CFII Review Sheet Beowulf Anglo Saxon First poem written in the English language Oral No actual author is known it was told orally Pagan worshippers were first to recite Beowulf Christians heard it later and added a Monkish interpretation Monks put information in that wasn t originally there when they began copying books Christ addition o Christian view of a Christ figure when everything illuminates after Grendel s mother s death o When Beowulf goes to fight the dragon he brings along 12 men 12 Apostles Epic Elegy Melancholy Poem sad JR Tolkien The Hobbit took interest in Beowulf poem because he thought it was judged by a prejudiced formula people said it was not in chronological order Tolkien called it an Epic Elegy he said it was like looking back on the old days Digressions Fragments Comitatus Beowulf s men comrades who run away when the dragon comes except Wiglaf Loyalty The king provides the people with a place to live eat sleep and they are bound to protect the king Geats Beowulf Hygelac King of Geatland Wiglaf Only one that stays in the dragon fight he was the only loyal soldier to Beowulf Becomes king of Geatland and is a symbol of loyalty Dragon Dragons is comparative to a snake Dragons usually have venom breathe fire etc and they like to collect treasures They are hoarders Slave angers the dragon by stealing a cup from its lair The dragon injured Beowulf ultimately killing him Danes Heorot Hrothgar King of Heorot can t control the situation Did a favor for Beowulf s father now Unferth Warrior in Heorot who mocks Beowulf because he is wimpy and jealous Men felt Beowulf is returning the favor emasculated by Beowulf s strength Wealtheow Hrothgar s wife welcoming and hospitable Grendel Originated from Cain Both were exiles from society Grendel feel resentment towards the community He is somewhat human as he has humanlike limbs but his skin and overall appearance look like a monster Same as his emotions he feels like an outsider because of his differences but feels human in the sense that he has resentment and jealously Similar to creature in Frankenstein Ogre Wildman Troll Grendel s Mother Comes to avenge the death of her son after he is murdered Beowulf kills her too Beowulf Essay Topics 1 Over 1000 years ago after the fall of the Roman Empire there was no government There were simply small settlements of people and you were either in a group or you were dead Grendel was not part of a group He is looking in and feels isolated Similar to Frankenstein a creature shut out until a bling man cannot see he is a weird creature and befriends him If we treat people badly as others we can t be surprised at the society we have today Reputation Beowulf is always thinking about fame what are his true intentions Beowulf uses this as a means of encouragement When he needs motivation to fight Grendel he thinks about his reputation Altruism Now we expect everyone to have pure intentions Back then it was more about what you did than what your intentions were Christianity is obsessed with intention you can sin just for having the intentions Having the desire is enough to qualify as a sin Unferth loses his reputation by losing the courage to fight Grendel s mother First fight with Grendel Beowulf is barbaric he is haughty only there for his own glory Second one he matures because he immediately runs to the lake He doesn t try and tear her arm off he kills her with a sword he talks about god and acts like a knight He makes a speech before killing his mother about nobility When he s killing the dragon he sacrifices himself for the people he matures he s not perfect English German Latin Anglo Saxon Old 500 1000 Middle 1000 1500 Modern 1500 2014 rhythm English is German and Latin combined Along with other influences from the Barbarian Alliterative Meter 2 or three words that begin with the same consonant it gives a distinctive Kennings Riddles Swan road would imply ocean Beot They way they would psych themselves for battle They would boast about challenges they will accept and how they are going to slay whatever they must to win in the battle Beowulf uses this when he is about to snatch Grendel for encouragement Illuminated Manuscripts Before printing press manuscripts were copied by hand Monastery A place where monks nuns lived Reserved for prayer Abbot Means father literally Title given to the head of a Monastery Rule of Benedict A book written for monks living under an Abbot Women now also use it A guide for westernized Christianity when leading a monastic life Contains moderate opinions Why people gravitate towards it Scriptorium A room in monasteries where scribes would copy monastic manuscripts Popes Head of the Catholic Church Cardinals A senior Christian official a group of cardinals of the Roman Catholic church are known as the College of Cardinals Bishops Arch Bishops Ordained Christian clergy Monse ors Receive a title from the pope giving them honor because of service they have done Catholic Church Priests Monks Priest has the authority to perform sacred rituals They are ordained into the for the church position 2 Dante Divine Comedy Hell Death 1321 Beatrice Watching Dante on earth and he is getting involved in sin She sends word that she would like Virgil to take Dante on a journey he saw her when he was little He was walking along the street he saw her and fell in love with her Dante says they never consummated their relationship She died when she was young She became his muse o Courtly Love Seen in medieval Europe generally secret love affairs not between married men and women Noble and Chivalrous love Civil War Two factions One that the pope should run the place the other believed that the pope should run religion and there should be a secular government Dante gets exiled from his city He brings hell with his enemies Italian Didactic Intended to convey a message about leadership Virgil Protects Dante from people in hell Virgil guides him through Hell he shows him the physical and moral lessons of Dante Epic Heroic Poem Salvation Protection from harm Only possible through Jesus Christ in Christianity His death on the cross was a sacrifice the atoned all humanity s sins Justice V pity When Dante first arrives in Hell he feels pity for the sinners But as he progresses he feels less and less pity Virgil also encourages him not to feel pity for the sinners Dante realizes that the sinners received the punishment they deserved Punishment fits sin Sinner loves his sin they wish they were