Beowulf: an analysis of the oldest Anglo-Saxon epic poem

Beowulf Overview

Ray Winstone as Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf, 2007.

Beowulf

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Marina Spiazzi, Marina Tavella, Margaret Layton @ 2018 ZANICHELLIBeowulf

Beowulf: A National Epic

1. Beowulf: a national epic . The oldest surviving epic poem written in Anglo-Saxon . It deals with a time following the initial invasion of England by Germanic tribes (5th-6th cent.) · The poet is unknown. · The date of composition is unknown probably composed as an elegy for a king who died in the 7th century and written down in the 11th century.

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The Plot of Beowulf

1. The plot It is divided into three sections with the presence of one hero 1 Beowulf, the war leader of the Scandinavian Geats, fights against Grendel, the monster, = evil and succeeds in killing him in Heorot (the hall of king Hrothgar)

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Grendel's Mother and Dragon

1. The plot 2 The hero fights against Grendel's mother Beowulf manages to kill her in the misty lake. she represents evil. 3 After fifty years, Beowulf (who is the king of the Geats now) kills a fire-breathing dragon in Scandinavia but he is mortally wounded. END OF THE POEM: Beowulf's funeral

A scene of Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf, 2007.

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Settings in Beowulf

1. Settings Denmark ruled by King Hrothgar. Here the first actions of the poem take place Heorot where Beowulf confronts the monster Grendel The misty lake where Beowulf fights against Grendel's mother The land of the Geats in Sweden where Beowulf confronts a fire-breathing dragon

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The Hero Beowulf

1. The hero Beowulf is a perfect hero because he is: a valiant warrior loyal, brave, strong and wise

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Beowulf's Character Development

Beowulf is a ROUND CHARACTER because: ·his heroism grows with him throughout the poem; .the poem follows his growth as a person and a man. At the end of them poem he reflects on his actions and responsibilities.

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Themes in Beowulf

1. Themes 1 Importance of the warrior code: yalty to the king who is generous the thanes are loyal, brave, courageous; the need to take revenge in a world led by fate and destiny physical strength and courage; the search for glory in this life.

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Conflict, Fate, and Courage

1. Themes The eternal conflict between good and evil. Fate and destiny govern the world. Courage is the quality that can stand against Fate.

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Style of Beowulf

Beowulf

1. Style FIXED STRESS PATTERN Each line = two halves each half = two main stresses

ZANICHELLIALLITERATION Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in the same line unifying element "stacked and decked until it stood foursquare" (I. 2) "heaven swallowed the smoke" (I. 19)Extensive use of KENNINGS: combination of two different words The two words create a compound. The compound represents a metaphor. -> e.g. sky-candle = sun -> e.g. bone-house = bodyBeowulf

Christian and Pagan Elements

1. Christian elements CHRISTIAN ELEMENTS: ·references to God as the Creator and the 'ruler of the heavens'. Characters often attribute victories, survival, and events to divine will; ·Beowulf prays to God before battles; . Beowulf sacrifies his life for the welfare of his people. PAGAN ELEMENTS: . The central role of the fate . The heroic code (strength, bravery, loyalty, and honor) Rituals and references to legendary creatures (like Grendel) which reflect the mythological and pagan worldview.

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Supernatural Elements in Beowulf

1. Supernatural elements • Superhuman powers are attributed to Beowulf. • Several monsters appear in the poem. . The supernatural lake, where Grendel and his mother live, is filled with sea-monsters.

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