3.+Beowulf

Directions: your group is responsible for compiling and creating responses to all sections and will be graded on the completeness and accuracy of the information provided. In addition, your response must include material covered in class, not information "cut and pasted" from on-line study guides. Assignment is worth 100 points. Remember, you are helping your classmates by providing a complete response.

1) Plot Summary (no more than 250 words please): The story of Beowulf is an epic poem about the character Beowulf who travels to Denmark from Geatland in order to help King Hrothgar defend his monumental meadhall by the name of Herot. He travels the ocean to fight the monster named Grendel who attacks the meadhall every time the men stay there. Beowulf guarentees victory and defeats Grendel, naked. Unfortunatly for the Danes the voctory is short lived because Grendel's mother, seeking retribution begins her assault on the people of Denmark. Beowulf goes top her lair and dives in to attack her alone. He defeats her as well but this time needs help from an ancient sword made by giants to strike her down. After Beowulf's heroics he travels home to Geatland where he keeps peace between warring tribes in his homeland. He rules peacefully until a treasure hoarding dragon attacks some of his people who strayed to close. He decides to deal with the problem and go after the dragon himself. He takes his men there and grapples with the dragon. Beowulf needs help in this battle from his lone faithful warrior Wiglaf who stands and fights with him. Beowulf delivers the final blow and the dragon is defeated by the pair but Beowulf is fatally injuredl. Beowulf dies a hero with his memory in the minds if his people forever. 2) Major Characters, Description, and Relationships: (mainly beowulf because thats the main focus of the story and really the only constant consistent character)

Beowulf- is the most complex of the characters introduced in this epic tale. He is the great leader of the Geats who comes to Denmark for glory and legend. He believes very deeply in a higher power, possibly God because of the retelling in Christian form. Beowulf's tale is in a way, displaying the whole life of the ancient warrior. He is a cocky warrior who decides to battle the monster Grendel with his bare hands. This shows both faith because he believes his God will not let him die no matter what weaponry he uses and also a thirst to prove and make a name for himself. This is displaying the early part of ones life where he is young and powerful and needs nothing from anyone. He is able to topple the giant monster with his bare hands and no help from his thanes, who try to help him despite the size and breadth of the monster. The next battle for Beowulf is his fight against grendel's mother. This battle shows Beowulf's human quality because he needs a weapon to defeat this foe. This is the next stage in his life, the middle age where perhaps a not so strapping and strong fighter can take aid. Once this battle is ended Beowulf goes home, but not before accepting girfts for his victory helping to display another fatal quailty in warriors, greed. Beowulf rules his homeland in well by keeping peace, again revealing Beowulf's incredible ability as a leader. He is perhaps the pinnacle of of leadership in his ability to fight and keep peace, a king must pick his battles. His final battle with the dragon reveals the third stage of the life in which one is old and brittle and may require help to fight. Beowulf is fully armored, shield and all and needs help from his lone loyal thane Wiglaf to defeat the dragon. The life of Beowulf reflects the changing times, the perfect leader, the life of the warrior and the flaws of the warrior all at once.

Unferth- Unferth is a doubter of Beowulf who believes him to be something of a false hero when he first arrives. He insults Beowulf by doubting his ability as a warrior but Beowulf strikes back by enlightening the surrounding people how Unferth killed his brothers. Unferth also donates Hrunting to Beowulf as a means to defeat Grendel's mother as a sign of new trust and respect.

Grendel- Grendel is the original villain and the reason Beowulf travels to Denmark. He is portrayed as absolute evil, killing for no reason and is his battle represents the first stage of Beowulf's life. His defeat gives Beowulf his first taste of real victory and real glory and turns him cocky

Grendel's mother- The evil spirit who attacks after her son is killed by Beowulf. He must travel to her den and fight her in her element. Represents the second stage of Beowulf's life where he needs help in defeating her.

