Epic poem
in Old English
at the end of the 7th century
Characters
Beowulf
Scandinavian hero
Native of Greatland
Courangeous,generous,strong,cunning,fearless,wise,moral and good
Hrothgar
The king of Danes
Grendel
Half-Human monster
Grendel's Mother
Plot
The Roman Empire had ruled much of the world.
Civil wars
Visigoths and Vandal forced Roman to abandon the lands.
Jutes,Saxons and Angles
Anglo-Saxon culture
Angle-Lond= England
Religions
Norse mythology
The gods Thor
Odin and Freya
Six days of the week
Pagan and Christianity
Oldest epic in English
Monks
First English epic hero
Beowulf
The oldest English dragon-slayer
Early use of literary devices
Metaphor
Irony
Foreshadowing
Understatement
Alliteration
A record of Anglo-Saxon culture
Common language
Hero's code of values
Physical strength, oratory skill
Comitatus, Wyrd
Confidence, justice/vengeance
Wergild, persult of glory
Lineage, respect for enemies