Beowulf

Beowulf was created in the _____th and _____th century

7th, 8th

What type of old english story is Beowulf?

old english folk epic

What does epic mean?

long poem

Beowulf is about a hero in what type of poem form?

long poem form

Folkloric

a fictional story told by word of mouth first

What year is considered old english time?

449

_____% of old english isn't used in modern english

85

Why did the story of Beowulf keep getting told/brought up?

because it reflected what the people were going through at the time

Beowulf was told by people called _____

scops

Scops

people who traveled and told stories

Beowulf was _____ authored, what we read is only a _____, and it was written down in the _____th century

anonymously, translation, 11th

WHAT YEARS? middle english

1150-1500

What writer wrote in middle english?

chaucer

WHAT YEARS? modern english

1500-present

What writer wrote in modern english?

shakespeare

When was The Great Vowel Shift?

1400-1450

What was the point of the Great Vowel Shift?

to agree to put vowels into words

the printing press was brought to _____ in _____ by who?

England, 1476, Caxton

where did the brythons settle?

britain

where did the gaels settle?

ireland

the brythons and the gaels are called ____________, and when they would get into arguments, they looked to the ________________ to help them

Celts, Druids

saxon literature began with _______________ verse

spoken

what were some popular story genres in saxon literature?

heroic poetry, achievements of warriors, poetry lamenting deaths of loved ones & loss of past

beowulf is the most famous example of _______________ poetry

heroic

what is considered the national epic of england?

beowulf

folk songs that tell stories

ballad

"mystery plays" that retold stories from the bible

miracle plays

these depict life of an ordinary person and teach a moral lesson

morality plays

in 1476, when Caxton moved the printing press to england, what was 1st to be printed?

the canterbury tales

what's another name for old english?

anglo-saxon

give examples of french words that were infused into middle english

dine, table, honor, court

give examples of some anglo-saxon words

bedd, candel, eorth

beowulf pre-dates which religion?

christianity

when is beowulf's ethos (credibility) determined?

before he shows up to herot

beowulf's reputation gives him what?

status

in this story, hero's come from what?

good blood/being a good warrior

the committing of terrorist acts in the perpetrator's own country against their fellow citizens

domestic terrorism

why do the people assume grendel is bad?

bc he comes from family that is bad

what is herot?

a meeting hall

grendel is an archetypal monster. what does this mean?

he follows a basic standard and is a stereotypical monster. he's a repeated story over a period of time that becomes universal

where does the story of beowulf begin?

in herot hall

who was herot hall built for?

built for hrothgar's people/soldiers

who's hrothgar in the story?

a king

is hrothgar a good king & would the people fight for him?

yes

why is grendel mad that the people are partying in herot hall?

bc it's loud and bc he wasn't invited

T OR F? the beowulf poet doesn't want readers to think about why grendel kills, so the poet explains that grendel is like cain from the bible

true

what are some themes in beowulf?

fate and reputation

how many people does grendel kill at first?

80

how long does grendel torment herot?

12 years

a man-price/death-price. if someone died, you have to pay that family to give them some sense of justice

wergild

what is the pagan view of justice?

need tangible evidence & they value money bc that's their legacy

do pagans believe in an afterlife?

no

T OR F? beowulf's culture favors modesty

false. his culture has no modesty, but this isn't seen as arrogant

what motivates beowulf to help hrothgar's people?

fame & glory

a lot of pride

hubris

T OR F? in beowulf's time, fame is earned respect

true

what is shocking about beowulf's fight with grendel?

he will fight with no weapons

why does beowulf want to only use his hands in the fight with grendel?

bc grendel used his hands to kill, so beowulf will only use his hands too

when/what time of day does the battle with grendel begin?

at night in the darkness

what does beowulf fighting grendel in herot hall symbolize?

purging evil from a place of good

urgency/creating an urgent moment

exigence

what is beowulf's last thought that becomes his motivation?

the thought that he boasted about winning, so it'd be weird for him to lose

timing/the right time to act

kairos

who does grendel's mom kill in order to get revenge for her son's death?

hrothgar's close friend

treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral

marginalizaiton

which 2 places represent marginalization?

the lake & the lair because grendel's mom and grendel are isolated from society

what does grendel's mom steal back?

grendel's arm

T OR F? PAGAN ELEMENT? hrothgar motivating beowulf with money

true. pagan's favor material things, like money

T OR F? grendel's mom is harder to fight than grendel

true

in the battle with grendel's mom, what is beowulf reclaiming?

his fame

in the battle with grendel's mom, Beowulf asks Hrothgar to do what if he dies?

rule his (beowulf's) people

in the battle with grendel's mom, who is the character who doubts beowulf will win?

unferth

T OR F? in the battle with grendel's mom, the battle is at the lair, so it contrasts with the 1st battle where beowulf fights at Herot

true

in the battle with grendel's mom, explain the christian baptism motif

beowulf is reborn when he comes out of the swamp

in the battle with grendel's mom, what is the mom tied to? (not literally tied to something)

revenge for grendel

in the battle with grendel's mom, what is the indication that beowulf's losing?

beowulf takes his sword

this word means "a sword"

hrunting

T OR F? in the battle with grendel's mom, the anglo-saxon view would believe beowulf went underwater and could breathe while fighting

false. they believe beowulf went underwater and couldn't breathe, which displays him as a stronger hero

in the battle with grendel's mom, grendel's mom is winning and ____________ beowulf, but his ______________ protects him

stabs, armor

in the battle with grendel's mom, beowulf feels _____________ to win

fated

after the battle with grendel's mom, beowulf cuts off grendel's head. what does this symbolize?

grendel's mom's personal loss

after the battle with grendel's mom, beowulf cuts off grendel's mom's head and does what with it to prove that he won?

brings it to hrothgar

T OR F? cutting off a head after death in anglo-saxon times was acceptable

true. it's seen as a symbol of glory

who is king of the danes?

Hrothgar

who is the leader of the geats?

Beowulf

when does beowulf's sword melt?

after beowulf cuts grendel's head off

how many years have passed since the battle with grendel's mom?

50 years

what is different about the last battle to beowulf?

for the 1st time, beowulf has to put himself in the shoes of being a king

in the last battle, does beowulf still desire fame & glory?

yes

in the last battle, beowulf gives a boast. what does he boast about?

his strength

what's different in the last battle about beowulf's thoughts on using a sword instead of his hands?

beowulf uses the sword upfront instead & doesn't feel shame about it

in the last battle, what happens to make beowulf feel fate against him for the 1st time?

his shield melts

in the last battle, how does the story change from fame to fate?

beowulf is now taking personal ownership of his own fate

in the last battle, what does beowulf learn about his actions?

that they can be good for others, not just himself

in the last battle, who is the only person who is loyal to beowulf?

wiglaf

T OR F? in the spoils, beowulf becomes mortally wounded by the dragon

true

when beowulf becomes injured by the dragon, who goes back and brings him the treasure?

wiglaf

after the battle with the dragon, what does beowulf ask wiglaf to do with the treasure? *pagan element*

to keep it on a mountain so people can remember him

T OR F? a *pagan element* in beowulf is that they think that material things matter after death

true

what does wyrd mean?

fate