1. Introductory Notes British Literature
BEOWULF 700?
Introductory Notes
British Literature

2. BEOWULF
The story of a great Pagan warrior renowned for his courage, strength, and dignity
It is an epic poem—a long, heroic poem
It is the first known work to be composed in the English language (not English as we know today)
Considered the national epic of England

3. Background on the Epic
Beowulf, a Great from a region that is now southern Sweden, sets sail from his homeland to try to free Danish King Hrothgar’s great banquet hall, Herot, of a monster that has been ravaging it for the last 12 years
This monster, Grendel, is a terrifying swampland creature of enormous size whose eyes “burn with a gruesome light”

4. The struggle between Beowulf, a young adventurer eager for fame and Grendel, a fierce and bloodthirsty foe, is the first of three battles in the long poem
The Battle versus Grendel
The Battle versus Grendel’s mother
50 years later—the battle against a dragon

5. Beowulf embodies the highest ideals of his time and place: loyalty, valor, unselfishness, and a sense of justice. He represents good while Grendel represents evil
Throughout Beowulf, there is an uneasy blend of Christianity (and Christian ethics) and paganism (and pagan morality)
Against the gloom (which represents the Anglo-Saxon belief of fate), the story applauds the highest virtues of human nature: courage, generosity, and faithfulness

6. The author is unknown, versions were probably recited as early as the sixth century
The text we have today was composed in the eighth century, and was not written down until the eleventh
VALUES: dignity, bravery, prowess in battle