BEOWULFTHE POEM

BY: ALICIA glISSON2 SEPTEMBER 2009

BEOWULF• 3,182 LINES TOTAL• 720-796 A.D.• PRESERVED IN THE COTTON VITELLIUS

A XV MANUSCRIPT• UNKNOWN AUTHOR• CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE

GERMANIC TRADITON• PRESERVED THROUGH ORAL

TRADITIONS

BACKGROUND• FIRST EPIC POEM IN THE ENGLISH

LANGUAGE• ABOUT THIS BRAVE WARRIOR THAT

VANQUISHES EVIL MONSTERS• THE AUTHOR LIVED IN WHAT IS NOW

ENGLAND• FUSES GERMANIC HISTORY, LEGENDS,

MYTHOLOGY, AND IDEALS WITH CHRISTIAN FAITH AND VALUES

TIME AND PLACE• SET IN DENMARK AND GEATLAND IN

THE SIXTH CENTURY

CHARACTERS• BEOWULF-IDEAL WARRIOR OF THE

GEATS AND HERO OF THE POEM• DRAGON-FIRE-BREATHING,

SNAKELIKE MONSTER • GRENDEL-MONSTER WITH HUMAN

QUALITIES• GRENDEL’S MOTHER-MONSTER THAT

TERRORIZES HEROT

CHARACTERS• HROTHGAR-DANISH KING AND

BIULDER OF HEROT• HIGLAC-KING OF THE GEATS AND

UNCLE TO BEOWULF• SHILD-LEGENDARY KING OF THE

DANES• UNFERTH-A WARRIOR IN

HROTHGAR’S COURT THAT CHALLENGES BEOWULF’S BRAVERY

MORE CHARACTERS

• WELTHOW-HROTHGARS WIFEY• WIGLAF-A YOUNG WARRIOR AND

RELATIVE OF BEOWULF

PICTURES

WIGLAF AND BEOWULF

WORKS CITED• HTTP://WWW.BEOWULFEPIC.COM