Beowulf Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is the plot of “Beowulf”?
the hero Beowulf defeats three monsters but is killed by one of them
Beowulf, prince of the Geats, defeats Grendel and his mother in Denmark. He then becomes king of the Geats and when he is old he faces a dragon. He slays the dragon but he’s mortally wounded.
When was “Beowulf” written down?
11th century
Beowulf was written down by Christian scribes.
What was the public of “Beowulf”?
a Christina public
Who was the author of “Beowulf”?
anonymous
The author of Beowulf is anonymous because of its oral composition
Who is Beowulf? What does he represent?
hero (prince and then king)/virtues of Anglo-Saxon society
Beowulf has supernatural powers, such as supernatural strenght or the ability to breathe underwater.
Where is “Beowulf” set?
Denmark (the king’s hall in Heorot and Grendel’s mother lake), Geatland
The setting represents the place of origin of the Anglo-Saxons, that is to say Northern Germany and Southern Scandinavia
What are the main themes of the poem?
Christian values (fight between evil and good, destinty and fate), Anglo-Saxon values (loyalty, bravery in the face of destiny, strenght)
Which stylistic devices typical of Anglo-Saxon poetry does Beowulf employ?
alliteration, stress, kenning
What are the monsters of the poem? What do they represent?
Grendel, Grendel’s mother, dragon/ evil
When and how was “Beowulf” composed?
between the 8th and the 11th century, orally
