september 11, 2018 mrs. bean, room 3203 british lit (per 2, 3, 4) · 2019. 2. 9. · beowulf...
TRANSCRIPT
September 11, 2018 Mrs. Bean, Room 3203British Lit (Per 2, 3, 4)
Entry Task: Find your seat on the seating chart and get ready to take notes.
Learning Objectives: • Context notes
Turn-in: Nothing today (unless
you didn’t turn in your anticipation guide with paragraph yesterday)
Agenda:1. Beowulf Context Notes—Power Point
Homework:
• None today
The Anglo-Saxon Period &
Beowulf Lecture
Courtesy Holly Cornelison hopla
Britain before the Anglo-
Saxons
• The first inhabitants of england were the
Iberians (who came from Spain and Portugal)
and the Celts (who came from southern
Europe)
• Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of
celts invaded the British Isles: the Brythons
and the Gaels
Arrival of the Celts
• The Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled
on the mainland, which became England
• The Gaels settled on the island to the west,
which became Ireland
• The Celts lived in clans ruled by chieftains
and moderated by druids (early religious
leaders)
The Roman Conquest
• Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C. but
was primarily conquered by the Roman
Emperor Claudius 100 years later (around 45
A.D.)
• The Romans brought many improvements to
Britons, such as roads, but neglected to leave
a centralized government, which made them
prone to invasions
The Anglo-Saxon Conquest
• Warriors from Denmark and Germany, known
as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, invaded
Britain in 449 A.D.
• The areas they conquered became known as
“Angles’ land,” which became “England,” and
their language became known as “Angle-ish,”which became “English”
Early Anglo-Saxon Life
• The Anglo-Saxons brought organized tribal
units to Britain, which was comprised of four
major classes under the king
• The king of any given tribe was appointed by a
witan, or council of elders
Anglo-Saxon Tribal Hierarchy
• Earls = ruling lords who owed
their position to the king
• Freemen/Thanes = allowed to
own land and engage in commerce
in exchange for military service
• Churls/Serfs = bonded servants
who worked land in exchange for
protection
• Thralls = slaves/military
prisoners
Britain and Religion
• The Anglo-Saxons brought their
pagan beliefs to Britain and
worshiped Germanic gods
• Pagans believed in fate and
stoicism
• Romans brought Christianity to
Britain but it did not become
widespread until St. Augustine
from Rome converted King
Ethelbert in 597 A.D.
Other Important People of the Period
• Venerable Bede (673-735 A.D.) was a monk
who wrote A History of the English Church
and People (written in Latin)
• Vikings (792 A.D.) were warriors from
Denmark and Norway who invaded and
plundered England
• King Alfred the Great (871 A.D.) established
peace with the Vikings and translated Bede’s
History… into Anglo-Saxon (Old English)
• Edward the Confessor (1042 A.D.) was a
British king who was very close with his
cousin, William of Normandy
• After Edward’s death in 1066, William
conquered England in the Battle of Hastings
Anglo-Saxon Runes
• Old English was first written with a version
of the Runic alphabet with between 26 and 33
letters.
• Anglo-Saxon runes were used probably from
the 5th century AD until about the 10th
century.
• They started to be replaced by the Latin
alphabet from the 7th century and Their use
ceased not long after the Norman conquest.
• Runic inscriptions are mostly found on
jewelry, weapons, stones and other objects,
and only about 200 such inscriptions have
survived.
Anglo-Saxon Runes
Old English Alphabet
Old English Pronunciation
Pronunciation Symbols
Anglo-Saxon Literature
• Literature of England began with
the Celtic druids who passed
down stories through the oral
tradition until they were written
down in Old English
• Heroic Poetry recounts the
achievements of warriors
involved in great battles
• Elegiac Poetry are sorrowful
laments that mourn the deaths of
loved ones and loss of the past
Beowulf Basics
• Language: Old English
• Length: More than 3,000 lines
long
• Protagonist: Beowulf, a Geatish
(Swedish) Prince from Geatland
(Sweden), who travels to Denmark
to save the Danes from Grendel
• Poem written in England, but set
in Scandinavia (A region of
northern Europe consisting of
Norway, Sweden,Denmark,
Finland, and Iceland)
Scandinavia
Important Dates
•Only surviving manuscript of Beowulf
dates circa 1000 AD (end of the 10th
century)
•The work itself was probably composed
sometime during the 8th century (701-800
AD), recounting exploits of 3rd-4th
Century (201-400 AD) Geats & Danes
FIRST PAGE OF BEOWULF
MANUSCRIPT
PAGAN Conventions in BEOWULF
•Hero is larger than life and
has superhuman strength
•Fate is known as “wyrd.” This
word has a connotation of a
stoical acceptance of what
fate holds in store for you,
no matter what.
BEOWULF VS. GRENDEL
BEOWULF VS. GRENDEL’S MOTHER
Beowulf VS. The Dragon
Christian Conventions in
Beowulf
•Grendel is described as a descendent of
Cain
•The dead await God’s judgment
•God is the creator of all things
•Other references from the Old
Testament
CAIN SLAYS ABEL
Warrior Culture
• Courage is the most important
characteristic of a hero
• In warrior society, most important
human relationship is that which exists
between the thane (warrior) and his
lord
• Relationship between kinsmen (fellow
warriors) is also important
• If a kinsmen is slain, a thane had the
special duty of either killing the slayer
or exacting from him the payment of
werigild, loosely translated, “man
price” for revenge
Warrior Culture (CONTINUED)
• “It is better for a man to avenge his friend than
much mourn.”
-Beowulf
• A warrior’s chief reward is immortality that is
primarily gained through his valiant works
while on earth
BEOWULF & WIGLAF
Literary Devices
• Epithets: A nickname/term used to
characterize a person or thing. Some
of King Hrothgar’s epithets include:
“protector of warriors,” “dispenser of
treasure,” “ring giver,” etc.
• Kennings: compound metaphors to
describe objects (ex: you would call
the sea something poetic, like a “whale
way” or a “swan road”).
• Caesuras: mid-line breaks/pauses
• Alliteration: the repetition of the same
consonant sounds in words that are
close together
Epic Characteristics
•
1) The hero, generally a male, is of noble birth or high position, and often of great historical
or legendary importance.
2)The hero’s character traits reflect important ideals of his society.
3) The hero performs courageous-sometimes even superhuman-deeds that reflect the
values of the era.
4) The actions of the hero often determine the fate of a nation or group of people.
5) The setting is often vast in scope, often involving more than one nation.
6) The poet uses formal diction and a serious tone.
7) Major characters often deliver long, formal speeches.
8) The plot is complicated by supernatural beings or events and may involve a long and
dangerous journey through foreign lands.
9) The poem reflects timeless values, such as courage and honor.
10) The poem addresses universal themes, such as good or evil or life and death.
Closing• Turn and talk to your elbow partner or table group. What are two things
you learned from today’s lecture?
• If you have any questions, you can talk with me after class or email me at: [email protected] (My website should be working now. www.issaquahbean.weebly.com)