2. Beowulf Background  Oral tradition – books, stories, poems passed along by word of mouth  Beowulf takes place in 6 th century Scandinavia  Originally told in Old English  When Beowulf was finally written down in the 11 th century, it marked the beginning of British Literature  Contains an elegiac verse like an elegy, or poem of sorrow for the dead, or an ode, which is to honor a person or event.

3. Beowulf  A Geat from a region that is today, southern Sweden  He sets sail from his homeland to try to free Danish King Hrothgar’s great banquet hall, Herot  A monster named Grendel has been ravaging Herot for 12 years  The struggle between Beowulf, a young adventurer eager for fame, and Grendel, a fierce and bloodthirsty foe, is the first of three mortal battles in the long poem aka EPIC

4. Cultural Background  Before Christianity took hold of English (in what century?), it was a Pagan society  Pagans believed  Many gods  Fate  Monsters and creatures  Christians believed  One God  Free Will  Clear distinction between good and evil  When Beowulf was written, England was changing from Pagan to Christian, so Beowulf has both beliefs  Grendel is reminiscent of Pagan monsters  But the battle of Grendel and Beowulf captures the Christian idea of good conquering evil

5. Beowulf is an…  Epic  What is an epic? (This is one of your vocabulary words this week)  Long narrative poem about the deeds of a hero or legend

6. Epic Conventions The whole epic is told in stories or episodes (episodic) There is an epic hero that must go through a journey to discover something about himself or his surroundings. Begins in the Middle, In Medias Res

7. More Epic Conventions A Vast/Global Setting–a Nation or the World (setting covers a vast geographical distance) Long verse that deals with the origins of a nation, people, or religious beliefs Gods and other supernatural beings play a role Human, mortal, heroes, national or religious, fight against great odds and triumph, but also die in the end The diction is elevated (complex words), and it’s written in verse

8. Qualities of an Epic Hero An epic hero is a larger than life figure from a history or legend The hero participates in a cyclical journey or quest Faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey Gathers allies along his journey Returns home significantly transformed by his journey. Epic heroes are superhuman in that they are smarter, stronger, and braver than average humans An epic hero can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extraordinary tasks that most find difficult.

9. Images from the heroic world Water monster Dragons Underwater fights in a supernatural place Magic swords Death and glory Funeral pyre Blood and gore; body parts of victim mistaken for hero

10. Beowulf Character Chart

11. Today  We’re reading  “The Wrath of Grendel” pg. 40-43  “The Coming of Beowulf” pg. 43-46  Periodically stopping for comprehension  Make sure to take your own notes as we go along, especially when we stop to talk about something  Character Charts  As we read, jot down character traits, both internal and external, for both Beowulf and Grendel