Beowulf ppt presentation

8/10/2019 Beowulf ppt presentation

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BeowulfANONYMOUS


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Old English

Beowulf was written in Old English, an early form ofEnglish

Old English was spoken in the Middle Ages from about

6

th

century to 11

th

century CE In 1066, William the Conqueror successfully invaded

England, bringing his Norman French language withhim; the nobility began to speak French, andgradually Old English evolved into Middle English(1100-1500): Whan that Aprill, with his shoures

soote/The droghteof March hath perced to theroote

Modern English has been spoken since theRenaissanceShakespeare is NOT Old English; he isEarly Modern English
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The Anglo-Saxon period

ranges from 449-1066.It ends with the Battle of

Hastings where the French,

under the leadership ofWilliam the Conqueror

invaded England.

Anglo-Saxon Period


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Anglo-Saxon Period

The Anglo-Saxon period is the earliest recorded timeperiod in English history.


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Anglo-Saxon Literature

Few people read in this period

Oral traditionwas performed and/or

sung by a Bard (Scop) from memory inOld English

This is why there are often

several versions of the

same story.

Scopspoet/minstrels

Authors were unknown


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Anglo-Saxon Culture

Belief in fate (Wyrd)

Accumulated treasures amount to

success

Fame and fortune zealously sought after

Loyalty to ones leader crucial

Importance of pagan, Germanic, and

Christian ideals to people whose liveswere often hard and uncertain


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Anglo-Saxon Culture

Fierce, hardy life of warrior

and seamen

Strength, courage,leadership abilities

appreciated

Boisterous yet elaborately

ritualized customs of the

mead-hall

Expected the hero to boast


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Anglo-Saxon Ideals

Codes of Conduct Good defeats evil

Wergild--restitution for murder or

expect revenge from victimsrelatives

Boasts must be backed with

actions. Fate is in control

Fair fights are the only honorable

fights


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Anglo-Saxon values

Loyalty

Fighting for ones king

Avenging oneskinsmen

Keeping ones word

Generosity -- giftssymbolize bonds

Brotherly love -- not

romantic love


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Anglo-Saxon values

Heroism

Physical strength

Skill and resourcefulnessin battle

Courage

Public reputation, notprivate

conscience


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Warrior Code

Comitatus: Germanic code of loyalty Thane: warriorswears loyalty to the king for

whom they fought and whom theyprotected

Kings: generous, protected thanes

Reputation: thanes were expected to beloyal, brave, courageous; kings were

expected to be generous and hospitable Wergild: man-payment; a fee paid to the

family of a slain man to atone for his murderand to prevent the family from seeking

revenge.


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Background Information

30,000 lines of Anglo-Saxon poetry

survive today

3, 182 (10%) of the lines are fromBeowulf

Setting - Denmark and Sweden

Author - Unknown, probably amonk

Composed in the 7th or 8th century

Oldest surviving English poem


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Elements of Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Chant-like effect of the four-beat line

Alliteration (Then the grim man in greengathers his strength)

Caesura-pause or break in a line of

poetry (Oft to the wandererweary of exile)

Kenning-metaphorical phrase usedinstead of a name (battle-blade and

ring-giver) Epithet-description name to characterize

something (keen-edge sword)

Hyperbole-exaggeration


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Literary Devices

Allusion: Biblical, Germanic oral tradition,Norse myth and legend, historical Anglo-Saxon kings (eg. King Offa of Mercia)

Alliteration (eg. Scyldsstrong son)

Epic poetry: a long narrative poem written inelevated style which celebrates the deedsof a legendary hero or god.

Kenning: two-word metaphorical name forsomething (eg. whale-road=sea)

Scop: Anglo-Saxon composers andstorytellers (like minstrels or bards)


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Some terms youll want to know

scop

A bard or story-teller.

