Beowulf Background and Intro
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Transcript Beowulf Background and Intro
Beowulf
Introductory Information
Warning!
Reading Beowulf will
challenge your brain!
but…
After, you will be smarter…and
that is always a cool thing!
Getting Started
Check-in:
– Write at least 5 things you know about
Beowulf.
– Write at least 2 reasons you think we
are reading it in class.
Group
Check-in:
– List 5 mythical/fake heroes
– List 5 modern-day, real heroes
Background Information
The
Text
– It is a heroic epic poem!
– Written about 1000 A.D.
– Story takes place in late 5th Century
When
was that, anyway?
– Trojan War was in 1180 BC or so
– Anglo-Saxons were just settling in
England & NW Europe
German ancestry and lingual influence
More about the Text…
Written in Old English
A
language used by Anglo-Saxons from 500-1100
A.D.
Heavy Germanic (early NW Europe) influence
Foundation of today’s English language
Let’s have a listen!
Has been translated numerous times
– A wee bit of controversy
One original copy exists in the British
Library
The Actual Text
Was damaged a bit
in a fire back in the
day.
The Perspective
Written
with a Christian perspective
– Society was mostly pagan
Pagan?
– a person that believes in a polytheistic religion
(many gods), as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
– a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
Story
was passed among people
Considered the first important work
of English Literature.
How is Beowulf a Poem?
Some poetic and literary devices used:
– Similes
Using like or as
– “she is like a rose”
– Metaphors
Saying something is something else
– he is a pig
– Kennings
A poetic phrase for a person or thing
– Sky-roamer = dragon; tail-turners = deserters
– Bone-cage = body; sail road = ocean
– Foreshadowing
A hint of what is to come
– Alliteration
Repetition of initial sound group or letters to a series of
words
– All the H-names!
Epic Poems
Epic Poem:
– A long poem that tells a story
– Involves someone overcoming large obstacles
– Often includes important events/ideas
significant to a nation or culture
It is an EPIC poem because
– Beowulf is a hero with great strength that
faces impossible odds to prove himself
– It’s long
– Culture and history is part of the story
More literary terms to know
Allusion:
– Reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or
object
Story example: Cain and Abel
Foil:
– A person who, through strong contrast, emphasizes or
enhances the distinctive characteristics of another
Example: Venom
Theme:
– A major idea/lesson of life conveyed in a work
Symbolism:
– Use of symbols; use of an object to represent or suggest
another
Some things to think about
Characters
Plot
Setting
History
Themes
Let’s Get Rollin’
How will we read the poem?
Broken into 10 sections
Lit Groups
Reading aloud in small groups, reading
independently, and listening to the story
Find unfamiliar words
Write down questions you have or that
you may ask others
Answering Questions
Final Projects
…all kinds of stuff
Big Beowulf Breakdown
Lines 1-319
– Pages 3-23
Lines 320-661
– Pages 23-45
Lines 662-1007
– Pages 45-67
Lines 1007-1250
– Pages 67-89
Lines 1251-1491
– Pages 89-103
Lines 1492-1887
– Pages 103-129
Lines 1888-2199
– Pages 129-149
Lines 2200-2537
– Pages 149-171
Lines 2538-2820
– Pages 171-191
Lines 2821-3182
– Pages 191-213