Beowulf
General notes:
reference pages 84/85, 41, 48, 60s (61/65/68?) and the end when the dragon is there
Paper stuff:
Submit on sakai (turnitin)
Email it to her but also attach outline
no ending works cited but use in text citations MLA
in text cite like a mf
have to use both texts EQUALLY or she’ll kill you
4-5 means under 4 full is death and over 5 she won’t read page 6 and say you have no conclusion
for beowulf legacy prompt, can use beowulf or hrothgar
compare AND contrast (similarities and differences), argue for who creates stronger legacies/kingdoms under heroic code
potentially use the characteristics described in cormac and look for them in beowulf (compare)
probably only use 2 characteristics for in depth analysis (one similarity one difference)
that one quote about gory/glory (misconception) in relation to grendel’s mother (p 22)
heroic code strongly emphasizes glory, and boasting (beowulf loves it)
intro, 3 body sections (arguing), conclusion. sections can be more than one paragraph, but intro/conclusion should only be 1 paragraph each
Cormac advises not to go alone to fight unless hunting a boar, beowulf does NOT do this
Characters:
Hygelac: Beowulf’s uncle, Geat
Unferth: Dane, pesters Beowulf in the beginning, Hrothgar’s previous number 1, his sword is given to Beowulf and it fails
Wiglaf: Beowulf’s cousin, soldier of his (thane) to fight the dragon (following comitates)
Hygd: Geat queen
Hrothgar: King of Danes, has to deal with Grendel’s mess, owns Heorot, “accidentally” killed his brother in order to be next to take throne
Wealhtheow: Beowulf’s wife, peace-weaver
Terms:
Heorot: Dane’s mead hall
Discussion questions:
Beowulf moves from warrior to ruler in the epic. Does he adhere to the warrior values as a king? Explain how he does, if he alters them, or if he seems to adhere to a different set of values. How is Beowulf the ruler different from Beowulf the warrior?
“he’d battled like a brawler, but could hold court with kings and queens, too, never punching down, never mocking drunk comrades, never locking himself in combat with those whose strength couldn’t stand. He kept his stones controlled, and when he rolled, he rolled only with equals” (94)
“He caught the kingdom he’d rejected, and held tight to it for fifty winters, before he, too, found himself an old man, the gray guardian of Geatland” (95)
“Meanwhile, the firedrake raked coast-to-coast with claws, charred gilded Geatland without pause, crimson blazes and black billows, until the old war-king woke to action, plotting vengeance on the stranger. The foremost warrior projected for his own protection a myth-worthy shield, made entirely of iron” (101)
“She couldn't convince Beowulf to step over Heardred, nor consent to come to her bed, but instead he offered his counsel to the boy-king, until he was man enough to rule the Weder-Geats himself” (102)
“Beowulf, bereaved, ascended the Geat-throne, in grief, never surrendering his reluctance to become the ruler. That was a good king” (103)
“I laid my life down on the daily when I was your age. Now, gray guardian though I am, I'll show you how it’s done. I’ll kill this creature if it’s the last thing I do. If it’s no coward, it'll come out of its cave and face its challenger.” (108)
“Now Beowulf, with his last strength, drew a dagger from his hip, a lethal hunting thorn, and dipped it into the dragon’s side, wounding her fatally: blade met body, a bleak and bitter fight” (116)
“My boy, get a move on, and bring your lord’s last request. I want to see what prize I won of this” (118)
What is the relationship between Hrothgar and Beowulf like in terms of offerings to one another and motivations for maintaining that relationship?