The scop was responsible for

praising deeds of past

heroes, for recording history,

and for providingentertainment


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thane

A warrior

mead-hall

The large hall where thelord and his warriorsslept, ate, heldceremonies, etc.



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wyrd

Fate. This idea crops up a

lot in the poem, while atthe same time there are

Christian references to

Gods will.



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elegy

An elegy is a poem that

is sad or mournful. Theadjective is elegiac.

homily

A homily is a writtensermon or section of thepoem that gives direct

advice.



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Mead Hall


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epic

Beowulf is an epic poem.

This means it has a larger-

than life hero and the

conflict is of universal

importance. Theres acertain serious that

accompanies most epics.



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2 Types of Epics

1. Folk Epic

Told out loud first (usually by scops)

Unknown author

Unknown dates

(E.g.Beowulf is a folk epic because wedont know who wrote it)

2. Literary Epic

Known author

(E.g.Paradise Lost, by John Milton is aliterary epic because we know whowrote it.)


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Characteristics of an epic:

The hero, generally male, is of

noble birth or high position

The heros character traits reflectimportant ideals of his society

The hero performs courageous

deeds that reflect the values of thetimes

His actions determine the fate of

many


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Characteristics of an epic

continued: The setting is vast

Written in formal diction with a serious

tone

Characters have long, formal speeches

Heros journey (slides to follow)

Poem reflects timeless values (courage,etc)

Treats universal themes (good vs. evil,

etc.)


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SUMMARY OF EPIC FEATURES

A long narrative poem

Larger than life hero; often with super-

human characteristics Concerns eternal human problems like the

struggle between good and evil

Presented in a serious manner usingelevated (poetic) language

Hero represents widespread national,cultural, or religious values


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The Poetry in BeowulfA few things to watch out for

1. Alliterative verse

a. Repetition of initial sounds of

words (occurs in every line)

b. Generally, four feet/beats per line

c. A caesura, or pause, betweenbeats two and four

d. No rhyme


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Setting: Beowulfs time and place

Although Beowulfwas written inEnglish, it is set in what is now Sweden,where a tribe called the Geats lived.

The story may take place as early as400 or 500 A.D.


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Setting: Beowulfstime and place

Europe today


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Beowulfs Provenance

What wedont know:

who wrote itwhen exactly it waswritten

how much, exactly, isbased on historical truth


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Beowulfs Provenance

What we doknow:

Beowulf is the oldest surviving Englishpoem. Its written in Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), which is the basis for the languagewe speak today.

Some of the characters in the poemactually existed.

The only copy of the manuscript waswritten sometime around the 11thcenturyA.D. (1000s), however


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The actual poem probably dates fromthe 8thcentury (700s) or so, and

The story may be set even earlier,around 500 A.D.

There are a lot of Christian references inthe poem, but the characters and setting

are Paganthis means a monk probablytranslated it.


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Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at thebeginning of words that are close together in a poem.

Hrothgarsmen lived happy in hishall.

miserable, mighty men tormented


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The Poetry in Beowulffew things to watch out for

Alliterative versean example fromBeowulf:

Oft Scyld Scefing sceapena praetum,Monegum maegpum meodo-setla ofteah;

Egsode Eorle, syddan aerest weard.


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Other kennings from Beowulf:

banhus= bone-house = body

goldwine gumena= gold-friend of men =

generous prince

beaga brytta= ring-giver = lord

beadoleoma= flashing light = sword


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You can Create modern-day kenningsfor things yousee around you.

giver of wordsword-wand

??

? ?


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Litotes

A negative expression; usually an

understatement

Example:

Hildeburh had no cause to praise the Jutes

In this example, Hildeburhsbrother has

just been killed by the Jutes. This is a

poetic way of telling us she hated the Jutes

absolutely.


