Whats Up with the Title?

Beowulf: it's the name of our hero and it's the name of his story. And it's a pretty cool name: scholars like to argue about where exactly it came from, but the most persuasive theory we've heard is that it literally means "bee wolf," as in the two animals. We know what you're thinking: what's a "bee wolf"? Well, in Old English, there are a lot of poetic-sounding compound words called "kennings." For example, the sea is described as a "whale road" and a throne is called a "treasure seat." So a "bee wolf" an animal that attacks bees in a wolfish way is a bear. It's interesting to think about this animalistic warrior-prince Beowulf and why he and the story of his deeds are called by the same name. It just goes to show that, if today "you are what you eat," then in Anglo-Saxon and ancient Scandinavian culture "you are what you do" you're the same thing as your reputation. Of course, what's really up with the title is that there isn't one. Today we call this long epic poem Beowulf, but in the original manuscript, it doesn't have a title, just like it doesn't have an author. Anglo-Saxon scribes didn't care much about those things. So maybe we shouldn't make too big a deal about Beowulf's name being the title.

Beowulf Plot Analysis Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice. Initial Situation King Hrothgar and the Danes are at the mercy of the marauding demon Grendel, who keeps attacking Heorot Hall. Not only is this what's happening at the beginning, which should tip you off that it's the initial situation, it's also an obvious set-up. A wild demon attacking a defenseless group of people? It's time for a hero to come on the scene and put this to rights. Conflict A Geatish warrior, Beowulf, throws his armor and weapons aside and fights the demon Grendel in a wrestling match to the death. How much more obvious can a conflict get? We've got two guys in a no-holds-barred wrestling competition to the death. If that's not a conflict, we don't know what is. Beowulf isn't usually very subtle about these things. Complication Grendel's mother shows up to avenge the death of her son. This is just the kind of frustrating thing that happens to you when you're a heroic Geatish warrior. Here you are, going all-out and wrestling a demon to the death, and just when you think you've

Kenneth Karl V. Pilapil Beowulf Film Analysis

won and you have a few minutes to get drunk and celebrate, the demon's mom comes along and gets her panties in a twist because you killed her kid. We love mothers, but they do seem to make things complicated sometimes. Climax Back home in Geatland, Beowulf must defend his people against a marauding dragon. Just when you think Beowulf is going to live happily ever after, he has to face his greatest challenge yet: a fifty-foot-long firebreather. If anything screams "climactic battle scene," it's the arrival of a dragon. Suspense Beowulf hangs out on the side of the dragon's barrow, recalling his past glories and wondering if he's going to die fighting the dragon. If you're tempted to yell, "Just get on with it!" at this point, you're not the only one. Beowulf hangs out for several hundred lines, talking about his past glories and wondering if he's going to die while fighting the dragon. Still, it does help to build suspense, because it makes us wonder, too. Denouement Beowulf is mortally wounded, but manages to kill the dragon and win its hoard of treasure. It's a double-whammy: Beowulf dies, but so does the dragon. After that, it's obviously all downhill, so this is definitely the denouement. Conclusion The Geats give Beowulf a splendid funeral and prepare to be attacked by their neighbors. Is anything more conclusive than a funeral? Beowulf is dead, and after mourning his death and celebrating his heroic deeds, the Geats look to the future. Of course, without his protection, it's a pretty bleak future. Whats Up With the Ending? Oh, wait, you thought that, just because Beowulf is heroic, virtuous, and brave, that he was going to live happily ever after? Nope, that's not how ancient warrior culture rolled. The first rule of Anglo-Saxon epics is that a tragic defeat is way cooler than a triumph especially if the tragic defeat is followed by a really expensive funeral. Why are death and defeat better than victory? Well, those early medieval warriors were pessimists. After all, if nobody lives to be very old because almost everyone dies in battle, then you probably start thinking that death comes to us all, and the only thing that matters is how you meet your end. To the Anglo-Saxons, the real test of a warrior isn't whether he can win a fight;

Kenneth Karl V. Pilapil Beowulf Film Analysis

it's what he'll do on the day he finally loses, and how he'll behave when he knows he's doomed to die. Then, after he's dead, you can see how much everyone else valued him by what amount of treasure there is at his funeral. Lots of gold and jewels equals a great man. It's pretty straightforward. That's why, even though the ending of Beowulf might be a surprise to us as 21st century readers, it wouldn't have been a surprise to the Anglo-Saxon audiences listening to a storyteller recite the epic in the 8th century. They weren't interested in experiencing a vicarious thrill of victory when the hero triumphed. They wanted to know whether he could actually face down certain death and not flinch and not because he knew he'd win in the end, but because he cared about honor and valor more than about his own life. That's why the narrator keeps ruining the ending for you, making references to Beowulf's eventual demise long before it actually happens. And, heck, if nobody can defeat you except a dragon, and you still manage to kill the dragon despite being mortally wounded yourself, then you're just that much more awesome.

