05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Beowulf-part 1

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Beowulf

05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Important Characters

• Beowulf,titlecharacter,amemberoftheGeattribe

• Breca,agoodfriendofBeowulf;intheiryouththeychallengedeachother

totestbraveryandskills

• Ecgtheow,Beowulf’sfather;throughepithetshisnameismentioned

frequently;notadirectplayerinthestoryline

• Grendel,themonsterwhomBeowulfmustdefeat,adescendantofCain

• Heorot,themeadhalloffabulousconstruction

• Hrothgar,elderlykingoftheDanes;great-grandsonofScyldScefing

• Hrunting,nameforUnferth’ssword

• Hygelac,Beowulf’suncleandlordoftheGeats

• Nailing(Nægling),Beowulf’ssword

• ScyldScerfing,fistruleroftheDanes;hisnamemeans‘shield’or‘protector’

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Beowulf

05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

• Unferth,spokesmanofthecourt,uncouth,arude,challengingpersonality

• Wealtheow,queenoftheDanes,respectfulwifeofHrothgar

• Wiglaf,nephewtoBeowulf;heisthelastcompaniontostandwithBeowulf

againstthedragon

• Grendel’sMother,unnamedcharacter,asecondarychallengeforBeowulf

Setting:

• Scandinavia

• traditionallytheeventsareviewedashappeningduringthehistoricalperiod

ofthelatterhalfoftheFifthCentury,uptothemid-SixthCentury

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Beowulf

05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

The story of Beowulf was first recorded in England by cleric scribes.

However,strongopinionsvaryontheactualdateofthepoem’sconception

• ideasrangefromtheEighthtoEleventhCenturies

• itisananonymousworkwhichfitstheearlyAnglo-Saxonculturepromoted

bytheOldEnglishscop-poets

• traditionalitisbelievedtobeconceivedbyanAnglo-Saxonscoppoet,

aperformerstillmaintaininghisGermanicheritageandculture;hewould

inturntrainanapprenticewhowouldmemorizethetextandlaterperform

andtrainhisownapprentice

• anothercriticalopinionstatesthatthepoemconsistsofmultiplescrapsof

materials,threeseparatestoriesbroughttogetherunderacommon

hero’snamebyaclericalscribe

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Beowulf

05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

• anothertheoryproposesamonkfamiliarwithmanyAnglo-Saxonfolktales,

createdtheentirepiecetocelebratethepasthistory—withthisconcept,

whatisbeingsuggestedisthatthestorydidnothaveanoraltraditionbut

ratherbeganasanoriginalwrittenconceptfromtheverybeginning

So, depending on your views of the composition, the overall inten-

tions of the poem change.

Whatresults:

• thepaganelementsarespecificculturalbeliefsofthecreator(oral)

—or—

• thepaganelementsaremerelyliterarydevicestoembellishthetext(literate)

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Beowulf

05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

The Theme

Besidespresentingtheuniversalconceptofgoodversusevil,

Beowulfpresentsanuniqueangletotheepictheme

• aheroofabsolutegoodsacrificeshimselfinordertopromotehis

moralcodeandcreateagreatersenseofsafetyforhumanity

• theaudienceisprovidedthreedifferentexamplesofhowhismoralcode

ischallengedandhowheprevailsineachsection

• theaudienceislikewisepresentedsecondarybackgroundstoriesofhow

othermenandwomensucceededorfailedwithsimilarconflicts

705.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Beowulf

Keep in mind, at the root of this story is established a warrior-society.

• orderismaintainedthroughforceandmilitaristicactions

• specialemphasisisplacedmoreonheroicdeedsofcentralcharactersand

lessonasystemofdiplomacyandlogicalanalysis

• ThecharacterofHrothgarappearsinnumerousotherNordicaswellas

Anglo-Saxonepicsandpoems;theaudiencewouldbefamiliarwithhis

fullhistoryandknowoffurthertragedies,conflictswhichwilloccur

forhimselfandhisfamily

805.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Beowulf

• Furthermore,inBeowulf,KingHrothgarisshownwithhisthaneswho

collectivelyrepresentaflawedestablishedorder;asrepresentationsof

strengththesemenshouldbemaintainingastrongstructurefortheir

society,however:

> thecontinuedpresenceofthemonsterGrendelisaforcewho

terrorizesHrothgar’smeadhallfor“twelvelongwinters”(l146)

andcannotberesolvedbytheDanesthemselves

>Hrothgar’sadvisorssometimesmake“unholysacrifices”toHell(l175)

>Unferth’srevealedpasthistoryrepresentsfurtherweaknessesinthe

group(l587-589)

• Beowulf,anoutsideresourcefromGeatslineage,entersthesceneto

repairtheproblem;heisafterallthesubjectoftheepic,theprotagonist

905.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Grendel

Grendel is shown as the monster-antagonist.

