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8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/unit-i-presentation-anglo-saxons-epic-literature-beowulf 1/18
8/7/200
The Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf, and Epics
to 1066 C.E. Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons
Britain home to several Celtic tribes, including the
Brythons (whose name would be given to the country as Britain)
Celtic religion was a form of animism, in which godslived in all things (stones, water, trees, etc), headed by priests called druids.
The Celts were a collection of small tribes withoutmuch social structure or organization
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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Julius Caesar invades Britain first (55 BCE)
The Roman Emperor Claudius defeated the Celts
completely (43 CE) For the next 350 years, Roman culture (walls, roads,
villas, baths, etc.) spread on the island
When Rome evacuated its troops (409 CE) in order toprotect itself from barbarians, the land was left without order or government
A.D. 449 The Anglo-Saxons push the Celts into
the far west of the country.
Angles
Saxons
Jutes
Celts
clans linked by family ties centered around a strong warrior figure
people farmed, established local governments,produced fine craftwork- the signs of civilization
English emerged as a written language
(not in a form we can read today)
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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offered no hope of an afterlife to keep people frombreaking laws
people were encouraged to follow laws and to fight
valiantly in battle by the idea that good people wouldbe remembered and have stories told about them- this was the Anglo-Saxon immortality
they valued earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty,generosity, and friendship
similar to what we call Norse mythology, did notbelieve the gods “cared for” humans in the way Christians would
Anglo-Saxons desired to be remembered throughstories, which would be passed down from generationto generation
bards (called scops) sang around campfires while they strummed a harp, telling of heroic deeds (usually battles and warriors)
these scops memorizes popular stories and spreadthem to various tribes, changing the story as they retold it (always exaggerating more)
this practice inspired young warriors to imitate theheroes of old (like Beowulf ) in an attempt to establish
their own story
when Christianity became Rome’s official religion (ca.400 CE), monks quickly traveled to Britain and built
monasteries after the Anglo-Saxon invasions (mid-400’s CE),
monks began to convert the various tribes
they used Anglo-Saxon stories (like Beowulf) to helpconvert listeners, by retelling the story and replacingpagan gods with references to God and Christ
by 700 CE, Christianity had replaced the paganreligions
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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from 700 – 1066, Anglo-Saxon dominated thelandscape, unifying the island
then, William the Conqueror, seeking his own
kingdom, landed (1066 CE) and defeated the Anglo-Saxon army under King Harold
William was from France, so French replaced Englishas the language of the ruling class and the islanddeveloped ties with the European continent that last tothis day (including a long history of warfare!)
Terms, Concepts, Activities
the repetition of a consonant sound in words that
placed closely together e.g. the lovely ladies from Lousiville left Florida
after they landed late at night
adds a sense of rhythm to the language
shows creativity, makes the phrase stick in thelistener’s mind
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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reference to a person, place, thing, event, or other work of art
e.g. “You might as well be the Statue of Liberty,”Sam yelled.
e.g. The water rushed over John’s head as thoughhe was only a twig caught in the biblical flood
provides a context or shows further meaning
signals that a moment in the story is significant orhas meaning beyond what is happening
a metaphorical renaming of a person, place, orthing
e.g. There’s Mr. Thompson’s room, that repositoryof wit and wisdom
e.g. Thomas turned and faced the shepherd of demons
heightens the tension in the story
provides reader with vivid descriptions tounderstand the subject
• The original or ideal (“best example”), upon which later versions are based.
•
Beowulf is an archetypal epic hero, becauselater heroes followed the same pattern (brave,superhuman abilities, sought glory, etc).
• There are many different archetypes, including:
• the hero (Neo, Odysseus)
• the mentor (Morpheus, Gandalf)
• the seducer (the One Ring, the Ice Queen)
• the trickster (Hermes, Coyote, Aladdin)
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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long poem or story that retells the adventures of an epic hero.
the centerpiece of an epic is the hero’s journey,during which the hero must overcome monsters,enemies, and other obstacles in order to achievea goal (usually, the protection of asociety/culture)
an epic is a very specific type of literature,considered to have taken place “in the past” butnot “in another age” (e.g. within a fewgenerations)
originated as oral traditions, passed down (andaltered many times) until they were recorded
served as a means to communicate values that were important to a culture, as well as to establishnational pride and to provide a role model
probably began with some true event that becameexaggerated as well as combined with other storiesduring each retelling
these stories linked a culture together by creating a
sense of common history and future
• Qualities of a myth:
• emerges from a large cultural group (e.g.Greek, Egyptian, etc)
• explains the workings of the universe/natureor pass along guidelines, morals, advice, wisdom, etc. about how to interact with thegods & with the natural world
• includes intervention by gods, often usesmagic
• were considered to have taken place “inanother age”, before this particular segment of time (e.g. long before the present)
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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Epics are not myths:
longer than most myths
involve more detail and more description of the hero & the hero’s journey
focus on the exploits of a human hero (a mythfocuses on a god or demi-god)
epics were said to have taken place “in thepast”, while myths took place “in another age”(one way to think of this is to consider thedifference in our minds between the NewTestament & the Old Testament in The Bible).
