Introduction to Beowulf

Defining the Epic

• An epic is a long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a legendary hero in pursuit of a goal of national importance.

• The hero’s accomplishments reflect the values of his culture and usually figure prominently in the history or mythology of his people.

Elements of the Epic

Elements of the Epic

• The Epic Hero – the central character of an epic.

• The character is a larger-than-life, typically of noble or semi-divine birth, who pits his courage, skill, and virtue against opposing, often evil, forces.

• In the early English epic Beowulf, for example, the hero Beowulf is a young warrior of high standing who battles a brutal and bloodthirsty monster.

Elements of the Epic

• The Quest – a long, dangerous journey or mission undertaken by the epic hero.

• The quest is the hero’s opportunity to prove his heroism and win honor and undying renown.

• Beowulf embarks on a quest to aid a neighboring kingdom by defeating the hideous monster Grendel.

Elements of the Epic

• Valorous Deeds – these actions demonstrate the hero’s courage, strength, or virtue and make up most of the action in the narrative.

• For example, Beowulf’s superhuman strength is shown when he fights the savage Grendel with his bare hands.

Elements of the Epic

• Divine Intervention – in many epics, the hero receives help from a god or another supernatural force who takes an interest in his quest.

• In the ancient Greek epic the Iliad, for example, the goddess Athene helps the hero Achilles.

Elements of the Epic

• Great Events – Important events from the history or mythology of a nation or culture often provide the themes and backdrop for the epic narrative.

• The Iliad, for example, takes place during the Trojan War, a war in which the Greeks invaded and conquered the city of Troy.

Types of Epics

Folk Epics• In ancient times, stories about heroes were

recited or sung as entertainment and passed down orally from one generation to the next.

• These stories were eventually unified into folk epics and written down long after they were first composed.

• Examples include:– Beowulf (Anglo-Saxon)– Gilgamesh (Sumerian)– Mahabharata (Indian)– Sundiata (West African)

Literary Epics

• Written by individual authors, drawing on the style and conventions of the folk epic.

• Examples include:– Iliad and Odyssey by Homer– Aeneid by Virgil– Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri– Paradise Lost by John Milton

Epic Conventions

Epic Conventions

• An epic opens by stating the subject or purpose, followed by an invocation of a muse (a spirit thought to inspire an artist) or supernatural force who would help to tell the story.

• The plot begins “in medias res” – Latin for “in the middle of things.” In other words, the reader joins the story in the thick of the action.

• Most epics are serious in tone and lofty in style.

About Beowulf

• Beowulf is the self-portrait of a culture.• The poem describes the values of the culture,

not necessarily the facts.• It describes the ideal man, a sword-yielding

warrior who defends right, slays monsters, and displays honor and bravery.

The Stuff of Legend• Beowulf takes place in sixth century Scandinavia but

was written in Old English by the Anglo-Saxons that settled there. This is why this story is considered English Literature.

• Beowulf is a GEAT – a country that is now southern Sweden.

• The beginning of the story takes place in Denmark in the kingdom of Hrothgar.

• Grendel is a monster that has been terrorizing the Danish people in the mead hall called Herot.

• Beowulf comes to kill Grendel to pay a debt to Hrothgar he owes because of his father, Edgetho.

Forging an Epic• A SCOP is a storyteller or traveling minstrel.• They memorized poems and stories and recited

them in front of audiences.• The poems and stories changed as they were passed

from one scop to another, like a game of telephone.• The epic of Beowulf was finally written down in the

eleventh century.• Beowulf came from earlier folktales describing

monsters and dragons and brave warriors that were loyal to their heroic chiefs. They also describe descents into hell-like places.

A Guide to Life• The earlier folktales and Beowulf were

combined to include the Christian beliefs. This is why there is a blending of old Celtic beliefs with new Christian beliefs.

• The poem shows the struggle between the old gods and the new Christian God.

• The bravery, loyalty and evil in Beowulf taught the Anglo-Saxons the values that their culture wanted them to have.

From Oral Traditions to Cyberspace and Beyond

• The manuscript was damaged by fire.• The poem is still considered important to

English literature and has recently been produced as it would have been told by a scop.

Literary Analysis

• Epic: a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that celebrates a hero’s deeds.

• Epics from different languages and time periods do not always have the same characteristics.

Literary Analysis Continued• All epics, however, concern the actions of a

hero, who can be described as:– Being of noble birth or high position, and often of

great historical or legendary importance– Exhibiting character traits, or qualities, that reflect

important ideals of society– Performing courageous, sometimes superhuman,

deeds that reflect the values of the era– Performing actions that often determine the fate

of a nation or group of people

Literary Analysis Continued• Beowulf uses kennings and caesura.

– Kennings: a conventional poetic phrase used for or in addition to the usual name of a person or thing (Example – “a wave traveler” = “a boat”)

– Caesura: A break, especially a sense pause, usually near the middle of a verse (Marked by a double vertical line “II”).

• Legendary hero: a larger-than-life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales. The hero should have characteristics that his culture values.

• For example, Beowulf is boastful, strong and victorious but his loyalty, bravery and honor teach us how the Anglo-Saxons viewed the world.

Epic Conventions• In addition, most epics share certain

conventions, which reflect the larger than life events that a hero might experience.

• The setting is vast in scope, often involving more than one nation.

• The plot is complicated by supernatural beings or events and may involve a long and dangerous journey through foreign lands.

Epic Conventions• Dialogue often includes long, formal speeches

delivered by the major characters.• The theme reflects timeless values, such as

courage and honor, and encompasses universal ideas, such as good and evil or life and death.

• The style includes formal diction (the writer’s choice of words and sentence structure) and a serious tone (the expression of the writer’s attitude toward the subject).

Setting of Beowulf