1. Beowulf Essential Question:
How do the conventions of epic literature convey the historical and societal issues of the time period to the reader?

2. Warm Up
In your journal, write an original sentence for Vocabulary words 1-11.

3. Lesson Essential Question
How do I read and understand epic poetry?
Lesson Objectives
Students will anticipate in both large and small group discussions while reading an epic poem.

4. Academic Vocabulary Review on P. 408
Assurance
Collapse
Conceive
Devote
Vision
These are words you should use in your discussion and writing about the texts in this collection.

5. Key Vocabulary—do you have these definitions in your notes?
Epic
Epic hero
Diction
Tone
Universal themes
Alliteration
Caesura
Kenning

6. Reading Strategies for Reading Old English Poetry
Old English poetry was meant to be sung so there are strong rhythms in it.
Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
Helps to unify lines
Caesura: a pause dividing each line with each part having two accented syllables
Helps maintain the rhythm of the lines
Kenning: metaphorical compound word or phrase substituted for a noun or a name
enhances meaning

7. Vocabulary in context Affliction--burden Gorge—cram or stuff
Infamous--notorious
Lair—animal’s hidden resting place
Livid—furiously angry
Loathsome--repulsive
Purge—to remove by cleaning
Talon--claw

8. “Grendel” Audio Link in Student Edition of E-Book Reading “Grendel”
Listen to the poem being read aloud. Pay close attention to the way the speaker reads, particularly with regard to the punctuation.
After reading, work with your discussion group to complete the graphic organizer.

9. “Grendel” lines 1-29
Setting, conflict and characters are introduced near the beginning of the epic. Identify these in your notes.
Setting=Herot, a mead Hall in Denmark
Conflict=Grendel vs. Danes
Characters
Grendel, a monster
Hrothgar, the King of Denmark
Warriors (Danes)

10. Lines 1-29
What contrast is developed in the description of Grendel’s home and Herot?
Biblical Allusions
Cain and Abel
Creation Story
Grendel’s home
“down in the darkness” (1-2)
“made his home in a hell not hell but earth” (18-19)
“slime” (19)
Herot
“music rang loud in that hall” (3-4)
“Men lived happy in his hall” (15)

11. Line 21: Cain?
In the Book of Genesis, Cain (eldest son of Adam and Eve) intentionally kills his younger brother Abel, becoming the first murderer.
Making Grendel a descendant of Cain emphasizes the monster’s inherent evil.
This and other references indicates to the reader that the Beowulf Poet is familiar with the Bible and Christianity.

12. Lines 1-29 What do these places symbolize? Foreshadowing?
Herot represents life, light, peace, community, goodness
Grendel and his home represent the power of evil, darkness, and destruction
Foreshadowing?
Grendel will try to destroy Herot, as his ancestors have always tried to destroy what Herot represents (28-29).

13. Lines 23-29: Theme?
What universal theme is suggested by the notion that supernatural creatures are “again and again defeated?”

14. Lines 33-37
Alliteration
“sprawled in sleep, suspecting”
“slipped,” “silence,” “snatched,” “smashed”
How does this sound create an image of the action?
Soft sound, has a negative connotation
Symbolizes the unexpectedness of the attack and Grendel’s stealthiness

15. Lines 44-49 What is the tone of these lines?
Somber, fearful
What words create the tone?
“joyless,” “a mighty prince mourning,” “wept”

16. Line 49: Foreshadowing
What is meant by “the beginning might not be the end”?

17. Line 58 Why does the poet say that “hate has triumphed?”
The Danes have fled Herot and evil has destroyed their community.

18. Lines 41-73
Community is the center of Anglo Saxon life. What is the effect of Grendel’s actions on Hrothgar and Herot?
Discuss with your group!