1) overcomes impossible tasks with superhumanabilities
2) “better” than average human, but still mortal
3) goes beyond human limitations, discovers/faces what is beyond his society’s understanding
4) sets out to accomplish a task / defeat an evil / gain areward.
5) embodies his culture’s most valued traits
6) is slain or accepts death gracefully at the end;demonstrates the proper way to die, provides
comfort for those who know they will die one day 7) central figure in an epic story or poem
symbol: a person/place/thing/event that is itself and representative of some abstract idea
provide an example of a symbol and what it issymbolic of
when we see something that represents an idea, wesay it is symbolic of __________
an object may be symbolic of one idea at one timeand symbolic of something else at another time
symbolism is relative to the reader
you must provide proof of symbolism (e.g. Theflag in the story is symbolic of death because itflies over the graves of each of the victims.)
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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1) Identify as many symbols as possible from “TheBattle with Grendel”. Explain what twoof themsymbolize.
2) Choose two characteristics of the epic hero, andexplain how Beowulf fulfills these.
3) Which characteristics of an epic does this story f it? Are any missing?
4) Identify another possible archetype in this story andexplain why you believe this character is anarchetype.
1) An archetype could be said to be (a) first & best (b) last &best (c) the best (d) I don’t know
2) An epic is (a) the story of a hero’s adventure & growth (b)the story of a hero vs. a villain (c) any long story (d) Idon’t know
3) A myth might include (a) talking animals (b) mortalheroes (c) gods and magic (d) I don’t know
4) An epic hero (a) is loved by all who know him (b)possesses qualities that are important to his culture (c) isrewarded in the afterlife (d) I don’t know
5) Which of the following might be a symbol-symbolizedpairing? (a) cake-mouth (b) sword-violence (c) anger-hurt (d) I don’t know
Christianity vs. Paganism
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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originally Scandinavian (pagan), no link toChristianity, values very different:
boasting of exploits (Christ was humble)
glory-seeking (Christ glorified the Father)
violence, war (Christ blessed the meek)
vengeance, destruction (Christ turned theother cheek)
the monks who settled in Britain were missionaries- they sought to convert the Celts, then the Anglo-Saxons, toChristianity
Beowulf, a story to which the Anglo-Saxons could relate, was altered so that the Christian God received the glory (asif to say to the paga audience, “See? Our God can make youstrong, too.)
the story’s changes also helped the monks relate popularBiblical stories (Beowulf’s sacrifice for the Geat kingdomcould be compared to Christ’s sacrifice for the Christian
kingdom) the story relayed important Christian ideas to the audience
(Grendel as a descendent of Cain, the idea of “original sin”)
Christian scribes had to provide a context for Grendel,because (a) God created everything, (b) but an all-goodGod would not create an entirely evil monster
solution: Grendel becomes a descendant of Cain, the firstmurderer
pagan monsters tended to be servants of the gods, whoacted in accordance with the god’s will
pagan monsters also served a purpose: guard a treasure,protect an area sacred to a god, hold humans back (andthus becoming like gods)
Christian monsters were basically evil, without a definitepurpose or mission, other than to do evil, causedestruction, create sin, etc.
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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the scribes kept many pagan elements that madeBeowulf so popular, in order to link the audience’shero (Beowulf) with the Christian’s hero (Christ): the warriors fear a shameful death (such as Grendel
killing you while you slept) Grendel is more monstrous than human
mead halls, gold and treasure, and weapons are all listedto add prestige to the kingdom and its king
warriors boast of their exploits in order to continue theirlegend
the partying and drinking were celebratory acts and were considered signs of the king’s generosity
the mead hall is alternatively praised and cursed in thestory
it is described in all its majesty, but with the reminderthat it would burn to the ground
in some ways, the monks would have disliked themead hall as much as Grendel, because it was a placeof violence, drunkenness, and noise
thus, the monks felt no remorse to mention that meadhall would eventually be destroyed by fire- this was afitting end to a place built by a king who was
celebrating violence
1) What is the relationship between Grendeland Hrothgar’s people? How might it have
been symbolic of the relationship betweenthe monks and the Anglo-Saxons?
2) What do Grendel’s characteristics tell youabout the Anglo-Saxon’s greatest fears and
worries?
3) Although Beowulf is not very Christ-like, hedoes share some characteristics. What arethey?
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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The Hero’s Journey
1) Establishes himself as unique or special.
