Beowulf is considered the oldest surviving poem in the english language. Choose from 500 different sets of english honors grade 12 beowulf literature flashcards on quizlet. Grendel is a character in the anglosaxon epic poem beowulf ad 700. It tells the story of the hero beowulf, and his battles against. Beowulf bawoolf, oldest english epic, probably composed in the early 8th cent. Set in scandinavia during the late 5th century, this epic poem follows greats hero beowulf as he does battle with several characters including grendel and a dragon. This version translated by francis barton gummere 18551919. Beowulf and millions of other books are available for instant access. Occasionally a deviation has been made, but always for what seemed good and sufficient reason. Beowulf sees enormous amounts of treasure in grendels mothers lair, but all he takes are the jewelinlaid hilt of the melted sword and grendels severed head. Mar 24, 2020 beowulf published as a separate book two examples are given beowulf. Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. Although originally untitled, it was later named after the scandinavian hero beowulf, whose exploits and character provide its connecting theme.
Beowulf cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to. But the poem is a lot more than just an old story its a gripping adventure story, and its also a glimpse of a culture that was pretty much stamped out with the norman invasion. Beowulf is a long narrative poem composed in old english some time in between the 8th and 11th century ad. Beowulf channels the book of genesis, the book of exodus, and the book of daniel in its inclusion of. This teaching guide is organized in three sections presenting suggestions to be used before beowulf is read, while it is being read, and after the reading is completed. Survivor the sole surviving copy of beowulf dates from about the year. To sum it up, beowulf is the mother monster of english literature. It has had enormous impact on modernday fantasy writers and continues to be a seminal work of early english literature. Viking warships, chain mail, lyres, spearheads, even a reconstruction of the great hall. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to geatland. Translation by michael alexander, first published on 1973 is very skillfully put together and admirable. This teaching guide is organized in three sections presenting suggestions to be used before beowulf is read, while it is being read, and after. This copy survived both the wholesale destruction of religious artifacts during the dissolution of the.
It was written in england some time between the 8th and the early 11th century. The only surviving manuscript that contains the poem is preserved in the british library and it too was badly damaged. Beowulf is without doubt the most ancient surviving epic poem of the so called anglosaxon epic tradition. Beowulf and gilgamesh there are many differences and critical comparisons that can be drawn between the epics of beowulf and gilgamesh. Learn english honors grade 12 beowulf literature with free interactive flashcards. Oct 17, 2018 melissa snell is a historical researcher and writer specializing in the middle ages and the renaissance. The synopsis of the story of beowulf which begins the volume is immensely useful for new readers struggling to keep their bearings in an often digressive narrative, as is the people and places index that follows the text. Below is a summary of all the events that transpire in the old english epic poem, beowulf. But in each chapter there are five sections so one chapter of beowulf here equals one section in sparksnotes. The story of heroic beowulf and his battles with the monster grendel and also with grendels mother not to mention the dragon is rather awesome. This timeless adventure tells the tale of beowulf, the greatest of geat warriors, who sets out to avenge the monster grendels slaughter of thirty warriors of the danish king hrothgar. Beowulf published as a separate book two examples are given beowulf. Melissa snell is a historical researcher and writer specializing in the middle ages and the renaissance.
The project gutenberg ebook of beowulf this ebook is for the use of anyone. Beowulf is an old english epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines. Beowulf is a heroic epic poem written by an unknown author in old english, some time between the 8th and the 10th century ce. Beowulf subsequently becomes king of his own people, the geats. Created in the oralpoetic mode and probably composed.
The complete book, free the tale of beowulf sometime king of the folk of the weder geats translated by william morris and a. After he has been ruling for fifty years, his own neighborhood is wofully harried by a firespewing dragon. Read the original text of beowulf along with a sidebyside translation in plain english. Both are historical poems which shape their respected culture and both have major social, cultural, and political impacts on the development of western civilization literature and writing. The best option that helped me understand completely was reading sparks notes after each chapter. Hrothgar, king of the danes, or scyldings, builds a great meadhall, or palace, in which he hopes to feast his liegemen and to give them presents. Cliffsnotes on beowulf covers the longest and oldest surviving anglosaxon poem, an epic tale of warriors and battles, monsters and magic, treasures, feasts, and heroic action. Beowulf is revered as one of the oldest works of anglosaxon literature, and it deserves the reverance. One thing that supports beowulf as a literary work is the fact that the author uses fictitious characters such as grendel, grendels mother, and the dragon.
Hrothgar once sheltered beowulf s father during a deadly feud, and the mighty geat hopes to return the favor while enhancing his own reputation and gaining treasure for his king, hygelac. Becwulf is the mythical and literary record of a formative stage of english civilization. Feb 07, 2011 set in scandinavia during the late 5th century, this epic poem follows greats hero beowulf as he does battle with several characters including grendel and a dragon. The date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars. Beowulf reading literature guide flip book beowulf. As, however, this book may fall into the hands of some who have no copy of. Beowulf is an epic poem written sometime around 900 a. The student of english literature he aims to interest by giving him, in modern garb. When beowulf is an old man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound, where a great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure.
