to Wiglaf, the only comrade who is loyal to Beowulf, refusing to abandon him as the dragon kills him. The Spoils & The Farewell

The Farewell, continued Wiglaf ensures that Bewoulf’s memory is honored as it should be. A tower is built in honor of our epic hero.

Themes and Important Aspects Good vs. Evil Religion: Christian and Pagan influences The importance of wealth and treasure The importance of the sea and sailing The role of family ancestry Fate Loyalty and allegiance Heroism, heroic deeds, and dying with honor