Characterization Here are brief descriptions of the most significant figures of the Beowulf poem. They represent only one interpretation of the characters; I'm sure that as you read the poem, you will find other ways to look at the individuals and any symbolism that might attach to them. Beowulf The hero for whom the untitled poem was later named, Beowulf is the perfect warrior -- brave, strong, and honorable. While he displays enough bravado to inspire hope in the Scyldings, he is still courteous. He uses both his wits and brute strength to defeat his foes. Beowulf's only flaw manifests in the latter part of the poem, when he decides to face the dragon alone instead of delegating the task to a younger man, and in so doing leaves his kingdom without an experienced ruler, vulnerable to its enemies. Hrothgar The king of the Scyldings is a wise and venerable leader weighed down with sorrow and loss. Placed in the unenviable position of requiring outside help to solve his deadliest problem, Hrothgar nevertheless stands proud as he decides to accept Beowulf's help. Before the hero returns home, Hrothgar has wisdom to share with him about kingship, for which he believes Beowulf is eminently suited. Grendel The first and most memorable foe that Beowulf must face, Grendel is a hideous creature that is clearly not human; and yet, he displays human emotions and motivations. The poem ties him to the biblical Cain and brands him an outsider, condemned to live beyond the human community in a horrible place. There is a suggestion that envy of the splendor Hrothgar's Scyldings enjoyed and bitterness at being excluded drove him to attack Heorot. Unferth

Kenneth Karl V. Pilapil Beowulf Film Analysis

Unferth is one of Hrothgar's Scyldings, and like all the other Scyldings, he has failed to defeat Grendel, and will not face the fiend. When Beowulf arrives and is the focus of his comrade's hopes, Unferth grows jealous, and, having indulged in too much drink, he taunts the hero. Unferth's resentment and inferiority serve to throw Beowulf's greatness into sharper relief. Yet he is the one character who exhibits any growth, humbled by Beowulf's defeat of Grendel and lending his prized sword to the hero when he fights Grendel's mother. However, he understands -- as does the reader -- that he will never be a true hero. Wealhtheow Hrothgar's wife and queen is Wealhtheow. Her appearance in Heorot lends a certain grave splendor to the festivities. It is Wealhtheow to whom Beowulf makes his pledge to kill Grendel or die in the attempt, and it is Wealhtheow's confirmation of Hrothgar's adoption of Beowulf that seems to legitimize the act. In a sense, Wealhtheow symbolizes all that is fine and good in women, especially women of rank and sensibility. Grendel's Mother A swamp-fiend like her son, Grendel's mother -- who is never named -- is just as fierce and dangerous as Grendel. Understandably enraged by the death of her offspring, the hag attacks swiftly and flees, killing Hrothgar's advisor Aeschere. But when Beowulf comes after her, she faces him willingly, dragging him into her lair and attacking him viciously. Just as much a monster as Grendel, the mother shares a very human desire for vengeance. She can be contrasted with Wealhtheow, symbolizing evil in womanhood. Hygelac Hygelac is the King of the Geats. He is fond of Beowulf, yet surprised that he has triumphed over such a deadly foe. By bestowing gifts and honors on the returning hero, Hygelac reveals how Beowulf's victories have earned him respect among the Geats. When Hygelac dies, Beowulf refuses to take the throne; only when Hygelac's son is killed does Beowulf take on the responsibility of ruling Geatland. The Dragon An ancient creature, the Dragon has made his home in an even more ancient barrow, where the treasure of a long-dead pagan chieftain was hidden. When its lair is accidentally discovered, and when only one item is taken from its hoard, the Dragon awakens to bring fiery devastation to Geatland. Beowulf's battle with the Dragon will be his last. Wiglaf A kinsman to Beowulf, Wiglaf is one of the warriors that the hero brings with him to seek out the Dragon, and the only one who joins Beowulf in his hour of need instead of fleeing. For his loyalty and courage, Wiglaf is made Beowulf's heir, signifying that the valued qualities of the warrior live on in the next generation of Scandinavian manhood.

