Beowulf

Beowulf
• a heroic poem, considered the highest
achievement of Old English literature
and the earliest European vernacular
epic.
• It deals with events of the early 6th
century CE and is believed to have
been composed between 700 and 750.
 Beowulf
• a philologist and linguist specializing in
Germanic languages
• proposed that the name Bēowulf literally
means in Old English "bee-wolf" or "bee-
hunter" and that it is a kenning for "bear".

Henry Sweet
 Beowulf Author

• is unknown. It is possible that the poem

was composed by and transmitted
between several different poets before it
was preserved in a single manuscript that
dates to about 1000.
 Beowulf Author
- the name of the individual who first wrote
Beowulf remains a mystery.
 Beowulf Author
- the name of the individual who first wrote
Beowulf remains a mystery.
- He lived in England, but the events of Beowulf
take place in Scandinavia.
 Beowulf Author
- the name of the individual who first wrote
Beowulf remains a mystery.
- He lived in England, but the events of Beowulf
take place in Scandinavia.
- He was a member of the Anglo-Saxon tribe.
Why did the author
wrote Beowulf?
 Origins of 'Beowulf

Many believe that "Beowulf" may have

been composed as an elegy for a king who
died in the seventh century, but little
evidence indicates who that king may
have been.
Beowulf takes place in
early 6th-century
Scandinavia, primarily
in what is known today
as Denmark and
Sweden.
The main points of Beowulf
There are many major themes in Beowulf.

• reputation • generosity
• good versus evil • revenge
• the heroic code • courage
• loyalty.
CHARACTERS
 BEOWULF
(Brave, loyal hero; generous and effective
king)
• driven by loyalty and fame, defeats
Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the
dragon, showcasing his qualities as a
good leader.
• He is kind, generous, and diplomatic,
maintaining peace for 50 years.
 King Hrothgar
(King of the Danes; underattack by evil forces)
• saved Beowulf's father and earned
Beowulf's loyalty.
• He built Heorot Hall, which may have
contributed to Grendel's invasion.
• Hrothgar accepts Beowulf's help to defeat
Grendel, becoming indebted to him
Queen Wealhtheow

( strong ambassador of peace)

• married to Hrothgar, maintains
peace and advises her sons,
urging Beowulf's adoption and
Hrothulf's heirship.
 Grendel
(Evil descendant of Cain;hates joy and
goodness)
• This monster lives in the darkness, and he
plagues the Danes for years out of anger
and jealousy.
• Beowulf defeats him without a weapon
and by tearing his arm off
Grendel’s mother
(violent monster)
• kills Hrothgar's chief elders,
seeks revenge, retrieves son's
arm, and returns to her hall,
where Beowulf kills her with a
magical sword..
 The Dragon
(Treasure hoarder, and fire-breather;
symbol of greed)
• obsessed with gold, steals a gold
hoard from a survivor, wreaking
havoc on King Beowulf's land.
• He is hunted down and killed by
Beowulf, but he wounds the hero
before dying.
 Wiglaf
(helps Beowulf to kill the dragon)
• a trusted companion and cousin of
Beowulf, aids in defeating the
dragon and receiving battle armor.
• Wiglaf predicts wars, slavery, and
doom for the Geats, as Beowulf
lacks an heir.
 SETTING
In the 5th or 6th Century. It take place in England,
the action happens in the land of the Danes (what
is today the nation of Denmark) and the land of
the Geats (what is today the nation of Sweden).
 INTRODUCTION
Grendel terrorizes Heorot for 12 years.
For 12 years the creature terrorizes Heorot with nightly visits
in which he carries off Hrothgar's warriors and devours them.
After learning of the Danes' trouble, young Beowulf, a prince
of the Geats in what is now southern Sweden, arrives with a
small band of retainers and offers to rid Heorot of its monster.
 CONFLICT
There are three central conflicts:
• Grendel’s domination of Heorot Hall;
• The vengeance of Grendel’s mother after Grendel is slain;
• The rage of the dragon after a thief steals a treasure that it has been
guarding.
• The poem’s overarching conflict is between close-knit warrior societies
and the various menaces that threaten their boundaries.
 CLIMAX

• Beowulf’s encounter with Grendel’s mother

constitutes the moment at which good and evil
are in greatest tension.
 FALLING
ACTION
• Beowulf’s glorious victory over Grendel’s mother
leads King Hrothgar to praise him as a worthy hero
and to advise him about becoming king. It also
helps Beowulf to transform from a brazen warrior
into a reliable king.
 RESOLUTION

• Beowulf dies from his injuries.

• Sensing his own death approaching, Beowulf goes
to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he
succeeds in killing the beast, but at a heavy cost.
The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery
venom kills him moments after their encounter.
MORAL LESSON