英语专业英国文学史课件Chapter One Beowulf.pptVIP

Chapter One: The Anglo-Saxon Period Beowulf Historical Background Celts: 400-300 B.C Roman Empire: 55 B.C-407 A.D Julius Caesar Angles, Saxons and Jutes (ancestors): 450 A.D King Arthur: Celtic King, Camelot, Knights of the Round Table King Edgar: (ca. 94-975) England was united. Danes: in 11th for 23 years Norman Conquest England: From Heathen mythology to Christian religion The Story of Beowulf The main protagonist, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills both Grendel and Grendels mother, the latter with a magical sword. Later in his life, Beowulf is himself king of the Geats, and finds his realm terrorized by a dragon whose treasure had been stolen from his hoard in a burial mound. He attacks the dragon with the help of his thegns, but they do not succeed. Beowulf decides to follow the dragon into its lair, at Earnan?s, but only his young Swedish relative Wiglaf dares join him. Beowulf finally slays the dragon, but is mortally wounded. He is buried in a tumulus by the sea. Beowulf The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. It is a Denmark story which used alliteration, metaphors and understatements. 3183 lines, Wessex dialect A mixture of paganism and Christian elements Technical Structure of Beowulf Caesura: cutting or pause in a line of poetry. Alliteration: the repetition of the same sound or sounds at the beginning of two or more words that are next to or close to each other. Kenning: a metaphor usually composed of two words, which becomes the formula for a special object. Repetition and Variation: The same idea is expressed more than once by the use of different words which are more or less synonyms. Eager to be away, he ailed for his darkness and the company of devils; the dealing he had there were like nothing he had come across in his lifetime. The