Lopez 1
Mr. Lopez
English 12 – Senior Seminar December 2014
Beowulf & Anglo-Saxon Review Outline
I. Epic Hero
A. Central character or Protagonist of an Epic
B. Epic Hero
Traits / Epic HeroPosition / Station / · Larger-than-life
· Noble or half-divine birth
Traits / Behavior / Embodies the highest ideals of the culture (in this case Anglo-Saxon):
· Courage
· Strength
· Virtue
· Loyalty
Actions and Outcome / · Undertakes a QUEST or extraordinary journey to defeat a monster
· Achieves great deeds in battle
· Triumphs over evil
· Story/reputation immortalized after death in legend
II. Beowulf Plot (Who, What, Where, When, and How)
A. Who are the characters?
B. What countries / tribes do they represent?
C. Where and When does the story take place?
1. Where and When was the story told?
D. What are the similarities and differences (unique elements) of the three episodes/battles
III. Anglo-Saxon Ideals: These are ALL demonstrated in Beowulf and you should be familiar with them and examples from Beowulf:
A. Strength, Bravery, Courage (Warrior Society)
B. Love of GLORY
C. Loyalty and Allegiance between lord and thanes
D. Reverence for womanhood
IV. Beowulf Symbolism / References
A. Light versus Dark / Good versus Evil
B. Christian and Pagan references
C. What real life threat/fear do the three monsters represent
V. Anglo-Saxon Fate
A. A warrior’s fate may be predetermined or not – and could still be influenced through courage.
1. This is a little different than the Ancient Greek concept of an inexorable, unstoppable fate.
B. However once fate is determined, it is unavoidable.
1. This is the same as the Ancient Greeks
VI. Anglo-Saxon Literary elements of Beowulf
A. Stories were song in an oral tradition
1. The songs (verse, poems) celebrated the significant deeds of real & mythical heroes and the traditions of the Anglo-Saxon society
a. Glorified battle, comradeship, loyalty and devotion
2. These songs are the beginnings of English literature
a. 300 years later, these songs were written down by Christian monks (written literature begins to evolve)
B. Heavy use of alliteration
C. Rich in kennings: a short condensed metaphor using word combination.