Type of work:Poem

Genre:

Alliterative verse; elegy;

DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION:

Around 1000 A.D

NARRATOR:

A Christian telling a story of pagan times

LANGUAGE : Anglo-

SaxonTIME AND PLACE

WRITTEN:Estimates of the

date of composition range between 700

and 1000 A.D.; written in England

POINT OF VIEW:

third person

TONE

The poet is generally enthusiastic about

Beowulf’s feats, but he often surrounds the

events he narrates with a sense of doom.

SETTING

(TIME):

The main action of the story is set around 500 A.D.; the narrative also

recounts historical events that happened

much earlier.

SETTING (PLACE) Denmark and

Geatland (a region in what is now

southern Sweden)

PROTAGONIST

Beowulf

Literary Devices

Anglo-Saxon scops relied on certain poetic devices to aid their memory and give their poems structure and impact. Three of these devices can be found in Beowulf:AlliterationKenningsCaesura

Alliteration“Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.”

“miserable, mighty men tormented”

KenningCompound Words Prepositional Phrases Possessives

"hell-forged" "banquet-rich“"ring-giver" "mead-cup" "she-wolf"

"Shelter of warriors" "shapes of darkness"

"shepherd of evil" "tormentor of their

days" "journey into darkness"

"ocean's/Furrows" "God's bright

beacon" "Heaven's high

arch" "Geats'/Brave

prince" "hell's captive"

A kenning enhances the literal meaning of the words. A kenning gives the listener an idea of how the words connect to an idea or concept that is richer and more emotionally complex.

Kenning

CaesuraIn Old English poetry, it

usually comes near the middle of a line, with two stressed syllables before and two after, often allowing little or no “run-on” of meaning from the first half line to the second.

“A prince of the Geats / had killed Grendel.”

CHARACTERS

BEOWULF

Wise and

Effective

Ruler

Strongest and

Ablest Warrio

rPerfect Hero

Geatish Hero

KING HROTHGAR

King of Danes

Wise and Aged Ruler

Static Characte

r

Father Figure

GRENDEL

Demon

Ruthless and Miserable

Resentment and Malice

Ancient and Powerful

Guard of Treasure

Unnamed swamp-hag

Vengeance

GRENDEL’S MOTHER

DRAGON

DANES

Shield Sheafs

on

Legendary Danish KingMythical founder who inaugurates a long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish Tribe’s highest values of heroism ad leadership.

Second king Son of Shield SheafsonFather of HafdaneA gift of God to a people in need of a leader

Beow

Halfdane

The father of Hrothgar, Halga and an unnamed daughter who married a king of Swedes.Successor of BeowulfHrothgar’s wife

Gracious Queen of Danes.

Wealtheow

Unferth

Jealous of BeowulfUnwilling to fight Grendel.

Hrethric

Hrothgar’s elder sonStands to inherit the Danish throne, but Hrethric’s older cousin Hrothulf will prevent him from doing so. Beowulf offers to support the youngster’s prospect of becoming king by hosting him in Geatland and giving him guidance.Second son of

Hrothgar..Hrothmu

nd

Hrothulf

Hrothgar’s nephewHrothulf betrays and usurps his cousin, Hrethic, the rightful heir to the Danish throne..

GEATS

Hygelac

Beowulf’s uncleking of the Geats Husband of Hygd. Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark.Hygelac’s wife,

the young, beautiful, and intelligent queen of the Geats. Hygd is contrasted with Queen Modthryth.

Hygd

Wiglaf

A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away.Beowulf’s father,

Hygelac’s brother-in-law, and Hrothgar’s friend

Ecgtheow

King Hreth

el

Geatish king who took Beowulf in as a ward after the death of Ecgtheow, Beowulf’s father.

BrecaBeowulf’s childhood friend, whom he defeated in a swimming match.

A figure from Norse mythology, famous for slaying a dragon. Sigemund’s story is told in praise of Beowulf and foreshadows Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon

Sigemund

Other Figures Mentioned

King Herem

od

An evil king of legend. The scop, or bard, at Heorot discusses King Heremod as a figure who contrasts greatly with Beowulf.

Queen Modthry

th

A wicked queen of legend who punishes anyone who looks at her the wrong way. Modthryth’s story is told in order to contrast her cruelty with Hygd’s gentle and reasonable behavior.

Part 1

Our story begins in the kingdom of the Danes of a land named Denmark. It was a peaceful place of prosperity and comfort until a great demon named Grendel arose. Grendel was a terrifying monster that attacked and killed countless Dane people causing great sorrow and despair within the hearts of many for several years.

Part 2

Then came a very interesting man from a faraway land. A man whose very appearance proved that of a warrior. He was tall, muscular, confident, handsome. He was Beowulf.

