BEOWULF The Original Superhero. Composition mid 7th to end of 10th century Old English It’s a...
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Transcript of BEOWULF The Original Superhero. Composition mid 7th to end of 10th century Old English It’s a...
BEOWULFThe Original Superhero
Composition mid 7th to end of 10th century Old English It’s a heroic narrative Written IN England About
Scandanavia
Summary Beowulf was great Geat warrior Goes to help Danes with their
monster, Grendel. Fights Grendel, then his Mom, then
a Dragon
Main Idea Society governed by a heroic code
of honor Getting a name as a warrior was
more important than worry about the soul’s destiny in the afterlife
Three Agons Agon = conflict; esp. the dramatic
conflict between chief characters in a literary work
3 encounters w/ monsters 3 archetypal sites of fear:
Barricaded nighthouse Infested underwater current Reptile haunted rocks of the wilderness
Back Then Honor bound - blood stained
society Laws of the blood feud King’s halls
Beowulf and Now “The Geat woman who cries out in dread as
flames consume the body of her dead lord could come straight from a late twentieth-century news report, from Rwanda or Kosovo; her keen is a nightmare glimpse into the minds of people who have survived traumatic, even monstrous events and who are now being exposed to a comfortless future…We recognize her problem and we are better for having them expressed with such adequacy and dignity and unforgiving truth.“
Alliterative Verse Wall-hangings that were a
wonder to behold, (2758)
Lift and limb losses I avenged (2005)
Glittering gold spread across the ground (2757
Kennings Descriptive compounds Poetic synonyms
Descriptive compound that replaces a noun
“the Almighty’s Enemy” Sin-stained demon Clan-cheifs Gold-shining hall
The EPIC Poem An epic is a long narrative poem
that celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero.
Characteristics of an Epic The Epic Hero
Main character Noble character – of high birth Larger-than-life Fights evil
Characteristics of an Epic A quest or journey Mission taken by the hero Hero must prove himself Valorous deeds Serious tone and lofty style
Anglo-Saxon Warrior Culture Fighters become leaders Immortality and glory in the
afterlife are achieved through great deeds in life
Family lineage and honor is crucial Constant testing – physically and
morally (character)
Anglo-Saxon Warrior Culture Gold and treasure
Used to secure and retain power Goes with the warrior into the afterlife
Heroic code guides behavior Boasting Comitatus – bond of loyalty unites warriors to
leaders, followers must be faithful to the leader to the death, must be willing to die for leader, and the leader must protect followers and reward them
Eye for an eye society
Work ConsultedHeaney, Seamus. Beowulf. New
York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000.