Review Notes for English 4 Final

BEOWULF

1. Brutal, barbaric, violent, carry on into romantic area
2. Angles and Saxons both claimed Britain (Briton) in the beginning
3. Epics are always about heroes, stories were told orally for a long time, based on historical facts (epic = long narrative poem)
4. Beowulf originally written in Old English
5. King Hrothgar’s mead-hall was named Herot
6. The Danes were tortured for 12 years by Grendel
7. Grendel is connected to Cain
8. Grendel is tired of the noise from the mead-hall, God banished Grendel was society (these two reasons are why he attacks the Danes)
9. Beowulf convinces the King that he can slay Grendel by boasting about the battles and victories he has won over the years
10. Kennings are describing people; they have quotes around them and typically have a hyphen (question on final will not have a hyphen in it)
11. Beowulf will not use weapons because he wants to fight fairly
12. Beowulf rips off Grendel’s whole shoulder and arm, thus killing him, he hangs it in the mead-hall
13. Beowulf goes after Grendel’s mother because she comes and takes the arm and shoulder of Grendel, and because she kills the King’s right hand man
14. Her lair is in the nasty black water, Beowulf can hold his breath for a super long time, he fights off numerous demons underwater, he grabs the sword made by the giant and kills Grendel’s mother
15. Beowulf cuts off Grendel’s head and brings it up as a trophy
16. Beowulf receives treasures and gold as a reward for his bravery
17. 50 years pass before he goes to fight the dragon
18. A thief steals a gold cup from the dragon, so he is after him
19. The dragon melts the sword of Beowulf
20. Wiglaf stays and fights alongside Beowulf, he is the only man who stays.
21. Before Beowulf dies, he wants to see the treasure.
22. Beowulf dies because of his neck wound
23. Wiglaf calls everyone else a bunch of cowards and expresses how disgusted he is with everyone and their weakness.
24. Death is the ONE thing that every hero knows is inevitable
25. Kennings were a common characteristic of oral stories -

LITERARY DEVICES

Alliteration: Repetitive consonants

Metaphor: Comparison not using like/as

Similes: Comparison using like/as

Rhythming: rhyme schemes

1. Epic heroes hold society as their greatest importance, they go on a quest, heroic deed, hero's actions affect a large group of people
2. Plot and conflict always involve courageous and super-human people, theme of Beowulf is good vs. evil
3. Build him a tower and ride around in circles around it

CANTERBURY TALES

1. The prologue is everything that we read, characters are vividly described
2. They are travelling on a pilgrimage to pay respect to the martyr, Thomas Becket
3. They are travelling in Spring
4. They meet at the Tabard Inn to depart for their journey
5. 30 pilgrims, including host Harry Bailey
6. During the middle ages, Latin was the most prevalent language
7. Elements of Christianity existed outside of the church
8. Most popular literature at the time was an allegory

The Knight:

Has been in a lot of battles, always kills his opponent, never leaves anymore alive (tells the first tale)

The Doctor:

Everything is based on astronomy

The Merchant:

Geoffrey Chaucer cannot remember his name

He has a forked beard

The Miller:

Was a wrestler

The Pardoner:

He takes bribes, very wrong

The Yeoman:

The squire’s servant (robin hood type character)

The Franklin:

Looks like Santa Claus

The Shipman (the sailor):

He cannot ride a horse

The Cook:

He has an oozing ulcer on his knee

The Tradesmen:

• Haberdasher
• Dyer
• Carpenter
• Weaver
• Carpet Maker

The Oxford Student:

AKA the Clerk

The Wife of Bath:

Had 5 husbands

The Summoner:

He has ache

The Nun (Madame Eglantine):

She has three priests and another nun travelling with her

→ Pardoner’s Tale

1. They meet at a pub
2. The old man tells the three men that DEATH is under the Oak Tree
3. The whole theme of the story is greed
4. The two men decide to kill the young man by stabbing
5. The younger man wants to kill the two others using poison
6. Was the host’s idea to tell the stories (Harry Bailey)

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT

1. King Arthur
2. It is Christmas tide = Christmas eve
3. The king always tells them that the most important thing they can do before they eat is to listen to a story
4. The Green Knight is there as part of the entertainment, meant to destroy things there
5. Similes = comparisons using like or as
6. He has no armor, lets readers know he is there for entertainment and not fighting because he has no armor
7. He presents the challenge for someone to chop off his head, one blow, and then come find him a year and one day later to return the blow
8. Metaphors = comparisons not using like or as
9. Sir Gawain steps in for the place of the king with the challenge (he has a sad life)
10. The Green Knight is sarcastic and rude
11. Gawain is set beside Guinevere
12. Gawain must travel to the Green Chapel in a year and one day
13. Bertilak is the kind of the castle and the Green Knight’s real name
14. On the second day, Gawain receives two kisses
15. King Arthur’s castle is called Camelot
16. Gawain is Arthur’s nephew
17. He takes the green girdle because he has the obvious desire to live, if he takes the girdle he will not be hurt
18. Alliteration = repetition of consonant sounds
19. The green in the girdle is symbolic of him being a coward
20. The Green Knight does not kill Gawain because he passes the honorable test

A MODEST PROPOSAL

1. The problem is beggars and children on the streets
2. When the child is one year old, the baby will get eaten
3. The author says it will solve the problem of having so many Roman Catholics
4. They should be able to pay 10 shillings for a fat child

MARLOWE - THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE

1. A shepherd is the speaker
2. He is offering a woman simple pleasures
3. He offers her to come live with him
4. He never mentions the negative things that could happen to them
5. This is pastoral poems
6. He is writing this to his love, that is the audience

RALEIGH - THE SHUTDOWN POEM

1. Written in the perspective of a woman, thinks it is unrealistic and pities him
2. She doesn’t believe in love, she doesn’t think it lasts
3. She is very cynical, has a negative outlook on life