EPIC POETRY

EPIC HERO

EPIC CHARACTERISTICS

• The hero is a figure of great national or even cosmic importance, usually the ideal man of his culture. He often has superhuman or divine traits.  He has an imposing physical stature and is greater in all ways than the common man.

• The setting is vast in scope. It covers great geographical distances, perhaps even visiting the underworld, other worlds, other times.

• The action consists of deeds of valor or superhuman courage (especially in battle).

• The style of writing is elevated, even ceremonial. – Main characters give extended formal speeches.

EPIC HERO

• The most important element is the hero. The hero of an epic is a human being with characteristics a society admires and often wishes to emulate.

• The hero is male, attractive, and unusually strong and able.

• He is a trained solider or warrior and believes in and follows the code of honor for which he is willing to sacrifice his life.

• He fights for the noble cause: those who cannot defend themselves, usually women and children; the preservation of a society; honor; and the noble way of life.

EPIC HERO

• The hero is considered better in most respects than the common man.

• However, the hero is also in many ways the same as the ordinary man.

• He has the same longings and desires as any man might have: the desire to be beloved and respected by his own people; the desire for some degree of wealth or material comfort; the desire for a family with children, especially sons like himself; the desire to stand out above his fellow human beings in some way; the desire not to being shame to himself or his family in any way.

• The hero also hopes that the divine will favor him and his cause.

EPIC HERO

• The Epic Hero is a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society.

• An epic hero is superhuman. He is braver, stronger, smarter, and cleverer than an ordinary person

• The epic hero is on a quest for something of great value to him or to his people

• The villains who try to keep the hero from his quest are usually uglier, more evil, and more cunning than anyone we know in ordinary life

COMITATUS

• Comitatus is the basic idea that everyone protects the king at all costs even if it means a warrior giving up his own life.

• If a king is killed, the warriors must avenge the death of the king or they can no longer serve as warriors for the next king.

• Notice how there is the motif of eating, sleeping, dying all the way through the text, and all of it is done as a "team" even to the passing of the cup uniting the group of warriors.

• They stayed in the meadhall while the king slept in an adjoining "apartment" so they could constantly protect him.

COMITATUS• Beowulf is also a good text to demonstrate

how comitatus died with the Anglo-Saxon period. Notice how at the end of the text only Wiglaf follows Beowulf into the battle with the dragon.

• When Beowulf goes into the various battles, there is a progression of the comitatus dying with the behavior of the warriors: the warriors are sleeping, then stand on the bank waiting, and the third time only Wiglaf goes with him.

• Names are changed from “thane” to “earl”

Review

• Christianity is becoming a part of the community. The poet will integrate pagan and Christian beliefs. Time frame of the story is pre-Christian; but, story written during Christian times.

• Scyld (pronounced “shield”)• Ancestor to Hrothgar• Foundling – infant abandoned by parents• Founder of the Danish line of kings• Good king• Died – buried at sea - Sutton Hoo • Common burial tribute; put body in a boat, fill

with treasures, set it out to sea, funeral pyre – Vikings tradition

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• Kenning – ring-bestower (21)– king gave rings as gifts and to the heir to the throne

• Personification – “ship’s embrace” (21) – loving, caring vs. angry grip – great respect for the king. This will be his coffin.

• Hrothgar • King of the Danes• Built his mead hall – Hall of the Hart – Heorot• Hart – stag was a symbol of Germanic

kingship.• Pun – Hart – Heart – king loved his people• Lines 54-55 – comitatus; king shared all he had

with loyal thanes

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• Alliteration – “h” lines 54-55 hall rose high and horn-gabled, holding its place – image of heaven. Mead hall given heavenly respect, honor

• Grendel• Evil spirit• Darkness• Seed of Cain• Cain murders his brother Abel and is driven into

the wilderness by God. Legend states that his offspring included monsters, cannibalistic trolls, elves, goblins.

• Dwells in the outer darkness• Norse mythology – draugar – animated corpses; roam

about at night wreaking vengeance. Supernaturally strong and invulnerable; has a mother called a ketta, or “she-cat” who is more monstrous than the son.

• Poet refers to the paganistic idea of monsters, and the like with the Christian story of Cain and Abel

Alliteration

• Page 11• Lines 60 – “s”; 62-63 – “h” and “w”• Lines 70 – 73 – “b”, “m”, and “g”• Lines 77 – 84 – “w”, “f”, “g”, “s”, and “d”• Page 12• Lines 87 – 91 – “w”, “h”, “s”• Lines 100 – 129 – “s”, “b” “r” “t” “s” “m” “h”

“d”

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• Grendel • Physical ugliness of Grendel = ugliness of

man without God• Attack paganistic beliefs• Evil of Grendel = evil of Satan --

difference Satan takes our soul with deceit; Grendel devours our temporal life

• Page 13• End of line 129• Hrothgar – despondent; despair, lost –

pagan. Struggle with Christianity

The Coming of Beowulf

• Epic characteristics – lines 133 – 134• Kenning – line 136 – swan-road = ocean• Lines 145 – 161• Beowulf and his men are coming to “save the

Danes”• Simile – line 154• Line 168• Hrothgar’s thane on watch• Line 180• Beowulf is recognized as an epic hero• Line 192

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• Beowulf speaks• Long-winded speeches – epic hero characteristic• Remembers Hrothgar’s kindness to his father• Personification• Page 14• Line 224• Boar was sacred to the Norse god Frey, a

desperate fighter• Germanic tribesmen used the boar’s head as a

magical decoration for their helmets• Line 234• Guard may be a Christian Dane

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• Page 16• Line 279 – “O gracious Hrothgar, refuse not the

favor!”• Hrothgar’s thane implores him to listen to

Beowulf.• Line 283 – Hrothgar knows Beowulf, through

his father; Hrothgar had saved Beowulf’s father years ago, by paying his “wergild”.

