Monday, Oct. 3 – ELIT 46Beowulf

ThemesStructure

Ways of Looking at Beowulf

Zits doesBeowulf Zits doesBeowulf

Hear how the scop Hear how the scop would have told the would have told the

storystory From the British Library

___________ 3. The demon is descended from what Biblical character?

a. Abel b. Cain c. Jacob d. Satan

_ 4. The character who is jealous of Beowulf and accuses him of vanity is

a. Uglif b. Unferth c. Hrethric d. Wealtheow

 

End of old quizEnd of old quiz ______ 5. According to Beowulf, the reason

Breca beat Beowulf in a swimming racewas because

a. Beowulf was attacked by nine sea monsters that he eventually destroyed.

b. He had inadvertently drunk too much mead.

c. He stopped in the middle of the race to save a ship floundering at sea

Actual quiz – answer 2Actual quiz – answer 2 Describe the battle between Grendel and

Beowulf, including what Beowulf did to prepare for the battle.

Describe the battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. Why is Beowulf successful?

What is Wealhtheow‘s main worry – the promise that she seeks to get Beowulf to make?

What themes do you What themes do you see?see?

Transitoriness of all things

Significance of generosity

Significance of loyalty

Question of immortality

Ideal King – walks his talk

Insiders and outsiders

Why start with Shield?Why start with Shield? Parallel to Beowulf, who is going to win fame himself

Funeral – so the shape of the epic is clear Funeral

Feast

Battle

Feast

Battle

Feast

50 years

Dragon Battle

Funeral

Heorot (civilization) vs. Barbarism (Hrothgar vs. Grendel) and Barbarism is winning

 

Beowulf (kenning of Beowulf (kenning of ____?)____?)

Beowulf represents _______________ What lines tell you this?

196-8

His style of fighting Grendel

His response to Unferth

His response to Unferth’s offer of the sword

Spoils from the cave

EpicEpic Compare what we have seen to usual ideas

about the epic

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

and the 3 on the next page

Different ways of looking Different ways of looking at Beowulfat Beowulf

Anthropological

Psychological = every enemy is a mirror for Beowulf to see himself

Performance = focus on the scop and why the story is being told and how it is being told

Political – about identity and nation formation

Didactic - Teaching

Literary – Irony, poetry of the language, synecdoche, metonymy, litotes, etc.

Theme of Gold according Theme of Gold according to Patricia Silberto Patricia Silber

Gold can have a positive moral value: adorning people, places, and weapons – to give to deserving warriors

Plundering, cursing, hoarding and refusing to give gold

Beowulf achieves moral ascendency when he ____?

How does Wealhtheow use gold? (pages 60-1)

Compare to Sigurd the Volsung and the story of the gold taken from the Rhine Maidens, gold which made the river beautiful. Also RINGS (Ring of the Niebelung)

See the treasures actually used in England around the time of the composition of Beowulf (750)

Sutton HooAnglo-Saxon ship burial

Find out more about the Sutton Hoo ship burial

Visit the main Museum website

www.britishmuseum.org

Use Explore to look at objects from Sutton Hoo

www.britishmuseum.org/explore/introduction.aspx

Learn more about Sutton Hoo and the Anglo-Saxons

www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk

Last Things to DoLast Things to Do

Choose your

Success/ Survival/ Support Groups

Does a group want to begin tomorrow by asking questions?

People in Honors need to choose a time to meet