BEOWULF:
-The protagonist of poem is Beowulf.
Beowulf is a hero,he is parised for his courage,endurance and generosity,which determine his nobility and establish the courtly ideal of the warrior.
Superhuman powers are attributed to him:He kills monsters which live underwater and underground,which can fly which breathe fire.
-It is thought to have been composed by a single Christian author for a Christian audience in Anglo-Saxon England any time from the 8(th) to the 11(th) century,but the first recorded written version dates from the 11(th) century.
-Curiosity:
- During the time in between,composer and singers,or scops,would memorise this long,heroic tale and tell it at the fireside as a form of entertainment
-The action of the poem take place in Scandinavia,but the poem itself was probably written in Northumbria,an important Anglo-Saxon kingdom and home to Roman Catholic monks who reinterpreted the story in a Christian way.
-The first actions take place in a Danish kingdom ruled by King Hrothgar.Beowulf confronts a monster that has been terrorising the king and his men for twelve years. Later,Beowulf dives into a misty lake and fights the monster's mother.
The scene of the action then shifts fifty years later to the land of the Geats in Sweden,where an elderly Beowulf confronts a dragon terrorising his own land.
During the poem several monsters appear.The first one is Grendel. He is bloodthirsty and keeps the Danish kingdom of King Hrothgar under siege for twelve years,killing both warriors and civilians.
-Life is a struggle between good and evil.Beowulf represents goodness,while the three monsters that he kills stand for evil.The greatness of a human being is judged by the greatness of his deeds and his noble ancestry.
Loyalty to one's lord or neighbour is the primary value.Beowulf risks his life to help a neighbour,King Hrothgar,in trouble.
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