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FROM THE ORIGINS TO

THE MIDDLE AGES


BEOWULF
Beowulf
 Beowulf literally means “beo wolf”
i.e. ‘bear hunter’.
 An Old English epic poem of 3182
lines.
 One of the most important works
of Anglo-Saxon literature.
 The story had been in circulation
as an oral narrative for many years
before it was written.
 Composed around 700 A.D.
The Features of an Epic
 Takes the form of a long narrative
poem about a quest, told in formal,
elevated language.
 Begins with a statement of subject
and theme and, sometimes, a prayer
to a deity
 Deals with events on a large scale
 Uses many of the conventions of
oral storytelling, such as repetition,
sound effects, and figures of speech.
 Often includes gods and goddesses
as characters.
 Mixes myth, legend, and history.
Elements of an Epic
1. Epic hero– an character with a
trait or characteristic that is
valued by his society.
2. Quest– A journey through
which the character or the
reader learns something
3. Valorous Deeds– Doing
something bravely.
4. Divine Intervention– The hand
of God (or gods) help the hero,
proving his value.
5. Great events– The hero has a
hand in something important in
the history or mythology of a
culture.
Other Examples of Epics
 Gilgamesh from Mesopotamia

 The Iliad and the Odyssey from Greece

 The Aeneid by Virgil from Rome

 Paradise Lost by Milton


Characters
 Beowulf: a hero of the Geats.
 Hrothgar: the king of the
Danes.
 Grendel: the monster.
 Grendel’s Mother.
 Dragon
Characters
Beowulf
 a great warrior with his
strength and courage.
 also a man of manner like
Germanic heroic code,
loyalty, courtesy and pride.
 is from Geatland.
Characters
Hrothgar
 The King of Danes.
 enjoys military success and
prosperity.
 a wise ruler and a father
figure to Beowulf.
Characters
Grendel
 one of the three monsters
Beowulf battles.
 is an outcast.
 preys on warriors in the
king’s mead-hall.
Characters
Grendel’s mother
 unnamed swamp monster.
 possesses fewer human
qualities than Grendel.
 seeks vengeance for
Grendel’s death.
Characters
Dragon
 an ancient, powerful monster.
 guard the treasure in the
mound.
 killed by Beowulf but mortally
wounds him.
Setting
Beowulf Story
The main protagonist, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats,
comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes,
whose great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster
Grendel. Beowulf kills both Grendel and Grendel's
mother, the latter with a magical sword.
Later in his life, Beowulf is himself king of the Geats,
and finds his realm terrorized by a dragon whose
treasure had been stolen from his hoard in a burial
mound. He attacks the dragon with the help of his
attendants, but they do not succeed. Beowulf decides to
follow the dragon into its lair, but only his young
Swedish relative Wiglaf dares join him. Beowulf finally
slays the dragon, but is mortally wounded. He is buried
in a tumulus by the sea.
Comprehension
1. They tried to protect their chief.
2. That he could not be injured by a sword.
3. He had committed horrible crimes.
4. His shoulder.
5. To a dark moor.
6. Yes, he did.
Structure of the poem
 Rhythm
Rhythm is a musical quality produced by the repetition
of stressed and unstressed syllables.
 Caesura
A feature that regulates the rhythm of Anglo-Saxon
poetry.
 Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the
beginning or in the middle of two or more words.
Beowulf
The Poetry of Beowulf

Create modern-day kennings for things you see around you.

giver of words ? ?
word-wand

? ?
Analysis
1. Beowulf line 4 praised prince

line 20 kinsman of Hygelac

Beowulf’s Line 1-2 earl of Beowulf


followers
line 6 hardy-hearted heroes

Line 5 the foe


Grendel
line 8 the accursed

Line 10 hideous fiend

line 22 outlaw

line 2 blade ancestral


sword
line 8 keenest blade

line 9 fairest falchions


Analysis
2. Yes, they are rhythmic.
3. Examples of caesure are in:
line 4 (their praised prince, if powers were theirs)
line 5 (the accursed to kill, no keenest blade)
line 14 (woeful should be, and his wandering soul)
Writer’s Workshop
1. Examples of alliteration in Text B1
fain the life of their lord shield (line 3)
Hardy-hearted heroes (line 6)
no fairest of falchions fashioned on earth (line 9)
2. Four-legged friend’s five-mountain Marathon
Small screen star
4. Examples of alliteration
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
a picture postcard.
Aerosmith’s Dude
(Looks Like A Lady
BNL’s “One Week”
(Chickity China The Chinese
Chicken)
2Pac’s “If I Die 2 Night”
they say p***y & paper is poetry, power & pistols.
picturin' pitiful punk n***az coppin' pleas.puffin' weed as i
position myself....
my enemies scatter in suicidal situations.
pockets is packed with presidents pursue your riches.
b**chez is bad-mouthed coz ballin' muthaf***az is bold.
i'm sick of psychotic society, somebody save me.
polish your pistols, prepare for battle, pass the pump.
call on the coroner, come collect the f***in' corpse.
picture perfection, pursuin' paper with a passion.
pissin' while practicin' how to pimp and be a playa.
Comprehension
1. The Eatons, a Scandinavian tribe
2. Because it was too heavy.
3. Her neck
4. The cave where Grendel was lying suddenly lit up.
5. Because Grendel had waged war and carried out
murderous raids against the Western Danes.
6. Fifteen
7. No, He was not (spoiled of line, line 31)
8. He cut off his head.
Structure of the poem
 Formulae
Widely used compounds nouns or short phrases that
were synonyms for often repeated words.
The word ‘king’ could be replaced by:
the ring giver the treasure giver a gracious friend
Formulae are not simply synonyms. Each of them
reflect a different aspect of the thing described.
 Kenning
Metaphorical phrase used in place of a noun
Sun = candle of the sky
Ship = sea-wood, wave-floater
Analysis
1. Line 1 = battle-gear, blade
Line 3 = warriors, weapon
Line 4 = more, men
Line 8 = bold, battle, brandished
Line 12= fated, flesh, floor
2. References are made to:
-its enormous dimensions (lines 4 and 5: ‘t was more than
other men to bandy-of-battle could bear at all)
- its history (lines 2 and 6: old-sword of Eotons, the giants had
wrought it)
Writer’s Workshop
1. Beowulf : the Scydings’ chieftain (line 7)
Hygelac-thane(line 18)
the wrathful prince
Grendel’s mother: that fated one (line 12)
Sword: blade triumphant (line 1)
warriors’ heirloom (line 3)
2. The formulae:
a) his noble ancestry(kinsman of Hygelac, Scydlings’ chieftain,
Hygelac-thane)
b) his anger for Grendel’s crimes(the wrathful prince)
c) he was honored and admired by his followers (praised
prince)
3. Body: bone-frame
Sun: heaven’s candle

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