19. Kennings
Definition: a metaphorical compound word or phrase substituted for a noun or a name
How do these kennings establish the universal theme of conflict between good and evil?
Hell-forged hands
Mankind’s enemy

20. Lines 74-78
What does the kenning “shadow of death” contribute to the characterization of Grendel?
Hard to see
Hard to battle
Ever present, yet elusive
A persistent threat

21. Lines
What does Grendel’s inability to know God’s love suggest about him?
Why does the poet refer to “stone gods” and “heathen vows?”
What does the change to first person narration in line 104 tell the reader?

22. “Grendel”
In your notes, write a brief (five sentence) summary of this section of the epic.

23. Summary
Hrothgar and his men are celebrating in Herot, a mead hall, when they are attacked by Grendel, a powerful monster descended from Cain. He continues to attack them at night until the warriors run away to escape him. Grendel’s reign of terror has lasted for 12 years. He has left his lair and lives in Herot, though he never touches Hrothgar’s throne, which is protected by God.

24. HOMEWORK
HW: Read Beowulf lines

25. “Beowulf”
Lesson Essential Question: What are the characteristics of an epic?

26. Warm Up Lesson Objectives
Write an original sentence for Vocabulary Words 12-22
Lesson Objectives
Today you will work in pairs to analyze an epic.

27. New Characters (or references to characters)
Geats—Beowulf’s people, live in modern day Sweden
Helfdane—Hrothgar’s father
Beowulf—the greatest of the Geat warriors
Higlac—King of the Geats, Beowulf’s uncle
Wulfgar—one of Hrothgar’s soldiers
Edgetho—Beowulf’s father
Hathlaf—a Wulfing warrior killed by Edgetho
Hergar—Hrothgar’s older brother

28. Review Define Epic Define Epic Hero
What are the traits of an epic hero?

29. Summarize “Beowulf”
In your notes, summarize this section of the epic.

30. Summary
In this section, Hrothgar and the Danes are still living in fear of Grendel’s murderous rampages. Beowulf, son of Edgetho and nephew to King Higlac of the Geats, has heard of the woes of the Danes and as he is the mightiest warrior of the Geats, he pledges to help the Danes. Saving the Danes from Grendel will repay the debt his father owed to Hrothgar for saving him from the Wulfings after Edgetho killed Hathlaf, a Wulfing warrior. Beowulf sails to the land of the Danes with 14 of the “mightiest men”, and proclaims himself the solution to the Grendel problem. He asks Hrothgar to allow him and his men to face Grendel alone, and says that he will fight Grendel with no weapons. Hrothgar agrees, and celebration ensues.

31. Small Group
In your discussion group, work through the close reading graphic organizer.
Remember to cite specific examples from the text!

32. As a group, find at least three examples of these poetic devices
Alliteration—
Kennings—
(put these on the back of your graphic organizer!)

33. Analysis—lines 141-160 Why does Beowulf come to see Hrothgar?
What impression of Beowulf does the poet convey through Beowulf’s opening remarks to Hrothgar?
What is the effect of having Beowulf describe his own great deeds?

34. Analysis Lines
Why does Beowulf insist that “my hands alone shall fight for me?”
What is the significance of Beowulf’s statement, “Fate will unwind as it must?”
In lines 174-5, Beowulf says “God must decide…” Why is this so important to Beowulf?
How is this representative of the Anglo-Saxon people?

35. Analysis
In lines , the mood changes to bleak and despairing. What literary device is used to create this mood? How?
In Hrothgar’s long speech, what values are reflected?

36. Homework
Read “Battle with Grendel” lines

37. Vocabulary Quiz 1 Lesson Essential Question: Have I learned new words?
Objectives:
Complete Vocabulary Quiz
Watch History Channel Video about Beowulf
Discuss “The Battle with Grendel”

38. “Battle with Grendel”
Lesson Essential Question:

39. Warm Up xx
Lesson Objectives xx

40. “The Battle with Grendel”
In your discussion grou:
Summarize the story in this section in 10 words or less.
Write it on the back board!
Beowulf defeats Grendel and becomes Denmark’s hero.

