Textbook Notes p31-60

intro to Beowulf

• reflects Anglo-Saxon culture, what they valued(warrior values), fears of monsters, dreams of power
• three mortal battles in the epic, one is Grendel,
• scops got attention from long poems until they were written down
• 6th cent. Scandinavia (lot of folk lore)
• reflects pagan and Christian traditions.

The Wrath of Grendel

• Grendel kills again for fun or out of karma
• "paying the living for one crime only with another" line 71-72
• Grendels devilish ways are almost innate behavior
• wants to keep the feud alive to cause chaos (embodies cain)

The Coming of Beowulf

• Beowulf hears of this monster and wants to fight it and kill it
• he leaves for denmark and is called to see the king
• he wants to fight Grendel if it's the last thing he does

The Battle with Grendel

• grendel is surprised that Heort is more fortified but continues his plunder
• Beowulf fights him and the cries of pain  scare the Danes
• celebrate the victory but now Grendel's mom wants to fight Beowulf

The Monsters' Lair

• The monster's live in a lake that nobody enters
• creatures that are being chased to theur death would rather die than  go in the lake
• "hidden evil before hidden evil" line 423

The Battle with Grendel's mother

• Grendel's mother wants to kill the one who hurt her son.
• Grendel's mother and Beowulf fight and Beowulf wins with his hands not his weapons
• he also finishes off Grendel and takes his head as a trophy
• he is honored for being a killer
• becomes king of Geatland and a dragon threatens his kingdom

The Last Battle

• "bUT I will fight again, seek fame still..." line 626
• goes to face the monster and strikes him but his sword failed him when he needed it most
• he stared at death not ready to go
• all his friends left him when he failed, did he boast too much or were they afraid?
• Wiglaf is the only one to help and they kill the dragon, why him?
• Beowulf is dying and wants the dragon's treasure

The Spoils

• Beowulf dies and leaves the kingdom and treasure to Wiglaf
• "so gold can easily triumph, defeat the strongest men., no matter how well it is hidden" what does this mean?
• "Fate hhas swept our race away, taken warriors in their strength and led them to the death that was waiting" the honorable have become a very rare people?

The Farewell

• praise Beowulf for the life he lived and not just forget him