1 / 15

Beowulf

Beowulf. Background.

avarielle-smith
Download Presentation

Beowulf

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Beowulf Background

  2. “Beowulf is to English what the Odyssey and the Iliad are to Greek language and literature. The oldest piece of vernacular literature of any substance not only in England but the whole of Europe; it breathes the whole spirit of the northern Heroic Age.”~Beowulf scholar Michael Swanton

  3. What is Beowulf? The oldest piece of British Literature An epic—a long poem, usually from an oral tradition, which focuses on the deeds and adventures of a hero (The Odyssey is also an epic) One of the first stories in English with a dragon A story that focuses on heroic deeds, the rightful king, and fate

  4. The Poem • Beowulf is written by an Anglo-Saxon (more on them soon) but takes place in Scandinavia • It tells the story of a warrior from Geatland, Beowulf, and his battles with 3 monsters • Beowulf travels from Geatland(modern day Sweden) to assist the Danish King Hrothgar in ridding his kingdom of the man-eating monster, Grendel

  5. The Poem Continued • After he valiantly kills Grendel, Beowulf is then faced with Grendel’s mother • Upon slaying her, Beowulf returns home to Geatland to rule for 50 years • He meets his death while trying to defend his kingdom against a fire-breathing dragon

  6. Language • Beowulf is written in Old English • It was composed between 700 and 950 AD • It is more than 3000 lines long • More than 80% of our words are derived from Old English

  7. The poem contains caesura- a midline pause to help poets remember their lines The poem was originally told orally and was not written down until much later It also contains many kennings, or an epithet that is made up of two-word metaphors, usually connected by a hyphen (a dragon is a cave-guard or a hoard-guard, armor is war-gear or battle-dress) These are just a few examples found in Beowulf moder = mother Hond = hand Lif = life Man = man Hus = house Eald = old Swearde = sword Londe = land Worulde = world Wundor = wonder Beowulf in Old English Language Continued

  8. The Oral Tradition • Scop • The poem was most likely told by a scop, or oral poet who told legendary stories to the aristocracy • The poem has several digressions that tell the stories of famous rulers and warriors, many of which we only have knowledge of from the text of Beowulf

  9. The manuscript • Only one copy still survives • It is housed in the British museum • The copy is dated about 1000 AD, before the use of the printing press • It was hand-copied by monks in a monastery • It was nearly lost when King Henry VIII closed all the monasteries, but it was saved by a collector and survived the great London fires with minimal damage

  10. History • The poet is writing in the English period following the collapse of the Roman Empire (about 400 AD) referred to as the Anglo-Saxon period • After the Romans left England, Northern Germanic tribes began to invade, the strongest being the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They conquered the Celtic inhabitants of the island (about 500 AD).

  11. History Continued • These groups set up small kingdoms or realms, which lived in constant fear of invasion • In the 8-9 c. the island was constantly warring with the Vikings, who managed to conquer most of England, leaving only the West Saxon kingdom • This culture was marked with a persistent fear of their group being swallowed up and assimilated into another culture. This fear is echoed in Beowulf.

  12. Themes • Tribal warfare • The kingdoms in Anglo-Saxon England live in constant fear of invasion • A revenge ethic exist, an eye-for-an-eye mentality • Princesses were given as peace-weavers; that is, they were given in marriage by their fathers to other rules to settle conflicts between kingdoms • The Sword is more than just a weapon. It is symbolic of past conquests, and is handed down from father to son. Swords in this era were very elaborate and often told the story of legendary family victories in scroll work and jewels.

  13. More Themes • Wyrd • Meaning fate. For most Anglo-Saxon warriors, the ultimate wyrd was death. One of the ways for a warrior to escape death and gain immortality was to create a name for himself through heroic acts. • These acts would allow the warrior’s name to live on in the stories of others. • These heroic acts could prove a man was meant to be king, or the “rightful” king.

  14. More Themes • Good vs. Evil • These monsters represent the ultimate evil (Hint: look for the explanation as to where Grendel came from!) • Grendel and the other monsters are only able to eat and terrorize at night • Grendel will not touch the throne

  15. Guiding Questions(Things to keep in mind while reading) • Does Beowulf prove that he should become a king? • Is he really a hero? • How are our stories and fairy tales today derived from this story? • What does Grendel represent? What is he allegorically?

More Related