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Putting it in Context. Historical and Cultural Setting of Beowulf. Let’s go over the main ideas of yesterday’s reading. Warrior Culture. Valued bravery , loyalty , and strength Tribes would rally around strong kings Kings would reward his warriors with treasure.
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Putting it in Context Historical and Cultural Setting of Beowulf
Warrior Culture • Valued bravery, loyalty, and strength • Tribes would rally around strong kings • Kings would reward his warriors with treasure
Structure of Beowulf • It is an epic poem: a long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a great hero • Heroes of epic poems embody warrior values, such as strength and courage • Several universal themes, such as loyalty/vengeance and good/evil
Heroes Monsters
Conversation Who are some of your favorite fictional heroes? What admirable qualities do they have? Who are some of your favorite fictional monsters and/or villains? What personality traits do they have?
Yesterday’s Exit Ticket Define the word “evil” and give examples to support your response. The story of Beowulf involves fighting monsters. Explain some examples of modern-day monsters. These could be ideas too; think outside the box!
Dragons • Sharks • Lions • Tigers • Snakes and Lizards • Hillary Clinton • Donald Trump • Government and Police • Natural Disasters • Money • ISIS • Your boss at work • Phones / Social Media • Teachers that assign too much homework Your Modern-Day Monsters • Laziness • Anxiety • Gender Inequality • Media • Corporate America • Addiction • Human Trafficking
Language of Beowulf • Uses a great deal of alliteration: the repetition of sounds/letters at the beginning of words • Examples: lived happy in his hall • when darkness had dropped • Also has several kennings: a metaphorical compound phrase used in place of a person or thing • Examples: whale-road for the seas • ring-giver for a king
Modern Kennings Fender-bender: a slight car accident Ankle-biter: an infant Pencil-pusher: someone with an office job Tree-hugger: an environmentalist
Conversation • Define the following examples of kennings: • Gas-guzzler • Rug-rat • Land-line • Cancer-stick • Couch-potato • Straight-shooter • Thor’s laughter
Discussion Questions • Why is Beowulf, the character, a perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon hero? • Why are there references to both pagan beliefs and Christianity in Beowulf?
Conversation What other historical cultures around the world held similar values to the Anglo-Saxons’ Warrior Code?