Beowulf Study Guide Flashcards
Some scholars think that The Seafarer and Beowulf are much older than their present forms and are, in fact, pagan forms of poetry that have been ‘edited’ by Christian scribes. Do you agree?
Agree with Beo, not with Sea
- Seafarer (symbolizes Christian life, lyric poetry)
- beginning- talks about suffering, wants to live in city, not sure if wants to sail
- middle- called to sea, will miss things
- ending- praises God for suffering
- Beo (kennings- symbolize pagan views)
- Spear Danes- courage and greatness
- mead-hall- fun, celebration, beer
- Beo (motifs- reveal intent)
- gold- Beo asks for gold at end of death, worships God but clearly edited
- blood- blood feud (revenge, not godly trait), Freaware and Ingeld with Heathobards (settle thievery), Grendel and Grendel’s mother
How do Hrothgar and Unferth function as literary foils to Beowulf?
loyalty, wisdom, and courage
Hrothgar
1. loyalty (BOTH)
- Hearot Hall, ring-giving to people, provider
- contrast- Aeschere dies, only then does Hrothgar feel the real sorrow for his people
2. wisdom (Hrothgar=more)
- Hrothgar and Heremod to Beo, advice to Beo on treasures and pride, Sigemond
3. courage (Beo more)
- kept away from Grendel
- improves by going to mere but still stays above ground and then leaves when he thinks Beo is dead
Beowulf
1. loyalty (BOTH)
- to him and for him
- thanes jump into battle with Grendel and try to help, run away in lair of dragon but Wiglaf stays
2. wisdom (noble classes)
- learned all wisdom from Hygelac and Hrothgar
- Hygelac and adoption
3. Beo saves them and does it again even when men killed by mother
Give examples of kennings.
- icy-feathered/dewy-feathered- good vs. evil in birds (tern and eagle), helping to describe or soft and compassionate or hard-hearted, giving GOD AND EVIL example of what we should and should not be
- lone-flier/whale-road - emphasizing loneliness on sea with birds, compares it to himself, etc. (what God calls you to do) GOOD
- proud-spirited- example of evil, no person can escape God EVIL
- tail-turners- traitors/wiglaf EVIL abandoned chief
- hoard-guard/tarn-hag- monsters, EVIL, ugly, one is literal: appearance, one is figurative: greed
- Spear-Danes- courage/greatness, what they look for in pagans EVIL
What is the poet’s purpose in inserting stories throughout Beowulf that do not seem to be related to the narrative?
Foils, foreshadowing, and warnings
- Sigemond, treasures aren’t worth anything because they go away when you die
- Hygd and Modthryth- generosity and torture, killed innocent people until shipped off
- Hildeburgh and Finn- loses son and Hraef (bro) who is replaced by Hengest who calls a truce. Finn holds danes for winter. danes want revenge because of this. come back, kill Finn, steal gold and queen
- Geat Eofor kills Ongentheow (Swede) besides bro’s attempt, will get revenge for king (foreshadowing)
- Heremod- cruel, bloodthirsty, prideful, possessions
Is the character of Beowulf in any way similar to the person of Jesus Christ?
yes (symbolism)
- mere - hell, monsters, home of devil, fire, creepy
- kingdom/ Hearot Hall/ throne- holy, light, Grendel cannot approach, ring-giving (generosity) food, possessions, etc.
- Beowulf=Father, protection, dragon (merciful to thief - like sinners), Grendel and Danes
- Christ=eases into death, dragon before and after, before Grendel’s mother
Give examples of Anglo-Saxon heroic virtues and values and compare with the virtues and values of modern American politics. Do we have any heroes leading us today? Why or why not?
- treasures/possesions
- ring-giving, buried treasure with Beow and beo, 8 horses, death with dragon, Danes stealing from Heathobards, Beo’s Barrow, mother collecting armory
- loyalty
- thanes butting in on fight, converse: thanes run away/Wiglaf doesn’t, watchman to Hrothgar/protects kingdom
- today
- treasures- different but still fight for them and hoard them (money, freedom, technology, power), a lot of earthly stuff, some heroes who store treasures in heaven
- loyalty- wish we had more of this, biblical trait, treaties/peace broken, day to day friendships, families
How does the Seafarer relate to Romans 8:18?
perseverance, loneliness, and happiness
- cold, storms, wish he was in city (warmth, celebration, mead, happiness), jealousy
- actually like this (grateful), misses family, abode, companionship found in God
- birds (kennings),/ blue water, spray, calling/ suffering=good to do for the Lord
What makes a monster a monster?
perversion, evil morals, blood spilled
- mere, kingdom
- revenge (mother), murder (Cain), greed (dragon), self-righteousness, hate, cowardice
- dragon- village, Grendel’s mother: Aeschere, Grendel 30+
Discuss the 3 main battles in the poem. What do we learn about the hearts and motivations of the major characters before, during, and after each of these 3 battles?
dragon
1. Wiglaf: before- follows Beo (not much info) during- stays with Beo when everyone else runs away end- sends messenger, stays with Beo
2. Beowulf: before: persistent, will fight for people, even if it means dying. during: accepts help from Wiglaf when Naegling fails him. end: really not a Christian
mother
1. Hrothgar: before: cries for Aeschere, rides with Beo, but then stops. during: doesn’t do anything, ends up going back. end: makes up for it with gifts.
2. Beowulf: Before: courageous and perseverance, men killed, stays strong, during: smart, gets blade from armory end: listens to thanes, time to go home
Grendel
1. Grendel- before: perversion of kingdom during: cowardice - wants to run away end: does run away, wants to die in home
2. Beo- Before: seems arrogant (5 beasts, trolls), ast, hero during: great warrior, hero = has loyalty from thanes. end: great treasures
How does the Bible define evil? Is the Beowulf poet’s view of good and evil more or less biblical than our culture’s view of good and evil?
Bible
1. wisdom/foolishness- Proverbs, David (big sinner, big repents), Solomon- asks for wisdom
2. spreading the Word- Paul/Saul (prison in Philipi)
Anglo-Saxon
1. honor- Sigemond’s fame, Beo with buried treasure, Shield Sheafson
2. nobility- appearance (Beo looks like hero), spirit (Hygelac and adoption)
Culture
1. honor- celebrities, Justin Bieber
2. nobility- power resides in those in charge, doesn’t make them biblical at all
should be like…
1. refusing culture
2. courage (firefighters, police..)
3. Christ (school leader, church)
Images, motifs, and symbols
Images
1. mere, Hearot Hall, stack of gold, Beow
Motifs
1. gold- Beow buried in gold, Sigemond, Beo’s Barrow
2. swords- Naegling, Hrunting, shield with dragon, Hrothgar’s fave sword
Symbols
1. dragon = greed
2. lineage of Hrothgar = symbol 4 nobility, ring-giving
women
generosity (others doing it for you, doing it yourself), love (real and fake), family (sorrow)
- generosity: Halfdane- daughter 2 onela the Swede, Hygelac giving his daughter to Eofor, Wealtheow- torque 2 Beo
- Hygd and Hygelac- Hygd described as lovely and beautiful women, happy, even if arranged, Freaware and Ingeld, arranged, only to settle thievery
- woman at end, Hildeburh
elegiac
mourning tone
didactic tone
teaching tone
lyric poetry
putting your personal and emotional feelings in it