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Beowulf

Epic hero

Geat (from

southern Sweden) Nephew of Higlac

(King at storys

start)

Sails to Denmark to

help Hrothgar


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Hrothgar The aging king of

the Danes

Welcomes Beowulfsassistance in facing

Grendel Built Herot (his giant

mead-hall) tosymbolize the

kingdoms success,civilization, and joy


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Grendel

Referred to asdemon and fiend

Haunts the moors(swampy land)

Descendant ofCain

Feasts on 30 menthe night of 1stattack


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Grendel

An enormous ogre ordemon-like creature

A descendent of thebiblical Cain

Adam and Eve had twosons, Cain and Abel.Cain killed Abel out of

jealousy.

Despises mankinds joy

Menaces Hrothgar and theDanes for twelve yearsbefore facing Beowulf inbattle


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Fire Dragon

Lives in Beowulfs

kingdom

Wakes up whenthief steals cup

Guards countless

treasures


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1 When was owulf written?

2 What is a hero? Explain your definition and give examples

3 What is courage? How would most people today define courage?

4 What is an epic?

5 Define and give an example of a kenning Write an original kenning about someone

you know

6. In todays society we have our own monsters who or what are they and what do

they represent?

7 List three modern fictional heroes and explain how their journeys fit the epic hero

cycle How are they separated? What is their initiation? How have they been

changed?


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Synopsis

For twelve years, Grendel has raidedHerot nightly, killing King HrothgarsDanish warriors.

Beowulf, who has heard of Grendelsevil deeds, decides to come to theaid of the Danes. Hrothgar had once sheltered

Beowulfs father during a deadlyfeud, and Beowulf wants to returnthe favor.

Beowulf also hopes to enhance hisown reputation and gain treasurefor his king, Higlac.

Beowulf brings with him fourteen of his

finest men.


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Synopsis On the first night of the visit,

Hrothgar holds a feast in Beowulfshonor.

Beowulf is insulted by a drunkenDane named Unferth.

Unferth tells the crowd that Beowulfwas once beaten in a swimmingcontest by an ordinary man namedBreca, thus he would certainly beno match for Grendel.

Beowulf responds with dignity notingthat the two swimmers wereseparated by a storm, and on thefifth night of the contest Beowulf

slew nine sea monsters before finallyreturning home

Unferth had been put in his place!

The Danes retire to safe sleepingquarters; Beowulf and his Geats beddown in Herot.


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Synopsis The Danes celebrate the next day

with a huge feast. But Grendels mother is bent on

revenge.

That night she climbs into Herot toretrieve her sons claw, and kills one

of the Danes. Beowulf was sleeping elsewhere.

The next morning Hrothgar, Beowulf,and several Danes and Geats followthe mothers tracks into a dark,formidable swamp.

Beowulf dives into the mere to seekGrendels mother.

He carries with him a sword namedHrunting, a gift from the chastisedUnferth.
http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/proj1d/page1.html


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Synopsis First, Beowulf battles with strange

creatures. Grendels mother then attacks and

hauls the Geat warrior to her dimly litcave.

Beowulfs gift sword Hruntingfails to penetrate the ogreshide.

Grendels mother tries to cut Beowulfwith a knife, but his mail (armor)

protects him. Beowulf spots a giant magical

sword and uses it to kill her.
http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/proj1d/page3.htmlhttp://csis.pace.edu/grendel/proj1d/page3.htmlhttp://csis.pace.edu/grendel/proj1d/page2.html


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Synopsis

An unexplainable light illuminates thecavern and reveals Grendelscorpse and a

great deal of treasure.

Beowulf decapitates the corpse.

The magic sword melts to its hilt (handle).

Beowulf returns the surface carrying

Grendelshead, but leaves the treasure.
http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/proj1d/page4.html


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Synopsis

After much celebration and gifts fromHrothgar, Beowulf and his men returnhome.

Later, Beowulfs king Higlac is killed inbattle. Higlacsson is also killed in a feud.

Beowulf is named King of Geatland and

rules for 50 years. In his declining years, he must face one

more demon.


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Beowulf ppt presentation

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