Beowulf

Beowulf Study Guide

Name: ______________________________________________ Period: ________

Beowulf Calendar and Homework ScheduleMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

9/12

9/13

9/14

Beowulf Introduction

Distribute Books

H.W. Review Notes/Study Guide

9/15

Intro cont./Define Literary and Historical Terms

H.W. Review Notes/Study Guide/

9/16

View Film clips of Jane Eyre

Ms. Schelewitz out for a Journalism Field trip

9/19

Beowulf introduction cont./Read and discuss Canto 1

How to take literature notes for Beowulf

9/20

Quiz #1 on Beowulf Background, Historical Context and the Epic

Beowulf vs. Grendel

Read and take notes on Canto 2&3

H.W. Read and take notes for Cantos 4-6

9/21

Discuss Cantos 4-6

Read/discuss/take notes for 7&8

9/22

Read/discuss/take notes for Cantos 9-11

Peer to Peer activity: Grammar

H.W. Review Cantos 1-11 and be sure notes are up to date. Quiz on Monday

9/23

No Classes

9/26

Quiz on

Cantos 1-11

Notebook check for Cantos 1-11

Drawing Grendel Project

9/27

Read/discuss/take notes for Cantos 12-14

***Skip Cantos 15-18. A summary will be provided

H.W. Read and take notes for Cantos 19-21

9/28

Beowulf vs. Grendel’s Mother

Discuss Cantos 19-21 and Read/discuss/take notes for Cantos 22-24

H.W. Read and take notes for Cantos 25&26

9/29

Discuss Cantos 25&26

***Skip Cantos 27-30. Summary will be provided

Beowulf vs. The Dragon

Pick up on line 2200 in Canto 31 and read through Canto 33

H.W. Read and take notes for Cantos 34&35

9/30

Discuss Cantos 34&35 and Read/Discuss/ take notes for Cantos 36&37

Peer to Peer activity:

Grammar

H.W.

Study for Quiz on Monday on Cantos 12-14, 19-26, 31-37

Be sure notebook is up to date

10/3

Quiz and notebook check on

Cantos 12-14, 19-26 and 31-37

10/4

Read/discuss/take notes for Cantos 38-41 – skip from line 2910 in 39 through 3007 in 41

H.W. Finish reading through Canto 43

9/29

Discuss the poem as a whole. Analyze the Elements of Fiction

Introduce Essay Assignment

H.W. Review notes and study for exam

9/30

Review for Exam and discuss the Essay Assignment

10/7

Beowulf Exam

(A complete schedule of the Essay requirements will be posted. The essay is due 10/14.)

Unit Goals/Objectives:

· Students will discuss the features of a literary epic poem and the literary epic hero and how these features are evident in Beowulf.

· Students will be given the opportunity to practice reading aloud and silently to improve theirskills in each area as they read for comprehension and literature analysis.

· Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of themain events and characters in Beowulf as they relate to the author's theme development.

· Students will enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of the poemthrough the vocabulary lessons prepared for use in conjunction with the poem.

· Students will relate cultural and historical contexts to the work through lessons on Anglo-Saxon culture, Old English Language, the oral tradition and background information.

Historical Context

The Anglo-Saxon Period

· Between 400 and 600 A.D., peoples from what is known as modern day Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark - the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes - migrated to what is known as modern day Britain. Also, the Frisians and the Franks migrated from these areas into Britain. These people were called the Anglo-Saxons and the Anglo-Saxon Period in Britain lasted from about 500 until 1100 A.D.

The Religion

· The early Anglo-Saxons were pagans and believed in many gods. When people died they were either cremated and put in a pottery urn or buried with their belongings. It was believed that the dead would need their belongings in their next life.

· In 597 the Pope sent a monk called Augustine to England to persuade the Anglo-Saxon kings to become Christians. Over the next two centuries, many Saxons turned to Christianity and hundreds of churches and monasteries were built.

The Language

· Old English was the language spoken until after the Norman Conquest of 1066 when it changed into Middle English.

· The languages today which are closest to Old English are those spoken by a few hundred thousand people in the northern part of Germany and the Netherlands.

· Approximately one third of Anglo-Saxon vocabulary survives into modern English, including many of our most basic, everyday words: earth, house, father, brother, son, daughter, food, sing, night and sleep.

What Happened to the Anglo-Saxons?

· In the 8th and 9th centuries the people of Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) who were known as the Vikings, began to invade Britain. Anglo-Saxon accounts describe terrible Viking raids in which people were massacred, churches destroyed, and animals and precious objects stolen. By the end of the 870s, the Vikings occupied most of eastern England.