It is possibly the oldest surviving long poem in old english and is commonly cited as. The poem opens with a brief genealogy of the scylding dane royal dynasty, named after a mythic hero, scyld scefing, who reached the tribes shores as a castaway babe on a ship loaded with treasure. The word exchange is a very cool set of loose, poetic renderings of famous old english poems. Grendels many merciless killing in several contexts are recounted. Although originally untitled, it was later named after the scandinavian hero beowulf, whose exploits and character provide its. The introduction is a wonderful orientation to the text and to old english poetry in general, and it is to be hoped that. More than 3,000 lines long, beowulf relates the exploits of its eponymous hero, and his successive battles with a monster named grendel, with grendels revengeful mother, and with a dragon which was guarding a hoard of treasure. It is one of the most important works of anglosaxon literature, and has been the subject of much scholarly study, theory, speculation and discourse. Its wordgroups will serve as the basis of the daily vocabulary quizzes. Beowulf is the greatest surviving work of literature in old english.
An anglosaxon epic poem is the oldest surviving english poem consisting over over three thousand verses. Beowulf modern english translation by anonymous poetry. The joy of king and retainers is, however, of short duration. Beowulf is an old english epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative lines. Beowulf is the longest epic poem in old english, the language spoken in anglosaxon england before the norman conquest.
After suffering mistreatment and several neardisasters, the beowulf manuscript is now safely housed in the british library in london. Beowulf is an old english epic poem written anonymously around 975 ad. When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Scholars try to figure stuff out about it, thats really fun for them. Grendel, the monster, is seized with hateful jealousy. Beowulf is the focal point of the anglosaxon epic poem that bears his name, whereas achilles is the. An anglosaxon epic poem is considered the oldest surviving old english poem, over three thousand alliterative verses celebrating the greatdane who protected king hrothgar, conquered grendel and was ultimately defeated by a dragon. It deals with events of the early 6th century and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750. In the ensuing struggle both beowulf and the dragon are slain. Niles, a specialist in old english literature, provides visual counterparts to heaneys remarkable translation. Beowulf is the iconic work of literature in old english. Beowulf, heroic poem, the highest achievement of old english literature and the earliest european vernacular epic. Epic poem by the beowulf poet translated by burton raffel.
In book iii of beowulf, the poet describes grendel as a monster numerous times. It is the oldest surviving long poem in old english and is commonly cited as one of the most important works of old english literature. It tells the story of the hero beowulf, and his battles against the monster grendel. Beowulf, written in old english sometime before the tenth century a. Beowulf literary analysis essay 869 words bartleby. Beowulf is a major epic of anglosaxon literature, probably composed bet. She authored the forward for the complete idiots guide to the crusades. The setting of the epic is the sixth century in what is now known as denmark and southwestern sweden. Occasionally a deviation has been made, but always for what seemed. Set in the sixth century in the southwestern part of the contemporary sweden, the poem begins with a genealogy of the royal dynasty of the scyldings, or danes. A descendant of cain, grendel is described as a creature of darkness, exiled from happiness and accursed of.
Ad by two scribes and preserved in the british library in the collection of sir robert cotton. Beowulf, a young warrior in geatland southwestern sweden, comes to the scyldings aid, bringing with him 14 of his finest men. Beowulf is a piece of literature, not a historical document. The present work is a modest effort to reproduce approximately, in modern measures, the venerable epic, beowulf. Composed toward the end of the first millennium of our era, beowulf is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of beowulf, a scandinavian hero who saves the danes from the seemingly invincible. As such, it uses a host of tra ditional motifs associated with heroic literature all over the world. Though its authorship is unknown, the poem was written between 925 and 1025, preserved as the nowell codex, badly damaged in a. List of books and articles about beowulf online research. He is one of the poems three antagonists along with grendels mother and the dragon, all aligned in opposition against the protagonist beowulf. Free beowulf audio book at this site, you can download an audio reading of the entire text of beowulf in a contemporary english translation for free. Poem summary beowulf is the longest and greatest surviving anglosaxon poem. Beowulf the literary epic poem english literature essay. Beowulf swims back to the surface of the lake, where his warriors are overjoyed to see him. The poem opens with a brief genealogy of the scylding dane royal dynasty, named after a mythic hero, scyld scefing, who reached the tribes shores as a castaway babe on a ship loaded with.
It is one of the most important works of old english literature. Beowulf is an old english epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. He cannot brook the sounds of joyance that reach him down in. See a complete list of the characters in beowulf and indepth analyses of beowulf, grendel, hrothgar, unferth, wiglaf, grendels mother, and the dragon. A rich fabric of fact and fancy, beowulf is the oldest surviving epic in british literature. First page of the beowulf manuscript this scan of the first page of the only surviving manuscript of beowulf shows what the work of anglosaxon scribes actually looked like.
The adventures of beowulf a modern english translation. The heynesocin text and glossary have been closely. The geats return to heorot hall, taking grendels enormous severed head with them. Beowulf translated by burton raffel the selection opens during an evening of celebration at herot, the banquet hall of the danish king hrothgar. It is the work of christian monks who preserved the literature of the past by copying manuscripts. Outside in the darkness, however, lurks the monster grendel, a murderous creature who poses a great danger to the people inside the banquet hall.