Beowulf

• English literature begins with Beowulf.
• It was passed on orally by scops and bards, until monks wrote it down.
• Beowulf is an epic.
• An epic is a long, narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated; it also stresses the battle between good and evil, and superhuman qualities.
• The author is unknown, but we assume they're Christian because of mentions of Cain and Abel, calling Grendel a descendant of Cain.
• The diction of the epic is stately, and the tone is somber for these reasons:
• belief in the presence of evil in the world
• belief in fate (wyrd)
• to rule human destiny
• the resignation of the certainty of death
• Epics like Beowulf have 7 characteristics:
• The hero is a person of high social status and often of great historical and legendary importance (Beowulf was prince of the Geats).
• The actions of the hero often determine the fate of a nation or a group of people.
• The hero performs courageous and superhuman deeds that reflect the values of the era.
• The plot (sequence of events) is complicated by supernatural beings and events.
• The setting is large, involving more than one nation and dangerous journeys through foreign lands.
• Long and formal speeches are delivered by the main character.
• The epic poem deals with ideals such as good and evil, and life and death.

Background

• King Hrothgar built Herot (mead hall) to commemorate his victories.
• Mead is a popular liquor made of water, honey, malt, and yeast.
• Herot also symbolizes the loyalty and interdependence of the lord and his faithful warriors.
• Hrothgar was strong, honorable, respected, and beloved.
• Grendel is a powerful, evil-natured, intelligent, greedy, impatient, and quick monster.
• He can't approach Hrothgar's throne because the king is protected by God.
• Beowulf has heroic qualities, is powerful, strong, diplomatic, and boastful.

Plot

• Beowulf journeys across the sea to the land of the Danes to help defeat Grendel; the tales of his destruction had spread far and wide.
• Beowulf tricks Grendel by staying with his men at Herot and pretending to be asleep.
• When Grendel snatches Beowulf, Beowulf grabs him with his hard hands and rips off Grendel's arm at the shoulder.
• Grendel flees, bleeding.
• Grendel attacks the Danes for 3 reasons:
• He was hungry and ate men.
• He was evil and doomed, as he was a descendant of Cain and would never receive God's love or grace.
• He was jealous of the people and excluded by them.
• Beowulf hangs Grendel's arm from the rafters of Herot as a trophy.
• Soon, Grendel's mother attacks Herot, seeking vengeance for the men who murdered her son.
• She kills king Hrothgar's best friend, so the king asks Beowulf for help in killing her.
• Beowulf kills the mother at her cave in the lake, and cuts her in half.
• He takes back her head as a trophy.
• Grendel attacks Herot because of his evil nature, but his mother attacks in vengeance.
• After Beowulf rules for 50 years, the dragon attacks after men try to steal his treasure.
• Beowulf, still brave, fights him, but his sword breaks with his scaly hide.
• Beowulf dies from the wounds after battling the dragon.
• After his death, Beowulf is honored by a huge tower that is built by the shore so the sailors can see.
• They sealed his ashes inside and buried the dragon's treasure inside the tower too.
• All of Beowulf's men abandon him in the battle against the dragon except Wiglaf, who becomes king because Beowulf had no children.
• Many of Beowulf's deeds exemplify the traits of an epic hero.
  
• Alliteration, caesuras, and kennings in Beowulf give the epic a vivid narrative.
• Beowulf is able to defeat Grendel and his mother, but loses to the dragon.
• This exemplifies the theme that good and evil are always engaged in an ongoing battle, but that evil wins sometimes.
• Beowulf changes throughout his life. As he helped Hrothgar when he was old, Wiglaf helped him when he was old.
• In his youth, he is daring.
• The author associated the king with God in order to glorify God and establish the king as a good man. He makes Grendel far from God to convey that he is evil.
• All the monsters have different reasons to hate men:
• Grendel hates men because he is excluded by them and feels jealous.
• Grendel's mother hates men because they killed her son, and she must avenge him.
• The dragon hates men because they try to steal from him.
• Greed wakes up the dragon, in the form of a thief.
• Wiglaf is the only one that stays by Beowulf's side, so he gives a speech to all the others who abandoned him.
• Before dying, Beowulf is sad because he didn't have any children to give his weapons to.
• As an old man, he values honor and dignity more.