Part I review for Beowulf

List of Characters:

Grendel- monster that was condemned to hell. He came to Heorot and ate/killed lots of worriers. Beowulf tears his arm off and kills him. Eats 30 people the first time. Desendant of Cain.

Beowulf- Geetish Worrier/ Hero. He has faught many creatures and defeated them all. He defeats Grendel. Hygalec's nephew, Ecgtheow's son. Owes Hrothgar.

Ecgtheow- Given sister of Hygalec, and he isn't Geat until he marries her. Hrothgar pays his weirgild for the person he kills.

Hrothgar- King of Danes. Lets Beowulf kill Grendel. Good ruler. Dad was halfdane. Built Meadhall, Heorot in honor of himself.

Fitela- In the Frisian digression. Nephew of Sigmund and is suggested that he betrayed Sigmund.

Sigmund- Dragonslayer. The scop relates Beowulf to him suggesting that he will later slay a dragon (foreshadow). He is ambushed eventually. Greatest hero in oral poetry up until this time.

Wulfgar- Messenger between Beowulf and Hrothgar. Advisor to the King.

Heremond- Was first an admirable Danish Hero, but became a vicious, miserly king who alienated his own people. Selfish, murders those close to him for his own greed, is exiled by his own worriers and killed by the Jutes in Juteland.

Finn- King of Frisians. Made a deal with the Danes that they be treated like royalty.

Hnaef- Danish leader who is aligned through the frisians through the marriage of Finns sister. Killed in ambush.

Hengest- He becomes leader of the Danes after Hnaef is killed in battle. Perhaps a Jute. Completes werguild.

Wealhtheow- Queen of Danes, Hrothgar’s wife. She is a symbol of what a Queen should be: beautiful, hospitible, peacemaker.

Unferth- Drunk Worrier who is jealous of Beowulf and acuses him of not being a good worrier, or not living up to his stories. Everything a worrier shouldn't be: Jealous, coward, can't handle drink, kin killer.

Shield- He arrives to Denmark on a ship and becomes king. Founder of the Danes. Is a great ruler, and when he dies is sent back out to sea with lots of gold and jewels in honor of his great ruling. Moses like character

Halfdane- Beow’s son. Good king. Grandson of Shield.

Beow- son of shield. Becomes King and has Halfdane.

Literary Terms and Examples:

Kenning- 1) Word-hoard for treasure hoard 2) Shadow-stalker for Grendel 3) Hall-thanes for Danish worriers.

Litotes- 1) After Unferth accuses Beowulf of lieing, and Beowulf says “It was mostly beer that was doing the talking.” 2) When Beowulf has Grendel in a death grip, the narrator says “it was the worst trip the terror-monger had taken to Heorot.”

Flytes- 1) When Unferth accuses Beowulf of not being a good worrier and Beowulf proves that he really is a good worrier. Beowulf's put down of Unferth.

Appositive- 1) “those seafarers sighted land, sunlit cliffs, sheer crags, and looming headlands.”

Alliteration- 1) Build up of words starting with the same letter. “to sail the swan’s road and seek out that king.”

Censura (definition)- A strong pause within a line. Breaks up a sentence.

Symbol- 1) Grendel’s name means god cursed scream in old english 2) Heorot symbolizes royalty; translated as hart, which is a deer, which symbolizes royalty. Also symbol of center of community.

Allusion- 1) The hall towered its gables wide and high and awaiting a barbarous burning alludes to the future destruction of the hall as a result between the Danes and the Heatho-Bards 2) “The shielding nation was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal” this contrasts the present comity with the future, and that Hrothulf, King Hrothgar’s nephew, will later betray Hrothgar’s sons and usurp the throne. 3) The saga of finn alludes to Beowulf and that he is going to battle a dragon and die trying. Deals with the history. 4) Bible Able and Cain. Grendel is a descendant of Cain, Cain is a Kin Killer. Neither one payed the Weirguild. 5) Story of Sigmund. It's an oral tale that everyone knew.

Epic Boast- 1) Beowulf’s boast about how great he is and all the sea monsters that he has killed. When he gives his resume to Hrothgar.

Epic Hero (Definition and how it fits Beowulf)- Epic journey, enforces value of his culture. Stonger, wiser, more moral than everyone else. Deeds on the battlefield, meeting fate, or wyrd, respect of king, bravery, giving of gifts He is the symbol for what the culture stands for or believes in, and is all of the above. Beowulf represents the ultimate worrier in a worrier culture. Often the epic hero also has a flaw (a heroic flaw) that serves to remind the culture of faults even in the best of things.

Motifs and Themes:

Exile- Exile is a motif that re occurs in Beowulf. It appears when Shield Sheafson is exiled from his home country and is put on a ship and lands at Denmark, only to become a great king and leader. It also appears when Grendel is exiled to hell, and takes a turn for the worst and becomes more evil than he used to be. Exile is the worst thing that can happen to you. Your value is part of a group. Look at Grendel and why he acts the way he does.

Kin Killing- one of the worst sins you could commit in the town because you can’t be forgiven for it because your family most likely won’t forgive you. The only punishment is Exile. An example is when Cain kills his brother Abel and is exiled. *Look at Finn.*

Ambush- Ambush appears both when the attacker is too blind so see the victim ready for him, or vice versa. It’s shown when Grendel is going to attack Beowulf, but Beowulf is ready for him, so he is defeated.

Wergild and Wyrd- Wergild (blood money) is when the family of the victim who is murdered seeks vengence on the murderer. For example when Beowulf’s father, killed Heatholaf who was a Wulfing and was banished for it, so Hrothgar pays the wergild. Wyrd is the idea of fate. No way to avoid this. Better to meet fate valiently than to try and run away from it. It appears when Beowulf is explaining what’s going to happen when/if Grendel wins the fight, and what would happen if he won the fight.

The Role of Kings- The king is supposed to protect and serve his country. Do what is best for it. Also to show leadership even in the worst of times. Example is Hrothgar being a good king even when Grendel had invaded. Keep peace, bring up worriers, give gifts, ring-giver (kenning for king).

The Role of Women- Women are used as a peace pledge, looking pretty, giving birth to worriers, and to be a kind hostess. An example is Wealhtheow when she provides good hospitality for Beowulf and his worriers during the feast.

The Role of Worriers- They are there to fight and defend their country, and also help other countries out if they owe a favor, or want self glory, swear alliegence to king. An example is Beowulf going to fight Grendel for King Hrothgar.

Paganism vs. Christianity- Both of these show up because the author was a Christian telling the story of a pagan, so the ideas and thoughts of pagans are told through a Christian point of view instead of a Pagan one. Beowulf is a Pagan text- Examples: who they sacrifice animals to, Monk (an example to it being a pagan text) says even though they weren't Christian, they did things so heroic that god protected them. Voice coming through is Christian, but things Beowulf does in his culture- killing demonds to increase reputation.

Words of the day

The scop wrote a very touching poem about how people should always love.

Jack’s sinew was destroyed when he tore his ACL.

The monster’s spawn was as destructive as he was.

The infamous basketball team hadn’t won a game in two years, until a superstar joined their team.

My mother’s hoary glasses made her look like she was living when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The murky water is scary to swim in because you can’t tell if a crocodile is lurking just beneath the surface.

Our office had been cluttered for months, until we finally purged it of files and papers.

Bob’s reparation for destroying the huge toy Lego model took hours.

When my uncle’s funeral was full of lamented family members.

The group of heathens gathered by a rock to do their own worshipping.

The cowering dog stood behind his owner when he saw the enormous bear slowly heading in their direction.