· By 878 the Vikings had conquered all of England except Wessex. Wessex remained Anglo-Saxon as King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Vikings in battle. Gradually, the areas of England under Viking rule were reconquered by Alfred's descendants.

· The Anglo-Saxon period came to an end in 1066 when Duke William of Normandy came to England and defeated Harold, the Earl of Wessex, in the Battle of Hastings.

The Epic

One of the earliest forms of literature is the epic. An epic is a long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a legendary hero in pursuit of a goal of national importance. The hero’s accomplishments reflect the values of his culture and usually figure prominently in the history or mythology of his people.

Types of Epics

The epic genre is often divided into two categories.

· Folk Epics: In ancient times, stories about heroes were recited or sung as entertainment and passed down orally from one generation to the next. These stories were eventually unified into folk epics and written down long after they were first composed.

· Literary Epics: Literary epics are written by individual authors, drawing on the style and conventions of the folk epic.

Elements of the Epic

Certain key elements set the epic narrative apart from other types of stories.

· Epic hero: The epic hero is the central character of an epic. This character is a larger-than-life figure, typically of noble or semi-divine birth, who pits his courage, skill, and virtue against opposing, often evil, forces. In the early English epic Beowulf, for example, the hero Beowulf is a young warrior of high standing who battles brutal and bloodthirsty monsters.

· Quest: A quest is a long, dangerous journey or mission undertaken by the epic hero. The quest is the hero’s opportunity to prove his heroism and win honor and undying renown. Beowulf embarks on a quest to aid a neighboring kingdom by defeating the hideous monster Grendel.

· Valorous deeds: These actions demonstrate the hero’s courage, strength, or virtue and make up most of the action in the narrative. For example, Beowulf’s superhuman strength is shown when he fights the savage Grendel with his bare hands-and wins!

· Divine intervention: In many epics, the hero receives help from a god or another supernatural force who takes an interest in his quest. In the ancient Greek epic the Iliad, for example, the goddess Athene helps the hero Achilleus.

· Great events: Important events from history or mythology of a nation or culture often provide the backdrop for the epic narrative. The Iliad, for example, takes place during the Trojan War, a war in which the Greeks invaded and conquered the city of Troy.

Epic Conventions

Most epics share certain literary or formal characteristics called epic conventions (or rules).

1. An epic opens by stating the subject or purpose, followed by an invocation of a muse (a spirit thought to inspire an artist) or supernatural force whom would help to tell the story.

2. The plot begins in medias res – Latin for “in the middle of things.” In other words, the reader joins the story in the thick of the action.

3. Most epics are serious in tone and lofty in style, a technique meant to convey the importance of events. Long speeches by the characters suggest an impressive formality, as do the lists (or catalogs) of battles, weapons and royal gifts.

What is Beowulf?

Beowulf is the earliest known narrative poem written in English, and one of the most famous works of Anglo-Saxon poetry. The poem tells the story of Beowulf’s battles with Grendel, a bloodthirsty monster, Grendel’s mother and a fire-breathing dragon.

The only known manuscript of Beowulf dates from around 1000 AD. However, the poem is much older than this manuscript - some historians believe it might date back to 750 AD (see attachment).

The language of Beowulf

Beowulf is much admired for the richness of its poetry - for the beautiful sounds of the words and the imaginative quality of the description. About a third of the words in Beowulf are words known as kennings. Kennings are words that are in themselves metaphorical descriptions, and were a typical feature of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Beowulf contains over a thousand kennings.

Some Anglo-Saxon kennings include:

bone-house (banhus) - the human body

battle-light (beadoleoma) - sword

wave-floater (wægflota) - ship

Kennings about the sea include:

Whale-road (hronrad) – the sea

fish-home (fiscesethel) – the sea

seal-bath (seolbæp) – the sea

The Anglo-Saxon prefix Beo means "bright" or "noble," and the suffix wulf means (surprise!) "wolf." So Beowulf means "bright wolf" or "noble wolf" -- both of which apply to our hero.

Beowulf and the Oral Tradition

For hundreds of years, Beowulf was a story that was only told orally – meaning it wasn’t written down. The Anglo-Saxon scop was a tribal poet who celebrated cultural values by singing epics on occasions of great ceremony and festivity. This performance was an important part of a larger cultural context. It included feasting, drinking mead, giving gifts and playing music.

The scop was very well respected and fulfilled many roles in an Anglo Saxon tribe, such as:

court singer

tribal historian

genealogist

teacher

composer

critic

warrior

traveler and reporter

The Setting of Beowulf

The poem is set mainly in Denmark and Geatland (now southern Sweden) during the sixth century.