Hrothgar- The King of the Danes who welcomes Beowulf with open arms. He shows qualities of the leader in his generosity towards his thanes and his rewarding Beowulf with treasure and materials. He is a great leader who has tried to keep peace for his kingdom and has built a "home" for his people in the mighty meadhall Herot. He also helps to represent greed in his rewarding of Beowulf

Wealthow- The wife of Hrothgar who helps to represent the role of women in anglo saxon society. She serves mead to the men and seems subservient to the men. Her more significant role in the story is to have no significance because this reflects the feeling towards women, even the queen in the book.

Wiglaf- Beowulf's last loyal thane who stands by his side in the fight against the dragon. Wiglaf's staying shows a trait valued above all in the king's thanes and that is loyalty. He was the only one loyal to his king. This also represents a changing of the times because before all of Beowulf's thanes stayed to help him, but now only Wiglaf helped his king. The times of peace and passage of time have brought a change in the warriors and kingdom. However Wiglaf also gives hope for Beowulf's people's future. He shows leader-like qualities in staying and may be able to take over for the fallen king. He also helped defeat the dragon giving the people gold

Dragon- Beowulf's last foe, representing the end of life. Beowulf was to old to win alone, though he still defeated the dragon, it cost him his life.

3) Literary Terms discussed in class (including a brief definition and how they relate to the text):

//Beowulf//  is full of literary terms. It consists of many kennings, metaphors, foils, alliterations, and most importantly it governs the __heroic__ ideals of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Some of these ideals include, bravery, loyalty to leaders, strength and generosity. In the lines, "His helmet was beaten of gold, princely headgear hooped and hasped by a weapon-smith who had worked wonders..." ( 1442–1452 ) Here we see the author using an **alliteration** as he/she said, "hoop and haspedby" and "worked wonders". Such phrases make the work more interesting and grab the reader in. This effect is a common feature of Anglo-Saxon poetry, and also makes the action more memorable. I believe the most important literary term in Beowulf is what defines the whole poem; an **epic**. An epic is a long story usually told in poetry. It contain elements of myth, legend, folk tale, and history. Epics have very serious themes, and present portraits of the cultures which produced them. A large hero embodies the values of the particular society and undertakes a quest to achieve something of great value for the people and himself. A **kenning** is a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing or even indirectly. In the lines, 622-624, "Hrothgar's gold-ringed queen, greeted/The warriors; a noble woman who knew/What was right". A kenning is being used in the words of 'gold-ringed queen'. Another example is "For each, till the bracelet-wearing queen/Had carried the mead-cup among them and it was/Beowulf's turn to be served (622-624)" The words 'bracelet-wearing' is also an example of a kenning. These compound words are meant to describe the Queen. A **metaphor** is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two seemingly unlike things __without__ using a connective word such as like or as. Metaphor create the author to describe two unlike things in comparison to one another, so his/her audience can truly have a vivid image of the two opposing forces. A **foil** is another important literary term used in the epic poem of //Beowulf//. It is a character who sets off another character by strong contrast. A foil is a contrast that emphasizes the differences between two characters, bringing out the distinctive qualities in each. A perfect example of this will be Beowulf and Grendel. One symbolizing heroic ideals; and the other a symbol of evil.

4) How has the writer created meaning? In other words, what choices has he/she made in plot structure, point of view, character, setting, tone, style and/or symbol in order to convey meaning?:

