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Beowulf Review CFA – Wednesday, February 5, 2018 the Wrath of Grendel

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Beowulf Review CFA – Wednesday, February 5, 2018 the Wrath of Grendel English 12 / English 12 Honors Test on Thursday, February 6, 2018 Beowulf Review CFA – Wednesday, February 5, 2018 The Wrath of Grendel The story opens as a celebratory noise from King Hrothgar’s mead hall, Herot, angers Grendel, the hellish monster who lurks in the darkness. 2 The Wrath of Grendel Grendel, born from evil, slips into the mead hall and kills many men Hrothgar mourns the losses and Grendel continues his nightly attacks Thus, Herot “stayed deserted for years…” (12 winters) 3 The Coming of Beowulf Beowulf, the strongest of the GEATS, crosses the sea with his men from Sweden (land of the Geats) to Denmark Beowulf convinces (my father is famous warrior, Egetho, etc.) the Danish watchman to take him to Hrothgar 4 The Coming of Beowulf Before King Hrothgar, Beowulf boasts of his background and accomplishments, then tells him he intends to kill Grendel with his bare hands. 5 The Battle with Grendel That night, Beowulf and his men stay in Herot. Grendel lurks inside and kills a Geat; then, he meets his match in Beowulf who rips off the monster’s arm and hangs it from the rafters. Grendel escapes, but is mortally wounded. 6 The Battle with Grendel The Danes and the Geats celebrate Beowulf’s victory But… Grendel’s mother comes that night seeking revenge. She kills Hrothgar’s friend and takes back her son’s claw. 7 The Monsters’ Lair Grendel and his mother live in a hellish lake. Of course, Beowulf goes there to kill the female beast. 8 The Battle with Grendel’s Mother Beowulf leaps into the lake and sinks for hours (superhuman powers) Grendel’s mother’s claws have no effect on Beowulf (his divine mail shirt protects him) so she carries him to her underground home 9 The Battle with Grendel’s Mother Beowulf tries to kill her with his sword, Hrunting, but her enchanted skin cannot be pierced. Fortunately, a sword appears that was forged by giant. Beowulf takes the magic sword and uses his supernatural strength to strike the she-beast dead. 10 The Battle with Grendel’s Mother The Danes see the lake water churn with blood and think Beowulf is dead, so they head home. But the loyal Geats wait… Meanwhile, Beowulf finds Grendel’s body and cuts off his head. He and the Geats carry it back to Herot as a trophy. 11 The Last Battle Beowulf is honored by Hrothgar, then returns to Geatland where he rules as king for 50 years. Now an old man, a dragon menaces his kingdom. 12 The Last Battle Beowulf tells his people that he will fight the fire-breathing dragon using his armor, without shame, since he will fight to the death if necessary. 13 The Last Battle Beowulf and the dragon face off, but Beowulf’s weapons fail him and he realizes he is going to die. All the Geats run away, except Wiglaf. 14 The Last Battle Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon, but Beowulf is mortally wounded. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to bring him the treasure that the dragon was guarding. 15 The Spoils Wiglaf brings Beowulf the gold and treasure just as Beowulf is about to die. Beowulf gives Wiglaf his necklace, helmet, rings, mail shirt, as signs that Wiglaf will be the new king. 16 The Farewell The Geats build the tower and mourn and praise their perished leader. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to build a towering tomb to honor him. 17 The Farewell Beowulf lives on in memory and history…because he is the epic hero! He embodies the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture of bravery, strength, leadership, good reputation, loyalty to king, and the belief that goodness will always triumph over evil! EPIC is • a long narrative poem about a hero, who exemplifies the culture. • It is told in an elevated style. • It normally includes a quest or a series of trials. • Often, the hero will descend into the underworld (like Odysseus, Achilles). Note that Beowulf descends into an underworld of his own, when he travels to the lair of Grendel’s mother. EPIC HERO • Normally a male of high birth (i.e., noble/royal/divine) • Often has superhuman powers, and • Exemplifies the cultural values of his community. • He goes on quests. • He tends to conquer things or people or lands. Two Additions to Study Guide 1. ELEGY / ELEGIAC • An elegy is a poem about loss • It can be about loss of a person, of youth, of innocence, of a country, of a battle, or a way of life. • Elegiac means sorrowful, sad, depressed, mournful Two Additions to Study Guide 2. ALLUSION • An allusion is simply a reference to a text, film, work of art, historical figure or event that is outside the world of the story. • Most allusions in English literature are either to the Bible or to Greek or Roman mythology. • We see Biblical allusions in Beowulf when Grendel is said to be descended from Cain and when the lake is referred to as a “lake of fire.” Alliteration • The repetition of consonant sounds in the first part of words • Peter Piper picked a peck of … Alliteration Assonance • The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. • She eats rice and beans • Tom saw Mom at the mall. Dad was bad and sad. • She beats Lisa to the beach. Kenning • A two-word metaphor used in Anglo-Saxon poetry • Examples from Beowulf include the following: • The Whale Road, the Swan Road, Battle sweat, • Day’s Candle, Evening Candle, • Modern examples include “gas guzzler.” Take a closer look: “Hrothgar’s wise men had fashioned Herot / To last forever.”.
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