41. The translator uses punctuation to convey the effect of the midline pauses in the original Old English verses. How does the rhythm created by the midline punctuation reinforce the account of the action in lines ?

42. Cornell Notes—make a 2 column chart like the one below in your notes
Cornell Notes—make a 2 column chart like the one below in your notes. Work with your discussion group to analyze this section. Focus on identifying and analyzing poetic devices and figurative language.
Line Numbers
Summary
Questions
Notes from Group Discussion

43. Literary Analysis Questions—answer in your notes
What direction is Grendel’s progression from the marsh toward Herot?
What might the location of the marsh in relation to the location of Herot symbolize.
What does “Bolted/Him down” (line 265) mean?
Up to lines , Grendel has killed his human victims easily. Why might he be trying to run away from Beowulf?
Why might the poet have chosen to use figurative language “to open/A path for his evil soul,” rather than simply saying “to kill”? (lines )
Why do you think no weapons can kill Grendel?
Who might the “still worse fiends” be in line 330? What does this remind us about the poet?
Why does Beowulf hang Grendel’s arm from the rafters?
What are some of the sensory images that help the reader experience what Grendel’s death was like? Why was making this trip to Herot a “miserable journey” for Grendel?
What is the contrast between Beowulf’s band and the Danes? Why did each side behave the way it did?
What role do poets seem to play in Beowulf’s society? This comes at the end of the section.
What characteristics does Grendel have that make him particularly terrifying to the Danes?

44. Homework
Read “Grendel’s Mother” and “The Battle with Grendel’s Mother”

45. “Grendel’s Mother” “The Battle with Grendel’s Mother”
Lesson Essential Question:

46. “Beowulf’s Last Battle”
Summarize this section in your notes.
Complete the graphic organizer that evaluated Beowulf as an epic hero in your packet.

47. “Beowulf’s Last Battle”
Graphic Organizer
26. Lines What are your thoughts about Beowulf’s actions at this point in the narrative?
27. Lines What do these lines foreshadow about the outcome of Beowulf’s last battle? Explain.
28. Lines Why might the poet want to foreshadow the battle’s outcome?
29. Lines What stories have you read that end with a final battle between good and evil characters? How do those stories help you appreciate this passage?
30. Lines What imagery does the poet use to set the stage for Beowulf’s climactic battle with the dragon?
31. Lines Do you think the poet wants to depict the battle as a contest of equals, or does he view Beowulf as the underdog? Explain your answer.
32. Have you ever chosen to do what was right even though you were afraid?
33. Lines How does Wiglaf’s speech show that he is different from his comrades?
34. Lines Does Wiglaf qualify as an epic hero? Why or why not?

48. “”
Lesson Essential Question:

49. “The Death of Beowulf” Graphic Organizer
35. Lines The poet writes that Beowulf knew “he’d unwound/His string of days on earth”. What view of fate does this image suggest
36. Why does the poet use the “string of days” image rather than simply say that Beowulf knew his life was coming to an end?
37. Lines Why are Beowulf’s followers referred to as “cowards and traitors” and “shamefaced jackals”?
38. Lines Would the actions of Beowulf’s followers have been interpreted the same way by modern day standards? Why or why not?

50. “”
Lesson Essential Question:

51. Final Discussion—p67 Analyze Theme Compare and Contrast
Draw Conclusions
Evaluate Author’s Purpose

52. Beowulf Review What are the characteristics of epic literature?
Setting
Plot
Dialogue
Theme
Style

53. Beowulf Review What are the characteristics of an epic hero? Noble
Values
Determine Fate
Superhuman

54. Beowulf Review
Why did each monster attack the Danes or the Geats?
Grendel
Grendel’s mother
The dragon
Why does Beowulf fight each monster? Consider multiple reasons.

55. Beowulf Review
Literary Devices
Alliteration
Caesura
Kenning

56. Beowulf Review Themes Fate
Social Conventions (values of Anglo-Saxon society)
Political Conventions
Morals