1. Pre-Reading Notes

2. If you like action movies, you will probably like Beowulf. The hero has… Amazing strength Courage A ruthless villain (actually two) Suspense Sustained action

3. The first English epic Self-portrait of a culture Beowulf himself… Sword-wielding slayer of monsters Upholder of the right Warrior-chieftain Within the epic is recorded the dreams, aspiration, and fears of the culture

4. Action takes place in 6 th Century Scandinavia, the epic was originally told in Old English by Anglo-Saxons between 500-1100 Beowulf Story Background Beowulf was a Geat (today a region in southern Sweden) Aids Danish King Hrothgar against Grendel Grendel terrorized Hrothgar’s great banquet hall (Mead Hall), Herot, for 12 years This battle is the first of three mortal battles in the poem

5. Oral Tradition Traveling minstrels called scops recited poems as entertainment Poems changed and grew as they were passed from one scop to another Beowulf was told and retold for hundreds of years 11 th Century it was written down Grew out of Scandinavian or Celtic folk tales and specific details can be found in earlier tales

6. The poem creates a central reference for Anglo-Saxon culture by developing a unified tale and adding the influence of Christianity An Anglo-Saxon could learn… Bravery and loyalty Spite and hatred are monsters Heroism conquers all

7. The only original manuscript of the complete 3,182- line poem is from Sir Robert Cotton’s collection of medieval manuscripts. In 1731 the manuscript caught on fire and lost over 2000 letters from the edges The Electronic Beowulf Project has preserved the manuscript electronically and it is available online

8. Theme: Good versus Evil Epic – a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that celebrates the deeds of a legendary or heroic figure. One of the earliest forms of literature Homer’s Iliad (Greek) Gilgamesh (Sumerian) Common features: Hero battles forces that threaten the order of his world Story is told in a serious manner, often in special, elevated language Beowulf specifically uses Anglo-Saxon literary devices such as kennings and caesuras

9. A larger than life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales Beowulf possesses: Boastful self-confidence Feats of strength Victories in battle Beowulf upholds the values of his culture Loyalty Bravery Honor Beowulf teaches us about the Anglo-Saxon view of the world

10. Pagan Anglo-Saxons held a strong belief in fate They told grim tales of lives ruled by fate Humans struggled against monsters for their place in the world Missionaries converted Anglo-Saxons to Christianity Taught the Anglo-Saxons that human beings had choices and their choices of good or evil were at the center of creation. Beowulf reflects both pagan and Christian traditions

11. Beowulf has long, involved sentences It will be necessary to paraphrase complex passages Identify key details in a passage Then restate them in your own words

12. Reparation – something making up for a wrong or an injury Solace – comfort; relief Purge – purify; cleanse Writhing – making twisting or turning motions Massive – big and solid; bulky Loathsome - disgusting

13. The selection opens during an evening of celebration at Herot, the banquet hall of the Danish King Hrothgar. Outside in the darkness; however, lurks the murderous monster Grendel.