05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Beowulf-part 1
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Beowulf
05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Important Characters
• Beowulf,titlecharacter,amemberoftheGeattribe
• Breca,agoodfriendofBeowulf;intheiryouththeychallengedeachother
totestbraveryandskills
• Ecgtheow,Beowulf’sfather;throughepithetshisnameismentioned
frequently;notadirectplayerinthestoryline
• Grendel,themonsterwhomBeowulfmustdefeat,adescendantofCain
• Heorot,themeadhalloffabulousconstruction
• Hrothgar,elderlykingoftheDanes;great-grandsonofScyldScefing
• Hrunting,nameforUnferth’ssword
• Hygelac,Beowulf’suncleandlordoftheGeats
• Nailing(Nægling),Beowulf’ssword
• ScyldScerfing,fistruleroftheDanes;hisnamemeans‘shield’or‘protector’
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Beowulf
05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
• Unferth,spokesmanofthecourt,uncouth,arude,challengingpersonality
• Wealtheow,queenoftheDanes,respectfulwifeofHrothgar
• Wiglaf,nephewtoBeowulf;heisthelastcompaniontostandwithBeowulf
againstthedragon
• Grendel’sMother,unnamedcharacter,asecondarychallengeforBeowulf
Setting:
• Scandinavia
• traditionallytheeventsareviewedashappeningduringthehistoricalperiod
ofthelatterhalfoftheFifthCentury,uptothemid-SixthCentury
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Beowulf
05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
The story of Beowulf was first recorded in England by cleric scribes.
However,strongopinionsvaryontheactualdateofthepoem’sconception
• ideasrangefromtheEighthtoEleventhCenturies
• itisananonymousworkwhichfitstheearlyAnglo-Saxonculturepromoted
bytheOldEnglishscop-poets
• traditionalitisbelievedtobeconceivedbyanAnglo-Saxonscoppoet,
aperformerstillmaintaininghisGermanicheritageandculture;hewould
inturntrainanapprenticewhowouldmemorizethetextandlaterperform
andtrainhisownapprentice
• anothercriticalopinionstatesthatthepoemconsistsofmultiplescrapsof
materials,threeseparatestoriesbroughttogetherunderacommon
hero’snamebyaclericalscribe
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Beowulf
05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
• anothertheoryproposesamonkfamiliarwithmanyAnglo-Saxonfolktales,
createdtheentirepiecetocelebratethepasthistory—withthisconcept,
whatisbeingsuggestedisthatthestorydidnothaveanoraltraditionbut
ratherbeganasanoriginalwrittenconceptfromtheverybeginning
So, depending on your views of the composition, the overall inten-
tions of the poem change.
Whatresults:
• thepaganelementsarespecificculturalbeliefsofthecreator(oral)
—or—
• thepaganelementsaremerelyliterarydevicestoembellishthetext(literate)
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Beowulf
05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
The Theme
Besidespresentingtheuniversalconceptofgoodversusevil,
Beowulfpresentsanuniqueangletotheepictheme
• aheroofabsolutegoodsacrificeshimselfinordertopromotehis
moralcodeandcreateagreatersenseofsafetyforhumanity
• theaudienceisprovidedthreedifferentexamplesofhowhismoralcode
ischallengedandhowheprevailsineachsection
• theaudienceislikewisepresentedsecondarybackgroundstoriesofhow
othermenandwomensucceededorfailedwithsimilarconflicts
705.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Beowulf
Keep in mind, at the root of this story is established a warrior-society.
• orderismaintainedthroughforceandmilitaristicactions
• specialemphasisisplacedmoreonheroicdeedsofcentralcharactersand
lessonasystemofdiplomacyandlogicalanalysis
• ThecharacterofHrothgarappearsinnumerousotherNordicaswellas
Anglo-Saxonepicsandpoems;theaudiencewouldbefamiliarwithhis
fullhistoryandknowoffurthertragedies,conflictswhichwilloccur
forhimselfandhisfamily
805.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Beowulf
• Furthermore,inBeowulf,KingHrothgarisshownwithhisthaneswho
collectivelyrepresentaflawedestablishedorder;asrepresentationsof
strengththesemenshouldbemaintainingastrongstructurefortheir
society,however:
> thecontinuedpresenceofthemonsterGrendelisaforcewho
terrorizesHrothgar’smeadhallfor“twelvelongwinters”(l146)
andcannotberesolvedbytheDanesthemselves
>Hrothgar’sadvisorssometimesmake“unholysacrifices”toHell(l175)
>Unferth’srevealedpasthistoryrepresentsfurtherweaknessesinthe
group(l587-589)
• Beowulf,anoutsideresourcefromGeatslineage,entersthesceneto
repairtheproblem;heisafterallthesubjectoftheepic,theprotagonist
905.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Grendel
Grendel is shown as the monster-antagonist.
