Beowulf:The Beginnings of English Literature

OriginsUnknown author;

possibly one Christian author in Anglo-Saxon England

Unknown date of composition (roughly 8th-11th Century CE)

Historical Context5th Century (400s A.D.) England

Constant invasions from tribesNo unityWar and sickness killed scores of people

The Need for a HeroGives people reassurance

Yankees in Oct. 2001Gives country unity

“300”, “Braveheart”

Paganism vs. ChristianityPaganism

Life is controlled by fateMonsters lurked in the dark outside the mead hall

(Grendel)

ChristianityBelief in a single deity (God) Individuals can control their destiny (Beowulf)Clear definition of good and evil

Allusion: Reference to something else. EX: Biblical, Germanic oral tradition, Norse

myth and legend, historical Anglo-Saxon kings (eg. King Offa of Mercia)

Alliteration: The commencement of two or more stressed syllables of a word group either with the same consonant sound or sound group. EX: Scyld’s strong son

Kenning: two-word metaphorical name for something EX: whale-road=sea

Literary Devices

Assonance: Also called vowel rhyme. Rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the stressed syllables of the rhyming words.EX: Penitent and reticence.

Epic poetry: a long narrative poem written in elevated style which celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero or god.

Scop: Anglo-Saxon composers and storytellers (like minstrels or bards)

Literary Devices (continued)

Comitatus: Germanic code of loyaltyThane: warrior – swears loyalty to the king

for whom they fought and whom they protected

Kings: generous, protected thanesReputation: thanes were expected to be

loyal, brave, courageous; kings were expected to be generous and hospitable

Wergild: “man-payment”; a fee paid to the family of a slain man to atone for his murder and to prevent the family from seeking revenge.

Warrior Code

Geats and DanesBeowulf was a war

leader of the Geats, a group of people in what is now southern Sweden

Hrothgar was king of the Danes

Old English

Beowulf was written in Old English, an early form of English

Old English was spoken in the Middle Ages from about 6th century to 11th century CE

Modern English has been spoken since the Renaissance – Shakespeare is NOT Old English; he is Early Modern English

1. Epic hero– an character with a trait or characteristic that is valued by his society.

• STRONG, ETHICAL, QUEST, GLORIFIED2. Quest– A journey through which the

character or the reader learns something3. Valorous Deeds– Doing something

bravely.4. Divine Intervention– The hand of God

(or gods) help the hero, proving his value.

5. Great events– The hero has a hand in something important in the history or mythology of a culture.

Elements of an Epic

1. Folk Told out loud first (usually by scops) Unknown author Unknown dates (Ex.—Beowulf is a folk epic because we don’t

know who wrote it)

2. Literary Known author (Exg.– Paradise Lost, by John Milton is a

literary epic because we know who wrote it.)

2 Types of Epics

Why has this story lasted through ages?Interlaced with

battles of monsters deals with human struggleGood vs. EvilTruth and light vs.

dark powersStrength of heart

and spiritChallenge is

constantDeath always awaits

Orally passed down stories often are subjected to many changes once they are written downMistakes in translationsMisunderstanding slangPolitical correctnessIntentional changes: More

Christianity edited into Beowulf.

Don't believe what you read

Themes in BeowulfIdentity

Ancestral heritage Individual reputation

(Fame) Heroic acts

Heroic gloryCharacteristics of good

warriorStrengthLoyaltyCourage

Characteristics of good kingHospitalityGenerosityDiplomacy

Distribution of treasureKing rewarded strong,

loyal warriorsGoldHorsesArmor

Setting and charactersMead Hall: social,

government, emotional center of the villageMead = honey-based

wineGrendel: Superhuman

monsterGrendel’s mother:

Less human than sonOlder, more animal-like

evilDragon: Oldest form of

evil

Why do we create villains?We can focus our fear and hatred on one thing

Bin Laden, serial killers, sharksThey can justify greedy desires

Crusades, Inquisition, Salem witch trialsDeep down, we need them

Police, soldiers

GrendelHuman-like monster from the steamy swampsUnderstands human speech and actionsBloodlust for humans stems from his observing

how cruel we are to each other

The Villain

For the 5th century Briton?Poverty and starvationPlague Invading tribesNo unity

For the 21st century American?TerroristsPovertyCrime ImmigrationNuclear warGlobal warming

What Grendel Represents...

Beowulf as HeroWhat makes a good hero?

Cockiness vs. confidence (Kobe vs. MJ)Warrior vs. common man (Rambo vs. single

parent)Reputation vs. proof (Joe Montana vs. Fran

Tarkenton)Beowulf

Legendary hero and kingOne of the Geats (North Germanic tribe)

located in SwedenSuperhero