ELIT 46A – Day Two

Olympic Opening

Idealized Past – our entire course

Danny Boyle sees England as the island ruled by Prospero in The Tempest Be not afeard. Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices That, if I then had waked after long sleep Will make me sleep again; and then in dreaming The clouds methought would open and show riches Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked I cried to dream again. – Spoken in Shakespeare’s Tempest by Caliban (a colonized subject on the point of rebellion)

Stops before industrialization

What makes us human? Elizabeth Kolbert in a recent New Yorker magazine. From the archeological records, it’s inferred that Neanderthals evolved in Europe or Western Asia and spread out from there, stopping when they reached water or some other significant obstacle but our ancestors did not stop – they kept going, against all logic. This is one of the most basic ways modern humans differ from Neanderthals and, in Pääbo’s view, also one of the most intriguing. If the defining characteristic of modern humans is a sort of Faustian restlessness, or “madness,” then, by Pääbo’s account, there must be some sort of Faustian gene.

In this class: Beowulf Pardoner Wife of Bath Sir Gawain Dr. Faustus Sir Walter Ralegh Queen Elizabeth Rosalind Orlando Satan Adam a sort of Faustian restlessness, or “madness,”

Compare to other cultures Gilgamesh: Sumerian Civilization Inanna : descended to the underworld to get back her beloved Egypt: the story of Isis traveling all over the known world to find Osiris Homer: – Iliad and Odyssey Japanese: stories of Momotaro China: Journey to the West (Monkey, Tripitaka, Horse, Sandman, etc.) India: Baghavad Gita and Ramayana British Isles: Beowulf

What makes a hero? Represents the people or nation Performs superhuman feats of strength or bravery or wit What the hero does determines the fate of the nation or people May be a “tragic hero” who has a flaw

What makes an epic? Long and serious Mentions many heroes, important figures, and sometimes gods Covers broad geographical area “high” language like poetry Begins by calling on the muse to aid the poet Starts in medias res (right in the middle of the action)

According to Joseph Campbell, the typical “Hero’s Journey”

A heroic epic written in Old English

Here’s what it says

ELIT 46Beowulf Themes Structure Ways of Looking at Beowulf

Zits doesBeowulf

Hear how the scop would have told the story From the British Library

Why start with Shield? Parallel to Beowulf, who is going to win fame himself Funeral – so the shape of the epic is clearFuneral Feast Battle Feast Battle Feast 50 years Dragon Battle Funeral Heorot (civilization) vs. Barbarism (Hrothgar vs. Grendel) and Barbarism is winning

Which means To read the original with translation next, click on this. To read the original with translation next, click on this.

Look at Unferth vs. Beowulf