• He recognizes Beowulf as an epic hero – “his hand-grip has thirty men’s strength. God, in His mercy, has sent him to save us” (Christian belief from Hrothgar)

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• Page 17 - 18• Beowulf Tells Hrothgar of his mighty

feats…He is here to save them – Not arrogant; factual as to his capabilities. Lines 320-347.

• Beowulf will kill Grendel with his bare hands; he has that much confidence in his own strength.

• Line 345 - 361….Beowulf demonstrates Christian beliefs in God mixed with pagan beliefs in the Fates….It may be his “fate” to die, but it will be God’s will for him to live or die.

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• Page 18 – 19• Unferth – Hrothgar’s “favorite” at the time; very

jealous of the “new kid” Beowulf. Discussion of swim match that Beowulf lost.

• Lines 410 - 457• Beowulf admits losing the match, but it was

because of the monsters in the sea that he had to destroy, thus protecting future sailors from the creatures of the sea. Attacks Unferth’s loyalty, in that he committed the most heinous crime of “fratricide” ; he will surely be condemned to Hell for killing his brother and breaking the code of comitatus.

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• Page 20• Line 520 -521• Beowulf’s thanes understand the idea of comitatus.

They understand that they may not return home. They accept their fate.

• Lines 533-535• Image of Grendel – hated by God; pure evil• Page 21• Line 564 – Kenning – sea-geat = Beowulf• Line 567 – epithet – phrase that characterizes someone.

– “shepherd of evil” –Grendel– “shepherd of good” – Christ– God vs Satan – Satan losesLine 605 – epithet – “foe of God”; “hell-thane”

Grendel vs Beowulf

• Weapons can not harm Grendel. Beowulf tears Grendel’s arm off at the shoulder and hangs it from the rafters. Grendel escapes, though he is mortally wounded. Celebration in Herot.

• Grendel’s retreat to the lake is traced, boiling with Grendel’s blood. Hrothgar praises Beowulf. Beowulf wishes he had been able to kill Grendel in the hall and keep the monster from escaping.

Grendel and Mom

• Page 22 – Lines 656 – 665 – Image of Grendel’s home = HELL

• Page 23 Lines 718-719• Unferth’s attitude has changed; more

humble; understands the greatness of Beowulf

• Lines 744-755 • Hrothgar’s promise – comitatus – rewards

beyond belief to Beowulf for his bravery and killing of Grendel

Grendel’s mom

• Page 28 - 30• Grendel’s mother comes to Herot to

avenge Grendel. She kills Aescher, Hrothgar’s long time friend.

• Lines 820 – 825 – poet’s discussion on the weakness of women shown through the fact that Grendel’s mom can only snatch one thane and run away.

• Page 29; Mom’s home: Pit of Hell – Lines 875-884; animals would rather die than drink from the lake.

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• Beowulf again agrees to avenge Aescher’s death. At the lake, Aescher’s severed head is on the rock. Unferth gives Beowulf his sword, Hrunting, and Beowulf dives into the lake after Grendel’s mom.

• Page 31 – kenning – mom = sea-troll; she-wolf (line 905)• Line 906-1000 – chain mail protects Beowulf• Grendel’s mom is also impervious to weapons. Hrunting

is useless. Beowulf finds a sword made by giants. He kills Grendel’s mom with it and severs Grendel’s head.

• Page 32 - Hrothgar believes that Beowulf is dead; goes home. (Loss of faith) Beowulf’s men stay by the lake, hoping and waiting.

• Lines 1095-1098 Beowulf rises from “the dead”. Holding the monster’s head and the precious hilt blazing with gems; blade dissolved. Super strength of epic hero.

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• Lines 1130 – 1140• Hrunting was of no use; Beowulf remains

silent about it. Thanks to God for showing him the giant’s sword and helping him kill mom.

• Epic characteristic – gives credit to God and humility

• Beowulf offers the magic sword’s hilt to Hrothgar; Hrothgar warns Beowulf against pride and selfishness. Beowulf and his men go home.

• .

Dragon – victim or criminal?

• Page 37 – 42• Beowulf now king of the Geats – 50 years

later• Servant steals gold chalice from treasure

being guarded by dragon.• Dragon looks for the servant, can’t find

him; wants revenge; begins to destroy Geatland

• The Dragon = Evil????? • Page 38 – lines1393 – reference to the dragon

being a “worm”. The image of a snake is one of evil and Satan. A worm is a problem, but not necessarily evil. The poet calls the dragon a worm several times to make this point.

• Line 1436 -1438 – Beowulf prepares for battle; shield must be of metal, because fire will destroy a wooden shield.

• Page 39 – Lines1470 – 1474 - Beowulf realizes that he will probably die, because he is so old; but, still maintains epic hero qualities and the sense of comitatus.

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• Page 40 – Wiglaf – only thane who truly follows the code of comitatus. Stays with Beowulf through fight and death of dragon. All other thanes run for the forests – cowards.

• This will come back to haunt them; their refusal to follow code of comitatus will follow their descendants. They will never have the love and protection of kings to follow after Beowulf.

• Page 44 – Beowulf dies; Wiglaf is given kingship; Beowulf has no heir, gives ring as sign of rule of the land to Wiglaf.

• Page 45 – Wiflaf admonishes the Geats for their desertion of Beowulf. In honor of their king, the Geats build a pyre for Beowulf.