English 10 Beowulf September 7, 2016

Grendel, con’t: words to watch for while you read lines 41–100 of Beowulf laments (l. 43): passionate expressions of grief or sorrow (n.); truce (l. 70): an agreement between enemies to stop fighting (n.); reparation (l. 73): something done to make amends for loss or suffering (n.); heathen (l. 91): a person who does not belong to a widely held religion as regarded by those who do (n.); affliction (l. 93): something that causes pain or suffering (n.).

Grendel, con’t: lines L. 49: Hrothgar fears the beginning may not be the end. He fears there is more murder to come; L : Grendel is so set on murder that no assault can quench his lust for evil. He keeps killing because he is so evil; L : hate has triumphed/Grendel has won because he has either killed everyone or scared them away; L. 64: sorrow is heaped at Hrothgar’s door by hell-forged hands. Refers to Grendel’s actions and his creation; L : Grendel attacks the Danes for 12 years; L : Grendel does not touch Hrothgar because he is protected by God; L : Hrothgar is protected by God but some of his council make sacrifices to pagan gods - they do not all follow Christianity. The Germanic tribes of the time were not Christians.

Grendel, con’t: words to watch for while you read pp. 13–17 of Beowulf A New Telling prostrate (p. 16): lying stretched out on the ground with one's face downward (adj.); baleful (p. 16): threatening harm; menacing (adj.). Read pp of Beowulf A New Telling

Grendel, con’t: Beowulf A New Telling pp Unferth: good or bad? Hrothgar protected by God? He doesn’t die.

English 10 Beowulf September 9, 2016

Words to watch for while reading Beowulf lines purge (l. 166): rid (someone) of an unwanted feeling, memory, or condition, typically giving a sense of cathartic release (v.); scorn (l. 167): the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; contempt (n.); gorge (l. 178): eat a large amount greedily (v.); furrows (l. 206): a long narrow trench made in the ground by a plow, especially for planting seeds or for irrigation (n.). Read Beowulf lines

Beowulf – the character (lines ) Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats – stronger than anyone anywhere in the world (l ): Hyperbole: exaggeration emphasizing Beowulf’s heroism. Helps create a larger than life hero; Beowulf hears about Grendel and chooses 14 men to go to Hrothgar’s aid in Denmark (epics often have heroes who help the people of a nation) (l ); Beowulf is of noble birth (epics have heroes of noble birth) (l. 128); Beowulf tells of his great deeds in a speech to Hrothgar (epic heroes often give speeches) (l ); L. 148: Life and light fleeing together: the sun goes down and the people leave the mead hall because they are afraid Grendel will come;

Lines , con’t: L : Beowulf insists on fighting without weapons. He believes in a fair fight; L. 185: He tells Hrothgar that “no Dane will fret about sewing our shrouds”. It won’t cost the Danish people lives if Beowulf fights Grendel and loses; L : My tongue grows heavy and my heart. Hrothgar grows sad and unable to speak about it when talking about Grendel’s deeds; L : alliteration in all lines. The sound of S dominates the passage. Read pp

Vocabulary from Beowulf A New Telling pp Integrity (p. 20) (n.): the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Indomitable (p. 20) (adj.): impossible to subdue or defeat. Brazenly (p. 21) (adv.): boldly and without shame. Resigned (p. 22) (adj.): having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about. Shrewd (p. 24) (adj.): having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute. Insinuated (p. 27) (v.): suggest or hint (something bad or reprehensible) in an indirect and unpleasant way. Discomfiture (p.28) (n.): embarassment.