• describedas“anenemyfromhell/[...]thiscruelspirit”(ll100-101)

• helivesinmarshesandwetlandswhichexistnearthemeadhall,Heorot

• heisadecedentofCain,thefirstmurdererfromtheOldTestament;

thisisaplotdevicetoshowsympathyshouldnotliewithGrendel;

hepersonifiesapureevil,withoutretribution

• asevidence,hecannotapproachHrothgar’sthroneduetothepresumed

notionHrothgar,theking,isprotectedbyGod,evenifhisthanesarenot;

Grendel’sviolenceislimitedinasensetomenwhogettoorowdyintheir

drunkennessatnight

• hemovesaboutindarkness;commitshiscrimesunderdarkness;

heattackshisenemiesastheyaresleeping,likeacoward

1005.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Grendel

Notice Grendel is fated to commit crimes based on his heritage.

Grendel,asacharacter,isagoodexampleofacombinationofpaganand

Christianelements.

• AsadescendantofCain,Grendel’sbloodlineiscursedasoneofthefallen

• WhenwereadmoreofGrendel’sbackgroundwediscoverfromCain:

“camedownallkindsmisbegotten/—orgesandelvesandevilshades—/

asalsotheGiants,whojoinedinlong/warswithGod.Hegavethemtheir

reward”(ll110-113).Obviouspagancreaturesaremixedintothebiblical

storyfromtheOldTestament.

• Moresubtle,butimportanttonote,pickuponthefactthatGrendel’sactions

arepredestined,controlledbyapagan,Nordicnotionofwyrd.(TheCatholic

traditionisslightlysimilar,however,whatdiffersintheelementoffreewill

withinthenon-paganbeliefs.ThisstorypredatestheideaofPredestination.)

1105.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Grendel

Notice how Grendel represents chaos; on the other hand,

the mead hall, Heorot, represents order, structure.

• theconstructionofthemeadhallisanarchitecturalfeatinitself,

“ahousegreater/thanmenoneartheverheardof”(ll68-69);

itisby appearanceawell-craftedbuildingofsolidform—however,

in reality,asseenbyHrothgar’sflaws,hiddensituationsexist

• intheopeningscenesbeforeGrendelfirstattacks,itisrelayedhow

ascop-poetsangastoryfromtheOldTestament(l90-97)—inthisaction,

theDanesareportrayedasapeoplewhofollowareligiousorder,amoral

codefromBiblicalteachings;italsopreparesyoufortheentranceof

Grendel;hedislikesreligiousorder;heemergesonthescenefrommarshes

anddarkness,fromoutofchaoticnatureitself

1205.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

wergild

Within the warrior-society a value is heavily placed on one’s kinship,

identity, and personal heritage.

• Aresponsibilitylieswithmaintainingtheappearanceofasuccessfulfamily

throughpasthistorieswithinthebloodline.

• Furthermore,ifafamilymemberiskilled,thesurvivingmembershavethe

dutytoactrevengeonthetransgressoror

• demandawergild,apaymenttoreplacethelossoftherelative.

• Inline157,Longmannotesthatthephrase“man-price”indicates

theconceptofwergildasameansofillustratinghowuncivilizedGrendelis;

herefusestopayforhiscrimesofmurderagainsttheDanishmenandthus

limitshimtobeinginhuman,heathen,ornon-Christian.

• Thecrimesofhisancestorareinheritedtraitsinhisbeing.

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Beowulf

05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

To contrast against the Grendel example, andcontinuingtoexplain

theconceptofwergild,thestoryclarifieswhyHrothgarispersuadedtoacceptthe

offerfromBeowulfinthefirstplace.

• HrothgarhimselfrelateshowBeowulf’sfather,Ecgtheow,onceneeded

assistancetoendafeudbetweenhimselfandtheWulfingclan.

• HrothgarvaluesBeowulf’sofferbecauseitshowsason’sgratitudefor

thepastactionsoftheking.

• Familyhonorishighlyvaluedthroughoutthestory.