Why Should I Care?

Kenneth Karl V. Pilapil Beowulf Film Analysis

Come on, do we really have to tell you why you should care about Beowulf? Beowulf, a great and glorious hero arrives from over the sea, clad in a shirt of shining mail, ready to do barehanded battle with a demonic monster. If that leaves you wanting more, Beowulf is ready to deliver. Once the demonic monster bites the dust, his bigger, badder, even more demonic mom arrives to avenge her son's death. But that's still not the climax. Just in case anyone doubted Beowulf's prowess at this point, a dragon shows up to test him to the limit. This isn't dry-as-dust literature that you fall asleep over; it's the kind of thing you pay ten bucks to see while eating popcorn! (Although the recent Beowulf movie goes just a little bit off-script.) OK, if you're still not hooked, try this: Beowulf is the oldest major work of literature in English. In fact, it's in such old English (technical name: "Old English") that it seems like a foreign language to us today, because our words have changed so much since it was written. It's a glimpse of an ancient Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian culture. But this history lesson isn't just names, dates, and agricultural innovations. Instead, it's gleaming golden armor, straining sinews, and wild drunken parties that go all night because everyone would rather tell stories about past glorious victories than think about the fact that they'll probably die horribly tomorrow. It's a brutal world, but one that offers the possibility of fame and maybe even fortune, if you're lucky. In short, its dragons and demons and heroes, and it'll get you some street cred with your teacher for having read the first recorded epic poem written in some form of English.

Beowulf Setting Where It All Goes Down 5th or 6th-century Scandinavia OK, follow us closely here, because this does actually get a little bit confusing. Beowulf is an epic about a glorious past. But it's not just in "the past" now for us as 21st century readers. It was always set in the distant past. Beowulf was first told in Anglo-Saxon England sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, but it's not about that time and place. It's actually set several hundred years earlier, in the 5th or 6th century. And it doesn't take place in England. Instead, the action happens in the land of the Danes (what is today the nation of Denmark) and the land of the Geats (what is today the nation of Sweden). So, if someone asks you what the setting of Beowulf is, you can tell them that it's 5th or 6th century Scandinavia. (Scandinavia is the part of Europe that includes Sweden and Denmark.)

Beowulf Genre Epic Poetry When you read Beowulf, unless you know Old English, you'll be reading it in translation, so you may not realize that it's actually a poem. In fact, it's written in alliterative verse, which is the kind of poetry the Anglo-Saxons used. Alliterative verse uses, you guessed it, a lot of alliteration often three or even four words that begin with the same sound in each line.

Kenneth Karl V. Pilapil Beowulf Film Analysis

It also has a strong pause, or caesura, in the middle of the line, and two strong stressed syllables on either side of the caesura. (So that's four stresses per line.) That may all sound pretty complicated, but actually it creates a really simple, easy-to-remember formula with a heavy rhythm to it. We suggest you go check out an audio recording of Beowulf so that you can hear someone reciting a few lines in the original Old English. It's basically a "Dum Dum (pause) Dum Dum" sort of rhythm.

Themes Beowulf Theme of Identity Nearly all the characters in Beowulf in fact, we're willing to say that all of them are concerned about establishing their own identities. Sometimes this literally means explaining who you are and where you came from to get other people to trust you. At other times, this means boasting about your own achievements and exploits in order to create a positive reputation for yourself. Before the evils of job-searching with a resume, medieval Scandinavian warriors had to "sell themselves" by talking themselves up, boasting, and making claims about their past victories. Beowulf Theme of Good vs. Evil In many ways, Beowulf is the simplest kind of epic there is. It's about the conflict between a courageous, mighty, loyal warrior and the demons and dragons of hell itself. The forces of good battle the forces of evil again and again, knowing that one day they will be defeated, but at least they'll die fighting. Of course, "good" in Beowulf means "strong, generous, and proud," and "evil" means "demonic creatures from the marshes." This particular battle between good and evil isn't as much about morals as it is about fate and reputation.

Kenneth Karl V. Pilapil Beowulf Film Analysis