Beowulf is an old english epic poem, which consists of 3,182 long lines. One of the things that makes beowulf an enduring work of art is that the monsters are complex and unknowable, as all truly terrifying opponents must be. Beowulf, old english, and anglosaxon culture grendels mother, british literature. Many private antiquarians and book collectors, such as sir robert cotton. Every generation can find in beowulf s battles a reflection of their own most painful and glorious struggles. Character list cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. It uses different dialects of old english for the spelling. The dragon is so well suited to bring about beowulf s downfall, in fact, that some readers have seen it as a symbolic representation of death itself. It has reached national epic status in england although its setting is scandinavia, not the british isles. About beowulf beowulf summary character list lines 1193 lines 194709 lines 710915 lines 9161250 lines 12511649 lines 16501887 lines 18882199 lines 22002537 lines 25382819 lines 28203182 related links citations. Wiglaf the only thane to stand with beowulf against the dragon, he is the geats future king and a symbol of loyalty within the socialpolitical structure of the.
The date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars. It is one of the most important works of old english literature. Beowulf is considered an epic poem in that the main character is a hero who. He is known as one of the first great kings of the danes. A demon descended from cain, grendel preys on hrothgars warriors in the kings meadhall, heorot. Characters the dragon the dragon is a mighty and glamorous opponent, an appropriate match for beowulf. Beowulf is an old english epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. The protagonist of the epic, beowulf is a geatish hero who fights the monster grendel, grendels mother, and a firebreathing dragon. Although beowulf himself is not mentioned in any other anglosaxon. Beowulf an early danish king and the son of scyld, but not the same character as the hero of the poem. Beowulf s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. Three characters in the poem prophesy the imminent destruction of the geats once their.
Because beowulf accounts for nearly a tenth of all the lines of old english poetry that have survived, its impossible to reconstruct in any detail the literary context in which it was written. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. The poem is set in scandinavia, although it was written in england. Beowulf beowulf, norse vikings, anglo saxon, book characters, folklore. Beowulf a mighty warrior and noble individual, the poems hero, with the strength of 30 in his handgrip, comes to the aid of hrothgars danes. Its creation dates to between the 8th and the 11th centuries, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010.
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