“Beowulf? I knew him when he was a boy, and I knew his daddy, too, Ecgtheow, with whom Hrethel the Geat bedded his daughter down. Their son and heir is here to bring health to me! A crew of mine once crossed to Geatland with gifts from me to his father, and they brought back a cargo of stories. - Ecgtheow’s boy, they said, had a handgrip as strong as that of thirty men! As for his band of Geats—hurry, let them in! Holy! How good is God?! A hero’s been sent here by Heaven to defend the Danes from Grendel! At least, that’s what I hope he’s come to do. If he relieves the pressure on our Paradise, I’ll pay him in gold! Go back before he comes to his senses and runs. Bid him appear before his father’s friend: he’s more than welcome here in Denmark!” (19)
“Anyone who fucks with the Geats? Bro, they have to fuck with me” (21)
“Beowulf, regardless of whether your parents survive, you’re my son now, adoption won by wily work. ‘Be good to me; I’ll be good to you,’ I always say. You'll need nothing in life, boy, I'll feed you, fete you, and count you as my foundling” (42-43)
“Glutting on gobbets, after murdering him unopposed. This is on you. She threw herself into a blood feud after you slew her son Grendel last night, tore him and bore him into the afterlife, never mind years of his own crimes” (59)
“Keep those words in mind, the pledge we exchanged, that dearly done deal. To recap: you, Halfdane’s son, said that I’m your son now, adopted and owned, that if I died in this dive, you'd father me 1480 to a further shore. In short: I end up dead, you pay my corps—feed them, pour them mead” (65)
“A ruler who’s been known as a good man since days of old, a generous, just gift-giver, a war-wielding homeland healer, is equipped to say the following: this man’s as good a man as me. Beowulf, my boy! You've proven yourself in every context. Your name will be known around the world. You're steady, strong, and sure in all respects. I open my arms to you, as agreed, and fulfill the bonds of friendship. For your people, you'll be, like me, a defender and a hero” (74)
“if there’s anything more I can do for you, beyond the battles I’ve won, any more of your heart I can win by warring, demand it: your wish is my command” (79)
“From Hrothgar’s heirlooms comes Hygelac’s inheritance. I’ve brought these gifts to you, your majesty, and I give them willingly. You're the man I seek to impress. 2150 I’ve got no other family left, none close. Your kindness is my comfort” (93)
How does Beowulf view and embody femininity? What are his dynamics with women, and what does that say about his character?
“You don’t rate and neither did Breca when it came to battle. The gulf? You’re cattle, and I’m a wolf” (27-28)
“She went round, a Helming-hostess, treading with purpose, rings shining, beer-sounding soldiers, old and young, both of her own house and the sea-slayers’, goblet held to her breast. Hashtag: blessed” (29)
“Grendel’s mother, warrior-woman, outlaw, meditated on misery. She lived, ill-fated, sinking beneath cold currents to her kingdom under-country,” (56)
“She was impervious to his blade. The sword had failed him, though it’d served many worthy soldiers, skinned many adversaries, slicing armor, hacking helmets into hash. This was the first time the heirloom hadn't overwhelmed an enemy” (67)
“I snatched the sword, striking down the bitch that sought to slay me, scoring the other, too, her son” (73)
“Hereth’s daughter knew her duty: open heart met open hands when it came to Geats. She paid attention, made trenchant thrift feel more generous than lessers’ over-gifts” (84)
“Hereth’s daughter wafted wifely through the hall, mead-jug held in her hands, caring for the companions, pouring a waterfall into cups as warriors held them high. Only then did Hygelac begin to question his comrade, calmly, commandingly, to glean the story of the war-Geats, and take the tale for his own hall-history” (86)
“a dragon ranged, unchecked. She was a scar-skinned warrior, long accustomed to shadow-soaring by moonlight, defending her claim, hoarding in her own high hall” (95-96)
“he imagined the dragon a dimwit, clocking neither her courage nor her grit” (101)
Review the stories of Hildeburh (lines 1071) and Freawaru (lines 2020). How do they fail as peace-weavers? Who else fails in these stories to maintain the unity of the realm? What do these stories tell us about the effectiveness of the power wielded by both queens and rulers/warriors?
“Who wouldn't weep, as dawn drove feud-daggers deeper, the sun scoring her son’s wounds, day breaking upon her dearest dead? They'd been her heart, her happiness, her hopes. War had wrung them ragged, dragged them to death across a court of sword-crossed kin,” (48)
“Fire comes from the same family as famine. It can feast, unfulfilled, forever. The dead of both nations were done, glory days gone for good” (50)
“Accept this cup from me, my lord of rings, and lift this golden goblet. Give the Geats their due. Be good to them who've been good to you. Gifts are for granting, and your hands should be open, your heart happy, even as you remember—I know you do—the good men who gave kith-gifts to you” (52)
“She brought him the cup. She called him friend. She gave him gold. Her will was wrought in rings. She offered armlets, garments, a neck-ring: a collar larger than any I’ve ever seen” (53)
“I like you more every moment, Beowulf. You've bonded two tribes. The Danes and Geats are peace-woven now, 80 despite our harrowing history. We've fought fiercely in the past, but now we're friends forever” (80-81)
“She may have been beautiful, she may have been royal, but can we agree here? Why the brutality?! Pretty peace-weavers aren’t meant to claw, bringing good men down just for looking, innocent oglers sent deathward. Talk about inflated offenses!” (84)
“The Scyldings’ king chose him for her husband, Hrothgar hoping, kingdom-keeper that he is, that sending his precious daughter to fuck his foe’s son will fix the fatherly feud: heal bitter hearts and bandage 2030 weeping wounds. But spears seldom sleep for long when a ruler’s fallen, no matter how perfect the princess” (88)
“Both sides, vow-bound, will break, old thirsts unslaked, a rage rising in Ingeld, his love for Freawaru frozen, comforts gone to curses” (89)
“He also gave over to Eofor his only daughter, a bedmate to bind him, a kin-bond and vow of loyalty” (129)
What is the nature of the legacy rulers in Beowulf seek? How do leaders achieve that legacy in Beowulf? Look at how Beowulf and Hrothgar express ideas about a ruler’s legacy, either through verbal instructions of with their actions as either a warrior or a ruler
“A smart son gives gifts to his father’s friends in peacetime. When war woos him, as war will, he’ll need those troops to follow the leader. Privilege is the way men prime power, the world over” (4)
“When it was done, he swore, he’d load-lighten, unhand everything he’d won, worn, and owned, pass to his posse all God’s gifts, save lives and land. He’d keep the kingdom, of course” (6).
