BEOWULF

-- BEOWULF --

Epic POem

START

“Beowulf” is a heroic epic poem written by an unknown author in Old English, some time between the 8th and the 10th Century. It is one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature, and has been the subject of much scholarly study, theory, speculation and discourse.

CHARACTERS

THE DRAGON An ancient, powerful serpent, the dragon guards a horde of treasure in a hidden mound. Beowulf’s fight with the dragon constitutes the third and final part of the epic. The dragon symbolizes greed. He hoards gold and treasures in his lair, which represents the opposite of the Anglo-Saxons' accepted practice.

It tells the story of the hero Beowulf, and his battles against the monster Grendel (and Grendel’s mother), and against an unnamed dragon.

The protagonist Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, whose great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands, then kills Grendel's mother with a giant's sword that he found in her lair.

“Beowulf” is the oldest known epic poem written in English, although its date is not known with any certainty (the best estimate being 8th Century, and definitely before the early 11th century). The author is likewise unknown, and represents a question that has mystified readers for centuries. It is generally thought that the poem was performed orally by memory by the poet, and was passed down in this way passed down to readers and listeners, or that it was finally written down at the request of a king who wanted to hear it again.

“Beowulf” is part of the tradition of epic poetry that began with the poems of Homer and Virgil, and it deals with the affairs and deeds of brave men, but, like its classical models, it makes no attempt to portray a whole life chronologically from beginning to end. It also functions as a kind of history, blending past, present, and future in a unique, all-encompassing way. It is not just a simple tale about a man who kills monsters and dragons, but rather a large-scale vision of human history.

THANKS!