ENG 4339 Lecture 8: old-english
Document Summary
Written down around 1000, don"t know when it was originally composed or where. Seamus heaney published his translation in 1999. The spear- danes in days gone by/ and the kings who ruled. The good king: successful in battle, subdue other tribes. Heroic maxims: a young prince must be prudent like that giving freely. Funerals: pagan burials from a christian perspective, end with a funeral. Heorot: sense of doom, destroyed by feud. Monstrous lineage: lived among the banished monsters: christian outlook, descendant of cain. Angered by good parts of heroic society. Allegory (metaphor/symbol) for what we do to ourselves. Beowulf enters the war against monsters of his own free will. Words and deeds are extremely important (words must match deeds!) Tool used to show beowulf"s strength and bravery. Difference between the hero and the king. Sword records the fight between the gods and giants. Hrothgar warns beowulf not to get too cocky because we all die in the end.