This unknown author creates meaning through his text in a variety of ways. The reader learns the definition of an epic hero through the eyes of Beowulf himself. He is the core of strength. Even at the end he prevails his strength by defeating the dragon and ultimately - dies a glorious death at battle. The plot structure in Beowulf is not the typical 'beginning, middle and end'. It has a rising action and rather three climaxes instead of just one typical climax. Then it follows the typical 'falling action' and 'denouement'. These three climaxes play an important role in the meaning of this author's work. The ultimate defeat of Grendel, then his mother, and then finally the dragon - show the immense power to never give up and continue to fight. The way this particular author arranged the novel tells a great deal about how Beowulf exemplifies the traits of a perfect hero. The poem explores his heroism in two separate phases. These phases can be characterized by, youth and age and through the three major conflicts in the climax of the novel. The novel is told through the author's perspective only. This is a wise decision to have it told through a neutral eye's point of view so we hear the words and actions of all the characters - not just one alone. This gives rise to Beowulf's 'downfall' or 'god like qualities' in some people's eyes. The character's he/she created through Beowulf offers so much meaning to the overall piece of the work. We have two (actually four) main forces here. Good against Evil. Beowulf against Grendel, his mother and the dragon. There has been controversy that Beowulf actually symbolizes God, while Grendel is portrayed as the devil. I'm not sure how entirely true that is though. These characters all carry certain traits that create meaning through the text. If we did not have conflict, we would never have a resolution - nor would we have an epic hero. King ** Hrothgar ** is important to the characterization as well because he represents a different kind of leadership toward Beowulf. He is a father figure to Beowulf and a model for the kind of king that Beowulf becomes in his journey. The setting gives rise to major important scenes in the poem and creates meaning through these battles. The time is the Dark Ages, (between 500 and 700 AD) The action takes place first in a Danish kingdom ruled by Hrothgar. In Hrothgar's mead hall, Beowulf confronts Grendel. The mead mall creates meaning because it was a communal gathering place for eating and drinking. All his people went there to gather. So in a sense; it's a place for the people. Then, the setting where Beowulf dives into a lake and fights Grendel's mother adds more meaning to the setting. Beowulf, not as young as he once was, and also having to use a weapon these time (not his bare hands) uses the setting to destroy the monster's very own mother. These scenes add a richness to the text. The reader can almost image themselves there. We later invision the scene of 50 years later, to the land of the Geats in Sweden, where an older (and wiser) Beowulf confronts a dragon terrorizing his own land.

5) Themes/Motifs(at least 4):
 * Themes in Beowulf include:: Identity** - ancestral heritage and individual reputation- all the male figures in beowulf are known by who their fathers are. Characters in the poem are unable to talk about their identity or even introduce themselves without referring to family lineage. For example: Shield Sheafson was orphaned and so, the only way he could prove himself and make an identity was by partaking in valiant deeds. On the other end of the spectrum a character such as Unferth is unable to escape his identiy as the man who killed his brothers
 * The heroic code** basically describes themes and motifs from beowulf such as courage, strength, and loyalty. Any individual actions of characters in Beowulf are viewed as either honoring the code or violating it.
 * Being a good King and being a good warrior** - Beowulf's battles take us through his life, with Grendel he is a young warrior, depending on his strength more than his mind. When he takes on Beowulf's mother it represents the middle aged Beowulf, he uses more of his mind than just depending on his strength. And when Beowulf fights the dragon he is a wise old man, willing to die for his country.
 * Motifs in Beowulf include::** **Monsters** - In medieval Christian culture "monster" was used to describe people with defects. the monsters that Beowulf must fight in this Old English poem shape the poem's plot and seem to represent an inhuman or alien presence in society that must be exorcised for the society's safety. All the monsters live outside the boundaries or relm in the epic poem; Grendel and his mother live in a cave, the dragon lives off the land in another cave. Grendel is related to Cain who killed his own brother and was a slayer. The dragon represents an external malice that must be conquered to prove a hero's goodness.
 * The Oral Tradition** - This preserves the lessons and lineage of the past and helps to spread reputations. The men tell stories which are passed on from country to country; this is how Beowulf hears of Herot's Grendel problem.
 * The Mead Hall** - There are two mead halls in the epic poem, Hrothgar's great hall of Heorot, in Denmark, and Hygelac's hall in Geatland. Both function as important cultural institutions that provide light and warmth, food and drink, and singing and revelry. However, historically the mead halls represent a safe haven for the warriors, something Grendel destroyed for them. A place where stories and reputations were spread.
 * Symbols in Beowulf include::** **The golden torque** - The necklace Wealtheow gives to Beowulf is a symbol of the bond of loyalty between her people and Beowulf.
 * The banquet** - After the defeat of Grendel represents the restoration of order and harmony to the Danish people - a rebirth of the community.
 * The cave** - where Grendel and his mother reside portrays how they are outcasts and not accepted in the community. It is a dark place, described as unpleasantly as possible and represents darkness in the world.
 * Grendel's claw** - is symbolic of Beowulf's victory. Grendel’s mother also sees it as a symbol, representing her personal loss and mankind’s macabre sense of what might be an appropriate trophy.
 * Grendel's head** - symbolizes Beowulf's victory over both monsters when he brings it to the king.
 * The dragon's treasure trove** - represents the vanity of human wishes as well as the mutability of time.

