beowulf background oral tradition – books, stories, poems passed along by word of mouth beowulf...
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BEOWULF
Beowulf Background Oral tradition – books, stories, poems
passed along by word of mouth Beowulf takes place in 6th century
Scandinavia Originally told in Old English
When Beowulf was finally written down in the 11th century, it marked the beginning of British Literature
Contains an elegiac verse like an elegy, or poem of sorrow for the dead, or an ode, which is to honor a person or event.
Beowulf
A Geat from a region that is today, southern Sweden He sets sail from his homeland to try to free
Danish King Hrothgar’s great banquet hall, Herot A monster named Grendel has been
ravaging Herot for 12 years The struggle between Beowulf, a young
adventurer eager for fame, and Grendel, a fierce and bloodthirsty foe, is the first of three mortal battles in the long poem aka EPIC
Cultural Background Before Christianity took hold of English (in what
century?), it was a Pagan society Pagans believed
Many gods Fate Monsters and creatures
Christians believed One God Free Will Clear distinction between good and evil
When Beowulf was written, England was changing from Pagan to Christian, so Beowulf has both beliefs Grendel is reminiscent of Pagan monsters But the battle of Grendel and Beowulf captures the
Christian idea of good conquering evil
Beowulf is an…
Epic What is an epic? (This is one of your
vocabulary words this week) Long narrative poem about the deeds of
a hero or legend
Epic Conventions• The whole epic is told in
stories or episodes (episodic)
• There is an epic hero that must go through a journey to discover something about himself or his surroundings.
• Begins in the Middle, In Medias Res
More Epic Conventions • A Vast/Global Setting–a Nation or the World
(setting covers a vast geographical distance)
• Long verse that deals with the origins of a nation, people, or religious beliefs
• Gods and other supernatural beings play a role
• Human, mortal, heroes, national or religious,
fight against great odds and triumph, but also
die in the end
• The diction is elevated (complex words), and it’s written in verse
Qualities of an Epic Hero• An epic hero is a larger than life figure
from a history or legend• The hero participates in a cyclical journey
or quest• Faces adversaries that try to defeat him in
his journey• Gathers allies along his journey• Returns home significantly transformed by
his journey. • Epic heroes are superhuman in that they
are smarter, stronger, and braver than average humans
• An epic hero can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extraordinary tasks that most find difficult.
Images from the heroic worldWater monsterDragonsUnderwater fights in a supernatural
placeMagic swordsDeath and gloryFuneral pyreBlood and gore; body parts of victim
mistaken for hero
Beowulf Character Chart
Today
We’re reading “The Wrath of Grendel” pg. 40-43 “The Coming of Beowulf” pg. 43-46
Periodically stopping for comprehension Make sure to take your own notes as we go
along, especially when we stop to talk about something
Character Charts As we read, jot down character traits, both
internal and external, for both Beowulf and Grendel