2) Receives the “call to adventure”.
3) Answers the call, sometimes facing minorobstacles that usually prepare him for theultimate struggle or further establish his ability.
4) Faces the monster
5) Defeats the monster, usually using the attributesmost prized by his society or with a magical weapon (indicating his unique status).
6) Is revered as a hero, his name is established,sometimes receives a prize or reward.
How does Beowulf establishhimself as unique among warriors?
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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• Beowulf points to his swimming match• What does Beowulf claim also happened during the
match, which made winning even more difficult?
• when they arrive on shore, they are greeted withcompliments
• Beowulf must “talk down” Unferth• what does this exchange between the two warriors tell
us about how Anglo-Saxons viewed conflict within atribe?
What is Beowulf’s call toadventure?
• Hrothgar has built a mead hall to commemoratehis rule as king
•
Grendel begins attacking the hall• Beowulf hears of the attacks and sets out, seeking
glory and fame for himself
• Why were Anglo-Saxons eager for fame and glory?
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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What happens when Beowulf
answers the call?
Beowulf is challenged by Unferth
minor obstacles like these allowed the hero toprove his worth
in this case, Beowulf must show that he will notback down when he is challenged
What happens when Beowulf facesthe monster?
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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the battle is a long struggle, in which many lesser warriors are slaughtered
the outcome is never in doubt
from the outset, Grendel realizes Beowulf is morethan his equal
What happens after Beowulf defeats Grendel?
• Grendel’s arm is left swinging from a rafter,and Grendel escapes to the marshes, where he
will bleed to death.• In this scene, particularly, the Christian scribes
were careful to attribute Beowulf’s victory toGod.
• Grendel’s fate as an opponent of God is made very clear: Hell.
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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What happens after Beowulf
defeats Grendel?
• Beowulf’s reward is glory and fame
• His name will be recorded and his memory honored, the Anglo-Saxon version of immortality
• that you did in this life was the only measure of the quality of your life
Each of us is the “hero” in our personal story.
Our monster can be metaphorical (addiction, self-
doubt, depression, etc.) or literal (a parent, a bully,etc.)
The hero must answer the “call to adventure”. We must recognize that we have a problem or issue.
The hero must face the monster. We must choose to deal with our problem or face up to
the person who is terrorizing us.
The hero defeats the monster. We will defeat our monster, if we face up to it. If the
confrontation ends in a fight, we need not win- the actof facing the monster is all that is required.
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The hero receives a reward. We are freed from the problem or person who had been
controlling or terrorizing us.
In some cases, the hero must allow himself to beslain in order to conquer the monster. Sometimes, we must allow our “old self” to be slain, so
that a “new self” (more responsible, not afraid of theperson/problem, able to handle life’s struggles) cancome into being.
This concept of rebirth is at the heart of Christianity,and of most epics.
The hero (like our “self”) dies, but is born again, a newcreature.
Epics are not just entertaining stories or records of pastheroes. They are also instruction manuals. They teachus how we create our metaphorical monsters (greed,lust, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.); they teach us where to look for it; they teach us how to face themonsters; they teach us how to defeat it; and they show us the reward that awaits those who choose toface their monsters.
In your group, analyze the assigned section of “Beowulf”, then report to the class what you have
learned.
Activities for Class
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in your group, define the assigned term in your ownwords
provide two examples of your own creation of the term
in your group, do one of the following:
identify a modern epic (movie or novel) and identify each characteristic that it possesses, then explain why it might not possess any characteristics that aremissing
identify a modern epic hero from real life (must havelived in the past 200 years) and explain how they f iteach trait
get into groups and receive your assigned speech from
the story the group identifies:
speaker audience purpose tone style thesis, main ideas, supporting details persuasive devices determine the speech's success (defending their rating)
8/14/2019 Unit I Presentation (Anglo-Saxons, Epic Literature, Beowulf)
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How does Beowulf’s speech fit with what you wouldexpect of an epic hero?
Compare Beowulf’s speech, given when he arrives onshore, to another character’s speech. How are thedifferent? How are they similar? What would accountfor the differences & similarities?
Create a modern epic hero, including
appearance
personality
adventure
resolution
identification of each trait that he possesses
1) The story tells us that Hrothgar’s kingdom will eventually be overthrown, and the mead hall will be burned. Whatdoes this tell you about the Anglo-Saxon worldview?
2) What other possibility might explain the story’sinsistence on reminding the reader that these kingdoms
were doomed? (hint: think about who wrote down thestory)
3) Which of Beowulf ’s adventures do you consider a moreeffective story? Why?
4) Why do epic heroes stumble across just what they needto defeat the monster?
5) Some critics suggest that epics like Beowulf are alsoguides that teach us how to face our personal monsters. If so, what lessons can we learn from Beowulf?