6) Quotes from the text that capture major themes (at least 3):
 * The cave Grendel lives in -** "Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, coneived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by god, punished forever for the crive of Abel's death," (26).
 * The dragon's treasure trove -** "Taking the jeweled cup. That tower was heaped high with hidden treasure, stored there years before..." (93).
 * The claw -** "No Dane doubted the victory, for the proof, hanging high from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's arm, claw and shoulder and all," (49).
 * Mead Hall -** "The work was ordered, the timbers tied and shaped by the hosts that Hrothgar ruled. It was quickly ready, that most beautiful of dwellings, built as he'd wanted, and then he whose word was obeyed all over the earth named it Herot," (25).
 * Banquet -** "His boast come true he commanded a banquet, opened out his treasure-full hands," (25).
 * Monsters -** "Then, when darkness had dropped, Grendel went up to Herot... The monster's thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies, the blood dripping behind him, back to his lair, delighted with his night's slaughter," (27).

7) Interpretive Questions (at least 3): Did Beowulf exemplify the morals taught by Christianity such as selflessness, self-discipline, and service? Or, were Beowulf’s feats motivated by his greed and desire for fame and power? Is Beowulf really the “perfect hero?” Does he have any flaws? How do Beowulf’s heroic characteristics affect other characters in the epic poem? How do Beowulf’s three battles with monsters represent three different phases of his life? How did pagan ideals conflict with Christian theology in Beowulf?

8) Historical/Social Influences on text (include relevant author biography): Anglo-Saxon values and beliefs are prevalent throughout Beowulf. Some of the values which Anglo-Saxons shared included: admiration of men of courage, a strong sense of loyalty to leaders, courtesy, generosity, beauty and artistry, teaching, learning, and poetry. The Anglo-Saxon society existed between 40 and 1066 A.D. This was a tribal society where warrior kings lead men into battle (Beowulf). Within tribes there was a great deal of competition and pride. In Beowulf, Unferth challenged Beowulf, saying that he lost a swimming contest to Brecca. “You’ve been lucky in your battles, Beowulf, but I think your luck may change if you challenge Grendel” (Raffel 525-527). However, having pride of his own, Beowulf refuted Unferth as a drunk and retold the story from his perspective. This instance of pride is an example of what drove Beowulf to pursue the heroic Anglo-Saxon ideas of bravery, loyalty, and perseverance. Although Beowulf performed many seemingly selfless acts, he still represented the idea of Lof-geornost or most eager for praise, this states that warriors were educated to always seek glory. Beowulf never missed an opportunity to boast his accomplishments or defend his honor. However, Beowulf was not the only person who represented Anglo-Saxon values and beliefs in this epic poem. The idea of frithuwebbe frithusibb or peace-weaving was also shown in this epic. Wealthow was given to Hrothgar as a peace offering to his tribe. Even though she was the Queen of the Danes, she had little significant romantic contact with Hrothgar. This is because the ideas of love and friendship had much different roles than what we see in modern literature. In this society, there was little to no romantic passion between men and women, instead society focused on intense friendships amongst men. One example of this type of friendship is that of Beowulf and Wiglaf. Despite Hrothgar and Wealthow’s marriage, Beowulf and Wiglaf seem to have a more significant companionship. Wiglaf is the only person who stays with Beowulf in his final battle against the dragon. There is no known author of Beowulf; this is due to the cultural aspect of story telling in Anglo-Saxon society. In this sense, Beowulf is a “living” story and it is sure to have changed from hundreds of years of its retelling. For example, the story was originally told in a pagan society however, throughout the poem there are biblical references which show the impact of the spread of Christianity during the time period. The culture of Anglo-Saxon society enriches Beowulf and helps to provide a more vivid and thorough understanding of the time period.