The Epic, Epic Hero, and Beowulf

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The Epic, Epic Hero, and Beowulf

• Anglo-Saxon England

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Epic Hero

• Superhero
• Brave, strong, good
• Usually high social status
• Important in his peoples history
• Larger-than-life (Superman, ex)
• Embodies the ideals of his people

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The Epic Tale

• LONG narrative poem
• Formal language
• Tells the story of the Epic Hero
• Most not written told by storytellers, called
  scops and gleemen (or singers of tales),
  probably accompanied by music
• Very few complete written epics survive

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Plots of Epics Involve

• Supernatural events
• Long time periods Distant journeys
• Life death struggles between good and evil
• Hero ALWAYS REPRESENTS GOOD
• Forces that threaten the people ALWAYS REPRESENT
  EVIL
• Defeat of evil determines fate of nation

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The Anglo-Saxon Epic Hero

• Anglo-Saxon ideals for hero
• -courage
• -physical strength
• -loyalty to tribe or king
• -wisdom
• -supreme self-confidence

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Beowulf

• Set in 6th or 7th century (500s-600s a.d.)
• Imagine a time when tribes from Europe regularly
  raided one anothers shores to loot and burn each
  others settlements when great warriors feasted,
  drank, and bragged of their bloody conquests in
  huge mead halls when kings bestowed riches upon
  their braves warriors to retain their allegiance
  when people believed in monsters and dragons
  (Glencoe British Literature, 43).

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Beowulf

• Place NOT ENGLAND
• Set in Scandinavia
• Involves
• The Geats-tribe from southern Sweden
• The Danes-tribe from Denmark

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Why is it considered English?

• Scandinavians were part of the Anglo-Saxons
• When Anglo-Saxons settled in a place, their
  stories came with them

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More on Beowulfs History

• Oldest known English literary work
• -A scop probably first wrote Beowulf down in
  700s
• -Oldest known, surviving manuscript was written
  300 yrs. later by unknown author

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Beowulf Names

• Hrothgar King of the Danes
• Grendel monster that terrorizes Danes
• Beowulf from family of Kings of Geats hero
• Grendels mother seeks revenge
• on Danes

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• Herot name of Hrothgars mead hall
• Hrunting Beowulfs sword

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Poetic Devices in Beowulf

• Scops and gleemen needed poetic devices to help
  remember tales and give stories greater impact
• Alliteration repetition of similar consonant
  sounds (Ex miserable, mighty men tormented)
• Caesura an obvious pause in a line of poetry,
  usually found near middle of line, w/ 2 stressed
  syllables before and 2 after. Indicated with //.
• (Ex A prince of the Geats// had killed Grendel)
• 3. Kenning An imaginative phrase that takes
  the place of a single noun (Ex whale-roadsea
  life-housebody)

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Literary Elements in Beowulf

• Foreshadowing hints about whats to come. Ex
  from Beowulf
• But fate, that night, intended/
• Grendel to gnaw the broken bones/
• Of his last human supper (293- 295)
• Look for another example of foreshadowing as you
  read write down the line numbers

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Vocabulary for Beowulf

• Lament (n) an expression of sorrow, OR a song or
  writing that mourns a death
• (V) to express sorrow
• Forged (v) formed or shaped made
• Shroud(n) burial cloth
• Infamous (adj) famous for something bad
  notorious
• Writhing (v) twisting in pain
• Spawned (v) born

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• Lair (n) den of a wild animal
• Reparation (n) payment to make up for a wrong or
  injury indemnity
• Linden (adj) wooden
• Scabbard (n) case that protects the blade of a
  sword
• Hilt (n) a swords handle

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