Major Characters

Hrothgar – King of the Danes. He builds Herot Hall as a tribute to his people.

Hygelac – King of the Geats and Beowulf’s uncle

Beowulf – A Geat and thane of king Hyglac, the king of the Geats,

Grendel – A blood-thirsty monster who is a descendant of the biblical Cain.

Grendel’s Mother – the mother of the monster Grendel, also a monster.

Ecgtheow – Beowulf’s father

Unferth – a thane of Hrothgar’s

Wealhtheow – Hrothgar’s queen

Wiglaf – Beowulf’s kin and a loyal thane of Beowulf

Hrunting – Beowulf’s sword given to him by Unferth to fight Grendel’s mother

Naegling: Beowulf’s sword that he used to fight the dragon

The original manuscript written in Old English dating back to around 1000 A.D.

Literary Terms To Know:

Write their definitions in the space provided

Epic Poem

Epic Hero

Narrative

Canto

Stanza

Alliteration

Personification

Kenning

Historical Terms To Know: Write their definitions in the space provided

Thane

Scop

Comitatus

Vaunt

Vocabulary Words To Know:

When you come across these words in your reading, you should try to determine their meaning based on the context clues first, and then use a dictionary to confirm. Write their definitions in the space provided.

1. rampaging (3)

2. foundling (3)

3. waxed (3)

4. tholed (3)

5. revered (3)

6. balm (7)

7. doled (7)

8. harrowed (9)

9. girdled (9)

10. marauding (9)

11. desolate (9)

12. anathema (9)

13. havoc (11)

14. unrelenting (13)

15. atrocious (13)

16. disembarked (19)

17. sentries (19)

18. mongering (21)

19. respite (21)

20. undaunted (21)

21. valiant (21)

22. gallant (23)

23. tapering (23)

24. renowned (25)

25. recompense (27)

26. renounce (31)

27. stalwart (35)

28. minstrel (35)

29. worsted (37)

29. wallowing (37)

30. pinioned (39)

31. desolate (39)

32. daunting (43)

33. loping (49)

34. baleful (49)

35. spurned (49)

36. ventured (51)

37. forestalled (51)

38. manacled (53)

39. unremitting (55)

40. ignominious (57)

41. wallowed (57)

42. refurbish (67)

43. unscathed (67)

44. embossed (69)

45. sumptuous (69)

46. coffer (69)

47. retainers (87)

48. bolsters (87)

49. depredations (93)

50. bulwark (97)

51. damascened (115)

52. severance (117)

Reading Questions

1. What project does Hrothgar order undertaken to ensure his fame? What is the name of that constuction project?

2. What typical activities do the people engage in at this place Hrothgar makes?

3. What does the bard sing about inside the hall early in the narrative? Why does this anger Grendel?

4. According to the story, from what famous person does Grendel trace his monstrous lineage?

5. How many warriors does Grendel eat on the first night he attacks Heorot?

6. How long does Grendel haunt Heorot until Beowulf comes to help the Danes?

7. What is the one thing in the mead-hall Grendel is unable to touch or ruin (see lines 165-70)?

8. What king does Beowulf serve? Why does Beowulf leave this king to help out Hrothgar?

9. What qualification or achievements does Beowulf have that make him suitable for fighting Grendel?

10. When Beowulf fights Grendel, what weapon does he use to defeat the monster?

11. Give one example of a boast that Beowulf makes during the course of the story.

12. What is Unferth's reaction to Beowulf showing up to save the day? How does he challenge Beowulf?

13. How is Beowulf's story about the swimming match with Brecca different than Unferth's version?

14. What does Beowulf do to Grendel that mortally wounds the monster?

15. What decoration or trophy does Beowulf stick on a spike over the entry-way to Heorot?

16. Who comes to avenge Grendel's death?

17. Grendel's mother kills whom in retaliation for her son's death?

18. Where does Grendel's mother live?

19. What unusual supernatural features does the lake have? How do deer react when they are chased by hunters to the edge of the lake?

20. Who loans Beowulf a sword initially to go fight Grendel's mother?

21. How long does the text say it took Beowulf to reach the bottom of the lake?

22. What happens when Beowulf uses the first borrowed sword to strike Grendel's Mother? Where does

he find a second weapon? According to the text, who made this weapon?

23. Where does the dragon make its lair?

24. Give a brief blow-by-blow of Beowulf's fight with the dragon.

25. Who is the one warrior that remains loyal to Beowulf when the other thanes run away?

26. After Beowulf appoints Wiglaf king, what is Beowulf's last dying request? What does he ask be done with his body when it comes to burial?