Basically saying he is very generous (even with family heirlooms). He didn’t give away slaves, so he is saving lives and land. He is following comitates here“here was a warrior like no other: massive, mighty, born of noble blood. He called for a ship to be readied for his band, and boasted he’d try his teeth on this tale, sail in, as a savior over the swan-road, seek that king and lend a hand as defender” (11)
“They’re well-dressed, thus well-born, and thus worthy. And the man who led them here— he looks so right! His chest, broad in girth, his armor blazing, bright! Blatantly of noble birth” (18-19)
“Keep your reputation in mind, and stand unyielding against the brute. I’ll find you alive in the morning, I’ll reward you beyond your wildest dreams.” (31)
“Each of us will one day find the feast finished and, fattened or famished, step slowly backward into their own dark hall for that final night of sleep,” (45)
“You’re famous here, and long after your lifetime, you'll be known, your story sweeping as the sea, shores borne into being by waves of words. My prince, may you be blessed by this bounty” (54)
“Hrothgar waited, grim and gloomy, wondering if his fate was fucked forever, the Almighty refusing to relent” (58)
“Were all going to die, but most of us won't go out in glory. Here’s what matters, though, for men: not living, but living on in legend … Be as brave as your scops say you are” (61)
“A ruler who’s been known as a good man since days of old, a generous, just gift-giver, a war-wielding homeland healer, is equipped to say the following: this man’s as good a man as me. Beowulf, my boy! You've proven yourself in every context. Your name will be known around the world. You're steady, strong, and sure in all respects. I open my arms to you, as agreed, and fulfill the bonds of friendship. For your people, you'll be, like me, a defender and a hero” (74)
“Keep yourself on an even keel, aiming your ambition at eternity, instead of the everyday. Don't let avarice override intelligence … Your gaze will darken, too, boy. Your world will dim. Death will kneel over you eventually, and solicit your surrender” (77)
“All the gifts given by Hrothgar would be weighed as they went on. “That was a good king,” his men agreed, . perfect in every way, until time, robber of vaults, stole his strength and swapped it for softness” (82)
“If I'd ever had a son, I’d be giving him my armor now, but I never fathered one, never gave my blood to an heir, and so this death is final. I’m the last of me. I’ve been ruling here, fearless, for fifty winters. I was the man. No neighbor came to war—my name kept enemies at bay, and no one could scare me. I lived in peace, and released my lease on battle, knowing I had nothing to prove. I wasn’t ambitious, never threw shade, never took shit, never spat curses when I felt wronged, but sat on the throne and weighed my people’s woes and wishes. I have to say, I did okay (117-118)
“My people lose me, but gain a hoard-gift. Say that on the day of my dying, I went hard. I traded my life for this. It’s a good bargain … ell my army to build a barrow before my body blazes, one like the dragon had, high up on the coast. I want it visible, towering like a giant’s tooth on Whales’ Cape, so my people know I was king, and so seafarers say my name daily, nightly, call out ‘Beowulf’s Barrow!’” (120)
“He opened his arms, offered all who stood in his mead-hall armor: helmets, mail-shirts, treasures. He treated us, his thanes, like sons, gave us the glories he’d won, but, hey, I guess he had no judgment. He threw those gifts away. What a fucking waste, in time of war, to armor and honor a corps of soldiers who’d ignore him when he needed them most. Our king had no cause to boast of his fight-family— he never saw them fight” (123)
“War’s coming for us, for this country. Soon our enemies will hear our king’s been killed. From sea to sea, everyone from Franks to Frisians will mobilize. Historic hatreds” (125)
“His courage, his fury, his wars. They did all this grieving the way men do, but, bro, no man knows, not me, not you, how to get to goodbye. His guys tried. They remembered the right words. Our king! Lonely ring-wielder! Inheritor of everything! He was our man, but every man dies. Here he is now! Here our best boy lies! He rode hard! He stayed thirsty! He was the man! He was the man” (136)