Beowulf Ray Winstone as Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf, 2007.

BeowulfRay Winstone as Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf, 2007

• The oldest poem written in English more than 1200 years ago

1. The backgroundBeowulf

• Anonymous and composed in the first half of the 8th century

• It deals with a time following the initial invasion of England by Germanic tribes in 449 (5th~6th Cent.)

• It contains Christian elements; the pagan deities are removed

• The Geats (Beowulf; his retainer, Wiglaf; the Eorls)

2. The characters

A scene of Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf, 2007

Beowulf

• The Danes (King Hrothgar)

• The Swedes

• Grendel, the monster

• Grendel’s mother

• The fire-breathing dragon

• Loyalty and kinship

3. The values of warrior society in the poem

Beowulf

• The need to take revenge

• Physical strength and courage

• The search for glory in this life

• The importance of fate

• Beowulf prays the Creator of all things, the ruler of the Heavens

4. Christian elements

Beowulf

• God's will: identical with fate (wyrd)

• Grendel: descendent of Cain

• Reference to the Old Testament

• Kenning

“The hoard-guardian” (the guardian of the treasure = the monster)

• Alliteration

5. TechniquesBeowulf

“He rippled down the rock, writhing with anger”

• Elevated language

5. TechniquesBeowulf

“They extolled (praised) his heroic nature and exploits (deeds) and gave thanks for his greatness”

• Long lists of leaders and warriors

the swan-road    

the whale-road

the bent-necked wood the ringed prow The Ship

6. KENNINGS from the poem

Beowulf

The Sea 

The Sword

6. KENNINGS from the poem

Beowulf

the storm of swords

Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831-1892), The last stand of King Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066

the leaving of the file

battle-lightning

The Battle

the ring-giver

the dispenser of treasure

The Dragon

Ray Winstone as Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf, 2007

Beowulf

the twilight-spoiler

6. KENNINGS from the poem

The Lord/King

• The Feud = the tragic waste

7. ThemesBeowulf

A system of revenge is repeated in the poem: feud peace feud

• The eternal conflict between dark and light, good and evil

• Fate

• Courage as the quality that can stand against Fate.