Beowulf Beowulf the text First great work of

Beowulf

Beowulf the text • • First great work of English literature Genre—Epic poem of a hero Oral beginning (Old English) (700 – 750) Written down around AD 1000 by a Northumbrian monk possibly Contains pagan and Christian elements Approximately 3, 200 lines (considered a short epic poem) Depicts life in early 6 th century Original text was damaged in a fire, but it was saved

lf’s u w Beo land e hom Hrothgar’s kingdom

Hrothgar • King of Danes (Denmark) • Kingdom is attacked by monster, Grendel, for twelve years • Married to Wealhtheow • Built Herot

Herot • Hart Hall- hart: stag • Hrothgar’s Mead Hall • Decorated with antlers

Bee-hunter= bear Beowulf • Geat (rhymes with meats; or gay-ets); “Strongest of the Geats. . . and the world” Father: Ecgtheow (wergild-man-price) • noble, courageous, bold; nephew of King Higlac • Sails to Denmark, with 14 of his strongest men, to rid Danes of Grendel

Grendel • • Fierce, powerful, evil monster Mark of Cain (fratricide) Man’s joy angers him His attacks shame Hrothgar

Grendel’s mother Lives on the bottom of a dark lake

Dragon Lives and sleeps in a cave where it hoards its treasures

Themes • Goodness conquers evil. Beowulf, of course represents goodness; the three monsters that he slays represent evil. • Actions (Beowulf's) speak louder than words (Unferth's). • Judge the greatness of a human being by the greatness of his deeds and his noble ancestry. • Help thy neighbor. (Beowulf risks his life to help a neighbor, King Hrothgar, in trouble. ) • Forces of darkness–irrational, menacing–are always at work in society. • Life is a continuing struggle. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, Grendel's mother seeks revenge. Beowulf kills her. Eventually, in old age, he faces still another challenge, this time from a dragon. He kills the dragon, too, but suffers a mortal wound. After he dies, new troubles loom on the horizon in the form of wars with neighboring tribes.

CAESURA MODERN EDITION Hwæt. We-Gardena in gear-dagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Kenning Examples: – Blood stick = sword or spear – Ring bearer = king – Whale road = ocean – Meal of gold = corn – Metal storm = battle – Oar steed – ship – Chicken of the sea = tuna