Beowulf, con’t: pp Beowulf hears of Grendel because the story was passed along by Hrothgar’s poets and made its way to Hygelac’s court (Beowulf’s uncle) (p. 18) (remember the scops?). Beowulf is described as being good and daring. Smaller in size but had a broad chest and short legs. Looked straight at people with shoulders squared. People took that to mean he was honest and open (p.19) (is that like a hero?). He does not see well (p19) (he is flawed). He is strong because he is good and good because he can accept that which is bad within him (p. 20) (he has a strong character. Is that heroic?). Beowulf chooses 14 men and knows it will take more than strength to kill Grendel (p. 21). He is described as shrewd (p. 24) (how is that like a hero?). Beowulf leaves his sword behind (pp. 24, 33) (believes in a fair fight). Beowulf says people are not all good or bad. The truly good man finds good where he can (p. 28) 9remember our earlier talk about having them balance each other?). Wealhtheow agrees (p. 29). Beowulf tells of defeating the sea monsters and losing his friend to Norway. He is not given to boasting (p. 32) (he is modest. A noble trait). Unferth challenges Beowulf and says he wants to see what happens when he tries to shake hands with Grendel (pp. 30, 35) (do we think he is good or evil?). Watch video clip 4 – 9:22

English 10 Beowulf September 13, 2016

Battle with Grendel Words to watch for in lines Talon (l. 277): a claw (n.). Infamous (l. 285): having a bad reputation (adj.). Writhing (l. 289): squirming, twisting (v.). Cowering (l. 307): cringing in fear (v.) Taut (l. 311): pulled tight (adj.). Murky (l. 373): cloudy (adj.). Pilgrimage (l. 376): journey to a sacred place (n.).

Battle with Grendel lines Grendel is “sliding silently” toward Herot (l. 238). Suggests that Grendel is snakelike or not moving like a man (walking). Grendel is described as “forever joyless” (l. 243), he “rushed angrily” over the threshold (l. 246) and he took “evil steps” (l. 260) He is called the “Shepherd of evil” and the guardian of crime” (l. 273). He is evil. Grendel “relished the sight” of the warriors sleeping. He is looking forward to eating them (l. 253). Grendel’s teeth snap life shut (l. 268). He cuts life off when he bites his victim. Beowulf is referred to as “a strong-hearted wakeful sleeper” in line 270. This is a kenning. Kennings: descriptive phrases or compound words that substitute for nouns. Beowulf displays a superhuman quality by grasping Grendel’s claws (l ) (epics have heroes that perform larger than life feats) Trying to open a path for his evil soul (l. 322): trying to kill him and send his soul on. Weapons can’t hurt Grendel (l. 325). He has cast a spell on them. To hell he would go..to the waiting hands of still worse fiends (l. 330): to demons or the devil. Beowulf hangs Grendel’s arm from the rafters (l ): to prove his victory? Read pp

Battle with Grendel Words to watch for in pp trinket (p. 36): a small ornament or item of jewelry that is of little value (n.). rank (p. 38): having a foul or offensive smell (adj.). putrid (p. 38): decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell (adj). Watch 9:22-11:22

Battle with Grendel pp There are snakelike images of Grendel, like in line 238 of the epic. A hissing sound outside door (p. 37), slithering (p ). Grendel hates light (p. 39). The dark was his home. Evil is associated with dark here. Beowulf is referred to as the light (“the light had caught him”). This is also a personification (light has human traits). Grendel had never known strength like that of Beowulf when Beowulf grabbed him (p. 39) (superhuman strength is one of the traits of an epic). Grendel thinks about Wealhtheow’s light/goodness – there is a reference to her blue cloak and when he did not kill her (p. 41). Beowulf pulls Grendel’s arm off and he flees. Beowulf hangs it from the rafters (p. 43). It is proof of his victory. Unferth says that Grendel was beautiful and is upset with Beowulf for killing him (p. 44). Unferth is unhappy (pp. 46 and 52) and on the side of evil. They create poems about Beowulf and say he is a greater hero than those before him (p. 45) (another trait of an epic). The poets tell a story of the defeat of a dragon (pp ) but say it is no feat compared to Bewoulf’s victory. Beowulf as superhuman (another trait of an epic).