Beowulf

OBJECTIVES:
 Give the meaning of unfamiliar words
from the reading selection
 Identify the distinguishing features of a
notable Anglo-American Epic
 Analyze literature as a means of
discovering the self
 Infer thoughts, feelings, and intentions in
the material
ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE
 Also know as the Iron-Ages
 In the early 5th century: Jutes,
Angles and Saxon
 HARDSHIPS
 “KENNINGS”
Main Features of Anglo-Saxon Literature

1. Love for personal freedom

2. Responsiveness to Nature
3. Religion
4. Reverence for Womanhood
5. Struggle for Glory
Epic Poems:
 An epic is a long, narrative poem
celebrating the feats of a traditional hero.
 Other examples of epic poems:
 Illiad
 Odyssey
Characteristics of Epic Poems
 About the adventures of larger-than-life
characters
 Hero is a great leader strongly identified with a
particular people or society
 Setting is broad and often includes the upper and
lower worlds
 Hero does great deeds in battle or undertakes an
extraordinary journey
 Sometimes the gods or other supernatural beings
take part in the action
 Story is told in heightened language
Beowulf – The Poem
 Epic poem about war heroes
 First great work of English national
literature
 Mythical and literary record of a formative
stage of English civilization
 Uses many traditional motifs associated
with heroic literature all over the world
Motifs: Stories of dream and
legend
 Of monster and of god-fashioned weapons
 Of descents to the underworld
 Of fights with dragons
 Of the hero’s quest
 Of a community threatened by the powers
of evil
Plot
 Tells story of Beowulf (may mean “bear”)
 Geat from Sweden who crosses the sea to
Denmark on a quest to rescue King Hrothgar
from the demonic monster Grendel
Beowulf – Epic Hero
 Central figure in a long narrative that reflects the
values and heroic ideals of a particular society
 Has superior strength
 Supremely Ethical
 Must defeat monsters that embody dark,
destructive powers
 At the end of his quest, is glorified by the people
he has saved
Beowulf: an Epic that is:
 Composed by an unknown Anglo-Saxon
poet
 Thought to be composed in England, but
set in Scandinavia
 Originally composed in Old English,
probably in northeast England
 Composed sometime between the years
700-750 A.D.
 Depicts the world of the 5th Century
Oral Story Telling
 Handed down, with embellishments and
changes, from minstrel to minstrel
 A traditional oral epic familiar to the
audiences who crowded around the bards
in communal halls at night
Details of the Story
 Many characters in the poem (Swedish &
Danish royal family members) correspond
to actual historical figures.
 Much of it is based on early folk legends
 Some Celtic
 Some Scandinavian
Religious Aspects
 Christian elements described lead us to believe
the poet may have been a monk.
 Poem is full of religious elements (both Christian
and Pagan references)
 Ex: Poet sings to the “Almighty”
 Many references to God, his creation, and the need to
thank God.
 It is God who leads Beowulf to victory over
Grendel’s Mother.
Warrior Culture
 Results from this early feudal arrangement.
 Is important to the story and our
understanding of Saxon civilization
 Strong kings demand bravery and loyalty
from their warriors; warriors then repaid
with treasures won in war.
The Manuscript
 Dates from the year 1000
 Now in the British Museum in London
 Burned and stained
 Discovered in the 18th Century
Background of the Plot
 In Scandinavian world of the story, tiny
tribes of people rally around strong kings.

 Kings protect their people from danger,

especially from confrontations with other
tribes.
CHARACTERS:
 HROTGAR
 BEOWULF
 GRENDEL
 GRENDEL’s MOTHER
 THE DRAGON
 WIGLAF
SETTINGS:
 Beowulf is set in Scandinavia, sometime around the
year 500 A.D, in the territories of two tribal groups,
the Geats and the Scyldings, who really existed and
really lived in those areas during the period of the
poem.
 Many of the poem’s figures, including Hrothgar,
Hygelac and Wiglaf, may have been real people,
and all the poem’s marginal events—such as the
death of Hygelac and the feud between Geats and
Swedes— may have really happened.
THEME:
 HEROISM
 LOYALTY
 TREASURE
 MORTALITY
Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct
then FALSE if not on the space provided.
1. To ensure success, Beowulf brought with a large fleet
of warriors.
2. Grendel was a very greedy monster.
3. He was considered an offensive, disgusting enemy of
God.
4. The soldiers were quick and alert when Grendel
arrived.
5. The story happened in the early 8th century.
Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct
then FALSE if not on the space provided.
6. Beowulf is a great hero.
7. Hrothgar was the King of Denmark.
8. The weapons of the warrior could easily kill the
beast.
9. Before getting Beowulf, Grendel has already
killed several warriors.
10. Both Beowulf and Grendel have Great strength
Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct
then FALSE if not on the space provided.
11. Grendel was afraid of Hrothgar.
12. Grendel ate his victims.
13. Grendel managed to escape from Beowulf’s
hand to flee.
14. Beowulf hung Grendel’s head in the hall.
15. Beowulf was hailed as the hero of Herot.
Assignment:
Reflection Logs
Reflect on what you have learned after taking up
this lesson by completing the chart below.
1. What were your thoughts or ideas about
effective communication and intercultural
communication prior to the discussion of these
lessons? I thought …
2. What new or additional ideas did you learn
after taking up these lessons? I learned that …