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