Beowulf

The first part tells the story of the magnificent palace built by King Hrothgar of Denmark, who for twelve years was harassed every night by Grendel, a half-man, half-demon, who hunted down his warriors. It coincided with a visit by Beowulf, Prince o

Anglo-Saxon Period

• Historical Background 
  • Beowulf definition
    • England's national epic and it's hero Beowulf (one of the national heroes of the English people.）
  • writer
    • an unknown scribe
  • when
    • at the beginning of the sixthcenturywhen the fo refathers(祖先，祖辈)oftheJutes(朱特人)liv ed in the southern part oftheScandinavian Peni nsula(斯堪的那维亚半岛)and maintainedclos e relations with kindred tribes(家族部落)
  • what
    • Events which took place on the Continent
  • interpolation
    • once (an addition made by the Christain who copied Beowulf)
  • Status: the first poem preserved in Old English, the national epic of the British people, and the greatest Germanic heritage (because Anglo is from Germanic origin).
• 
  • 1.Fight the monster Grendel
    • The first part tells the story of the magnificent palace built by King Hrothgar of Denmark, who for twelve years was harassed every night by Grendel, a half-man, half-demon, who hunted down his warriors. It coincided with a visit by Beowulf, Prince of Geats in southern Sweden, with his court, who wanted to help the King of Lothg.
  • 2.Fight Grendel's mother
    • The second part of the epic tells the story of Beowulf returning to his country, being proclaimed king, and ruling for fifty years. At last Beowulf, in his old age, killed a fire-breathing dragon and died from his wounds. The epic ends with Beowulf's funeral.
  • 3.Fight the dragon
    • 
• Theme thought
  • 1、
    • The exploration of fate is a dynamic，never－ending process.
  • 2、
    • Heroes who did not sacrifice themselves for the people touched the divinity.Only God can save the lost soul.
  • 3、
    • Whether it is monster struggling desperately in the cave or humans struggling in the biggar world full of money desire，they will accumulate experience and gain wisdom in the process of breaking up.
  • 4、
    • Grepeople who are hostile to others are close to the light of all this negative energy.
  • 5、
    • While enjoying the fruits of victory,you are bound to think about the experience and the new environment and life.
• Therms
  • 1、Alliteration
    • 1.Alliteration in English is called alliteration, which is also called initialrhyme, Rhyme, or head rhyme, is derived from the Latin phrase AD literam (based on letters) and refers to the first letter of two or more words that are pronounced the same so that they form a pleasant sound. Most common allrhyme phrases are: First and foremost, (with) might and main.(in)Weal and (or) woe. If traced back to the original, I'm afraid alliteration can be traced back to the Old English period.Around the fifth century, Pan-Saxon invaders brought to the British the Pan-Saxon language on which modern English is based, and perhaps also a new form of poetry whose chief feature is the frequent use of alliteration. Alliteration is the same only in the first part or the first phoneme of the first consonant group. If the first part is completely missing, then only the main vowel is the same.Alliteration is a means to strengthen the sense of rhythm in the line, and it is the auxiliary factor of rhythm. This is also an important expression of the pursuit of formal beauty and phonological beauty in English.
  • 2、 Epic
    • 2.Epic (or heroic poetry) It is, originally, an oral narrative poem, majestic both in theme and style.Epics deal with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance, involving action of broad sweep and grandeur. Most epics deal with the exploits of a single individual, thereby giving unity to the composition. Typically, an epic includes several features:the introduction of supernatural forces that shape the action; conflict in the form of supernatural forces that shape the action; conflict in the form of battles or other physical combat;and stylistic conventions such as an invocation to the Muse, a formal statement of the theme, long lists of the protagonists involved, and set speeches couched in clevated language.
• Extension works
  • 《Odyssey》
    • 《Odyssey》 is one of the two most important epics in ancient Greece, and the other Iliad, collectively referred to as Homer's epic, continues the plot of the Iliad.
  • 《Uncle Tom′s Cabin》
    • 《Uncle Tom′s Cabin》 :It is the most widely read political novel in the United States. It is the first novel that openly discusses the cruelty of slavery, human exploitation, unequal legal system, deep-rooted patriarchy and other topics.
  • 《Frankenstein》
    • 《Frankenstein》 the protagonist of the novel, is a biologist who is keen on the origin of life. With criminal mentality, he pieced together various parts of the body to form a huge monster.
• 浮动主题
• Genre: Epic
• Three features
  • alliteration
    • alliteration (the repetition of the first consonant in a line)
  • metaphor
  • a mixture of pagan and Christian elements
    • a mixture of pagan and Christian elements (Beowulf is the image of the Savior and Grendel is the image of Satan)
• Extension works