Download Beowulf Notes for Powerpoint

Beowulf -- Student Notes for PowerPoint
Beowulf is an Epic - An epic is a long ___________ about a larger than life ___________.
Characteristics of an Epic:
 A ___________ hero with great ___________.
 Broad ___________ which includes upper and lower worlds.
 The hero does great ___________ or goes on long ___________.
 ______________________ beings are involved.
 ___________ language.
Epic Hero - Characteristics of the Epic Hero:
 Super ___________ – a man of stature or nobility (but still ___________)
 Reflects the ___________ or heroic ideals of his ___________
 Extremely ___________ to his ___________ and people.
 Brave and ___________.
 Victorious in battle – ___________ ___________ ___________
 Selflessly ___________ ___________ to rid society of danger.
 Has a god-fashioned ___________
 Receives help from the ___________
 Is __________________ by the people he saves
Why is Beowulf Special?
•Oldest surviving ___________ in British Literature.
•Written in ___________ ___________ between 700-750.
•Depicts life in ________________________ times.
Beowulf, The Manuscript
•Story passed down through ___________ tradition.
•Was later written down by two ___________.
•Dates back to ___________ CE.
•Exists in a single Anglo-Saxon manuscript.
•A fire in 1731 damaged it.
•First translated into Latin in 1815.
•Translated into Modern English in 1837.
•The British Library in London now owns it.
A Peek at Old English--What is Old English?
It is also called _______________________________.
It is a mixture of ___________, __________________ and _______________________.
It was spoken for a period of 700 years – from Anglo-Saxon invasion (5th century) until ___________ when
the _________________ invaded.
It has ________________ origin; eg, compare the modern Good day to Old English’s “Gódne dæg” and to
the German’s “Guten Tag.”
The Anglo-Saxon folk tale originated from oral tradition, sung by a ___________ -___________ for
___________ and their guests in great halls to entertain and to encourage the values of the tribe:
1. Honoring courage over long ___________.
2. Enjoying feasting, _______________________, and music.
3. Viewing life fatalistically, even within the ______________________ tradition.
4. Admiring physical ___________ more than mental acuity.
5. Valuing loyalty to the lord or ___________ above all.
The Setting - The story is set in 6th Century ______________________.
 It has a historical perspective, recording the ___________ and beliefs of the period.
 Beowulf’s kingdom would have been what is now Southern ___________________
The Story - Beowulf tackles three enemies:
He fights and kills the monster _________________.
He fights and kills Grendel’s _________________.
He fights and kills the ____________________
Recurring Themes
 The importance of establishing ___________________ (family lineage.)
 Loyalty to one’s ___________ and people is paramount
 Heroic ________________ are rewarded – _______________ can be achieved
 Good vs. Evil. – When humans remain ___________________ and sacrifice for those in need, even
though it may be painful, good will triumph over evil.
Code of Ethics
 A code of conduct that called for a close allegiance between a ___________ and his ______________.
 Loyalty and bravery were rewarded with _______________ and armor.
 One’s rich ___________ was viewed as a symbol of one’s success and bravery in ___________.
Literary Devices in Beowulf
Alliteration - repetition of initial ______________________ sounds in neighboring words: eg, sweet smell of
success, a dime a dozen, jump for joy.
–In Beowulf, there are three alliterations in every line:
“Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, leader beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk since
his father had gone…”
Kenning - a literary device in which a ___________ is renamed in a creative way using a compound word or
union of two separate words to combine ideas.
•Examples:
–Whale-road (sea)
–Ring-giver (king)
–Battle-friend (arrow)
–Bone house (body)
Caesura: ___________________ created by _________________. Usually in the first half of a line there will
be two alliterated sounds and then a pause, followed by another alliterated sound.
Ex: 5:218 “And then, in the morning, this mead-hall glittering/”
•And finally…We have epic poems to:
•record and chronicle one’s heroic deeds.
•preserve history.
•achieve immortality.
•reward courage and loyalty.
•entertain and flatter