Beowulf heard the plea of the Dane king and accepted the challenge of defeating the great demon Grendel as Beowulf had never faced defeat…

Part 3

The king of Dane then decides to celebrate by having a party in honor of Beowulf. Great amounts of food and drink are shared among the party along with plenty of laughs and tales of Beowulfs’ previous accomplishments. The people continued to celebrate deep into the night until suddenly a great figure appeared from out of the darkness. Grendel had been awakened…

Part 4

Grendel had done Beowulf a great favor, as Grendel came to him. Beowulf accepted the challenge and fought the great demon bare handed! Beowulf and Grendel both displayed great strength and endurance as they battled to the death. Although both were admirable foes, only one could win. Grendel possessed something Beowulf did not….fear. This gave Beowulf the advantage

Part 5

After an energetic battle of strength and cunning, Beowulf was the victor. Although Grendel was not yet dead and Beowulf was not yet finished. Beowulf then rips one of Grendels’ arms right off his body and holds it high for all to see. Grendel manages to escape alive but mortally wounded. Grendel returns to his swamp and spends his last moments within the comfort of his mother…

Part 6

Few knew that Grendel had a mother and those that did were most likely dead! The main theme then changes from Beowulfs’ heroics to the mothers’ revenge. Grendels’ mother later kills Aeschere, one of the Kings best men/personal aids, out of revenge for her sons’ death and returns to her swamp soon after. A small group of men and Beowulf later travel to the swamp on a quest to avenge the murder of Aeschere…

Part 7

Beowulf finds the swamp where Grendels’ mother lies in wait. He dives into the murky water down to the very bottom where he discovers the underwater lair of Grendels’ mother. After a great attempt of seduction, the mother charges at Beowulf and engages him in another great battle of man versus demon. After much sweat and bloodshed, Beowulf stands victorious as he cuts down Grendels’ mother with a Sword forged for giants!

Part 8

The battle is over, but the story has just begun. Amongst the underwater lair, Beowulf discovers Grendels’ corpse and cuts off his head as a trophy for the king of Dane. The people of Dane are overjoyed as the terrifying monsters have been slain and peace has been restored to their land all thanks to Beowulf. Beowulf then leaves Dane and sails back home to his kingdom of Geat….

Part 9

Upon returning to Geat, Beowulf is appointed king of Geat and becomes a great ruler for over fifty years. Then, one day a thief disturbs an old tomb of treasure that is guarded by a ferocious dragon. The dragon is awakened and begins wreaking havoc upon the people of Geat. Many attempt to kill the dragon but none prevail as there is but one man who could defeat such a terrifying beast. His name is Beowulf...

Part 10

Yet Beowulf is no longer the young man he was in Denmark as fifty years have passed and Beowulf has become an old man. Yet, his strength and courage have not left him as he and his companion Wiglaf set off to the dragons lair in an attempt to bring peace back to their land.

Part 11

Beowulf and Wiglaf confront the Dragon in what is to be the most difficult and rigorous battle of their lives. After many futile attempts, Beowulf finally manages to penetrate the strong scaly skin of the dragon. His blade cuts deep but at a great price as Beowulf has been bitten and the dragons venom begins to spread…

Part 12Beowulf begun to feel the poison spread

through his body and ever closer to his heart. He sits down by a river with his companion Wiglaf and speaks to him his dying words. He asks that his people remember him and his successful reign with the construction of a burial mound overlooking the sea. The last words of Beowulf are as followed, “You are the last of our family Wiglaf. All the others fell when fate decided they must. Now I must follow them…” The End

MAJOR CONFLICT

:The poem’s

overarching conflict is between close-knit

warrior societies and the various menaces that threaten their

boundaries

THEMES

The importance of establishing identity;tensions between the heroic code and other value systems; the difference between a good warrior and a good king

SYMBOLS:

•The golden torque

SYMBOLS:

•The banquet

MOTIFS:

•Monsters

MOTIFS:

•the oral tradition

MOTIFS:

•the mead-hall

FORESHADOWING:

The funeral of Shield Sheafson, with which the poem opens, foreshadows Beowulf’s funeral at the poem’s end; the story of Sigemund told by the scop, or bard, foreshadows Beowulf’s fight with the dragon; the story of King Heremod foreshadows Beowulf’s eventual ascendancy to kingship.

LIFE LESSONS FROMBEOWULF

Lesson # 1: Honor the King and Queen

Lesson # 2: Never Underestimate

Heritage and Reputation

Lesson # 3: Choose Your Battles

Lesson # 4: Be A Good Leader

Lesson # 5: Know When To Quit

MEMORABLE LINES

And a young prince must be prudent like that,

giving freely while his father livesso that afterwards in age when

fighting startssteadfast companions will stand

by himand hold the line. Behaviour that’s

admiredis the path to power among people

everywhere.(Lines 20–25)

What is it about Beowulf that moved the American poet Longfellow to compare it to “a piece of ancient armor; rusty and battered, and yet strong”?