• describedas“anenemyfromhell/[...]thiscruelspirit”(ll100-101)
• helivesinmarshesandwetlandswhichexistnearthemeadhall,Heorot
• heisadecedentofCain,thefirstmurdererfromtheOldTestament;
thisisaplotdevicetoshowsympathyshouldnotliewithGrendel;
hepersonifiesapureevil,withoutretribution
• asevidence,hecannotapproachHrothgar’sthroneduetothepresumed
notionHrothgar,theking,isprotectedbyGod,evenifhisthanesarenot;
Grendel’sviolenceislimitedinasensetomenwhogettoorowdyintheir
drunkennessatnight
• hemovesaboutindarkness;commitshiscrimesunderdarkness;
heattackshisenemiesastheyaresleeping,likeacoward
1005.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Grendel
Notice Grendel is fated to commit crimes based on his heritage.
Grendel,asacharacter,isagoodexampleofacombinationofpaganand
Christianelements.
• AsadescendantofCain,Grendel’sbloodlineiscursedasoneofthefallen
• WhenwereadmoreofGrendel’sbackgroundwediscoverfromCain:
“camedownallkindsmisbegotten/—orgesandelvesandevilshades—/
asalsotheGiants,whojoinedinlong/warswithGod.Hegavethemtheir
reward”(ll110-113).Obviouspagancreaturesaremixedintothebiblical
storyfromtheOldTestament.
• Moresubtle,butimportanttonote,pickuponthefactthatGrendel’sactions
arepredestined,controlledbyapagan,Nordicnotionofwyrd.(TheCatholic
traditionisslightlysimilar,however,whatdiffersintheelementoffreewill
withinthenon-paganbeliefs.ThisstorypredatestheideaofPredestination.)
1105.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Grendel
Notice how Grendel represents chaos; on the other hand,
the mead hall, Heorot, represents order, structure.
• theconstructionofthemeadhallisanarchitecturalfeatinitself,
“ahousegreater/thanmenoneartheverheardof”(ll68-69);
itisby appearanceawell-craftedbuildingofsolidform—however,
in reality,asseenbyHrothgar’sflaws,hiddensituationsexist
• intheopeningscenesbeforeGrendelfirstattacks,itisrelayedhow
ascop-poetsangastoryfromtheOldTestament(l90-97)—inthisaction,
theDanesareportrayedasapeoplewhofollowareligiousorder,amoral
codefromBiblicalteachings;italsopreparesyoufortheentranceof
Grendel;hedislikesreligiousorder;heemergesonthescenefrommarshes
anddarkness,fromoutofchaoticnatureitself
1205.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
wergild
Within the warrior-society a value is heavily placed on one’s kinship,
identity, and personal heritage.
• Aresponsibilitylieswithmaintainingtheappearanceofasuccessfulfamily
throughpasthistorieswithinthebloodline.
• Furthermore,ifafamilymemberiskilled,thesurvivingmembershavethe
dutytoactrevengeonthetransgressoror
• demandawergild,apaymenttoreplacethelossoftherelative.
• Inline157,Longmannotesthatthephrase“man-price”indicates
theconceptofwergildasameansofillustratinghowuncivilizedGrendelis;
herefusestopayforhiscrimesofmurderagainsttheDanishmenandthus
limitshimtobeinginhuman,heathen,ornon-Christian.
• Thecrimesofhisancestorareinheritedtraitsinhisbeing.
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Beowulf
05.23.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor
To contrast against the Grendel example, andcontinuingtoexplain
theconceptofwergild,thestoryclarifieswhyHrothgarispersuadedtoacceptthe
offerfromBeowulfinthefirstplace.
• HrothgarhimselfrelateshowBeowulf’sfather,Ecgtheow,onceneeded
assistancetoendafeudbetweenhimselfandtheWulfingclan.
• HrothgarvaluesBeowulf’sofferbecauseitshowsason’sgratitudefor
thepastactionsoftheking.
• Familyhonorishighlyvaluedthroughoutthestory.