Notes on Beowulf

  1. Historical Background

A.First example of written British Literature.

B.The Anglo-Saxon folk tale originated from oral tradition, sung by a harpist-bard for kings and their guests in great halls to entertain and to encourage the values of the tribe:

1. Honoring courage over long life.

2. Enjoying feasting, storytelling, and music.

  1. Viewing life fatalistically, even within the Christian tradition.

4. Admiring physical strength more than mental acuity.

5. Valuing loyalty to the lord or king above all.

C.Was recorded by Catholic monks around 1000 A.D. after the Roman occupation. When the monks recorded the story, they omitted many pagan elements, such as positive references to pagan gods, and incorporated Christian elements, references to heaven, hell, and God.

  1. Epic Hero Characteristics

Beowulf is an example of an epic hero, thus he follows the following Homeric characteristics:

  1. Must be a man of stature or nobility – strong in body and mind, although mortal, thus he can die.
  2. He reflects the values or heroic ideals of a particular society – is supremely ethical.
  3. Goes on a journey where he meets extraordinary obstacles and foes that embody destructive powers.
  4. Has allies or followers.
  5. Has a god-fashioned weapon.
  6. Receives help from the gods.
  7. Remains steadfast and never gives up.
  8. Is glorified by the people he saves.
  1. Character List
  2. Beowulf: a Geat, son of Edgetho and nephew of Higlac, the king of the Geats. The main character and epic hero.
  3. Brecca: chief of the Brondings, a tribe, and Beowulf’s friend.
  4. Grendel: man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a mountain lake.
  5. Herot: the golden guest-hall built by King Hrothgar, the Danish ruler.
  6. Hrothgar: King of the Danes who had once befriended Beowulf’s father.
  7. Unferth: one of Hrothgar’s courtiers, reputed to be a skilled warrior and is jealous of Beowulf. Unferth possesses the weapon, Hrunting, that will help Beowulf kill Grendel’s mother.
  8. Welthow: Hrothgar’s wife, Queen of the Danes. She typifies the perfect Anglo-Saxon woman.
  9. Wiglaf: a Geat warrior, one of Beowulf’s select band, and the only one to help him in his final fight with the dragon.
  1. Literary Devices Used
  2. Alliteration: repetition of sounds in words close to one another. Anglo-Saxon poetry is often called alliterative poetry. EX: 5:215 “How many times have my men, glowing/”
  3. Caesura: rhythm created by pauses. Usually in the first half of a line there will be two alliterated sounds and then a pause, followed by another alliterated sound. Ex: 5:218 “And then, in the morning, this mead-hall glittering/”
  4. Imagery and Description: Language that appeals to the senses. Ex. 10:528-533 “The water was bloody, steaming and boiling/In horrible pounding waves, heat/Sucked from his magic veins; but the swirling/Surf had covered his death, hidden/Deep in murky darkness his miserable/End, as hell opened to receive him”
  5. Symbolism: A person, place, or thing that stands for itself and something beyond itself. Ex. 13:646 - Light symbolizing God’s favor on Beowulf. “The brilliant light shone, suddenly,/As though burning in that hall, and as bright as Heaven’s/Own candle, lit in the sky…”
  6. Personification: giving human characteristics to an inanimate object. Ex 7:380 – Night is personified. “When night had covered the earth with its net/and the shapes of darkness moved black and silent/”
  7. Kennings: a specialized metaphor used by Anglo-Saxons made of compound words. Ex: 8:432 Referring to Grendel. “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime,/”
  8. Foil: a character who sets off another character by strong contrasts. Beowulf possesses the characteristics of an epic hero, while Unferth is spiteful and an idle boaster who was commited the unpardonable sin of murdering his kinsmen. Ex. See lines 7:320.
  9. Compare/Contrast: the settings in the story are compared/contrasted and used for symbolic purposes representing heaven and hell.
  1. Conflicts
  2. Good vs. Evil
  3. Man vs. Supernatural Forces
  1. Themes
  2. When humans remain loyal and sacrifice for those in need even though it may be painful, good will triumph over evil.
  3. When a person behaves exceptionally, either heroically or treacherously, fame can be achieved.
  4. Each member of a society has obligations or duties to the other members relative to their position and/or status within the community.