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ENGLISH STUDY GUIDE
ANNOTATIONS
Simile : ​comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by ​like​ or ​as
Metaphor: ​ a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place

of another to suggest a likeness or ​analogy​ between them

Allusion: ​an ​implied​ or indirect reference especially in literature
...
” This refers to the story
of Pinocchio, where his nose grew whenever he told a lie
...


Personification: ​a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human

attributes
...

Tone
Theme
Setting
Mood
Conflict

Diction:​ style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a

writer
...


Alliteration: two or more words in a phrase or line of ​poetry​ share the same beginning
sound
...

What is a scop?
A poet or storyteller

BEWOULF
Character list:

Beowulf​ - The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the
monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon
...
In his youth, he
personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture
...


King Hrothgar​ - The king of the Danes
...
A wise and aged ruler, Hrothgar represents
a different kind of leadership from that exhibited by the youthful warrior Beowulf
...


Grendel​ - A demon descended from Cain, Grendel preys on Hrothgar’s warriors in the
king’s mead-hall, Heorot
...


Grendel’s mother​ - An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems to possess
fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her terrorization of Heorot is explained by
her desire for vengeance—a human motivation
...
Beowulf’s fight with the dragon constitutes the third and final part of the
epic
...
The poem
opens with a brief account of his rise from orphan to warrior-king, concluding, “That was
one good king” (11)
...
The poem
opens with a brief account of his rise from orphan to warrior-king, concluding, “That was
one good king” (11)
...
Hrothulf’s treachery contrasts with Beowulf’s loyalty to
Hygelac in helping his son to the throne
...
Hygelac heartily
welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark
...
Wiglaf adheres to the heroic code
better than Beowulf’s other retainers, thereby proving himself a suitable successor to
Beowulf
...
Unferth
alludes to the story of their contest, and Beowulf then relates it in detail
...
While Beowulf seems to
be a fictional character, some others including ​King Hygelac​ (Lord of the Geats) are
historical
...


What is paganism?
-

It's simply an umbrella term covering many different religions and belief systems
...


-

Paganism has absolutely nothing to do with Satan, demons, or devils
...


-

Pagans do not believe in the entity Satan, a Christian concept
...


How is paganism portrayed in Beowulf?
Because of its complicated origin, ​Beowulf​ has elements of both pagan Germanic
culture and Christianity
...
But the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf was written in
the 11th century by Christian scribes, who either inserted the Christian overtones to the
story, or were working from a manuscript set down by previous Christians who added
the Christian elements
...
This results in some strange inconsistencies
...
In addition, the pagan concept of fate becomes rather hopelessly
confused with God's will, so that sometimes ​Beowulf​ (and the narrator) seems to believe
he can affect fate through his courage, while at others either Beowulf or the narrator
attributes his success solely to God's favor
...
As a result, the
Beowulf​ poet is at pains to resolve his Christian beliefs with the often quite un-Christian
behavior of his characters
...
In the end,
however, the conflict proves simply irresolvable
...
Though some
of Beowulf’s values—such as his dedication to his people and his willingness to dole out
treasure—conceivably overlap with Christian values, he ultimately lives for the
preservation of earthly glory after death, not for entrance into heaven
...


What is the role of women in the heroic culture of ​Beowulf​?
Beowulf is an epic tale written over twelve hundred years ago
...
The women in Beowulf are portrayed as strong individuals, each
of whom has a specific role within the poem
...
The woman's role of the
time period, author's attitude, and societal expectations for women are evidenced
throughout the poem
...
Wealhtheow portrays
the role of a traditional Anglo-Saxon woman at the time
...
The author writes, "Then Wealhtheow came forth / folk-queen of the
Danes daughter of Helmingas / and Hrothgar's bedmate
...

612-6)
...
621-2)
...
623-5)
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It becomes something worth fighting and
dying for
...
When a

dying Beowulf lies bleeding and torn after the fight with the dragon, he asks Wiglaf to
fetch some dragon gold so he can die looking at it
...
Much of this epic poem is dedicated to conveying and exemplifying the
heroic code which values such attributes as strength, courage and honor
...
Over the course of the poem, Beowulf
matures from a gallant warrior into a wise leader
...

In Germanic societies, such as the one in which Beowulf takes place, there were
heroic codes which defined how a noble person should act
...
The
heroic code was of great importance in warrior societies
...
" He goes on to say that upon
these codes "the whole motivation of the poem depends" and that "tribal law and
custom [were] the rocks against which the lives of men and women [were] shattered"
...

Consequently all individual actions can be seen only as either complying with or going
against the code
...
The poem contains several stories in which
characters experience divided loyalties, in these situations, the code gives no realistic
guidance as to how they are supposed to act or react
...
When war breaks out between the

Danes and the Frisians, Hildeburh experiences losses on both sides
...

Another, perhaps greater, tension within the poem is the one between the heroic
code and Christianity
...

Also, warrior tradition states that it is always better to get revenge than to grieve
...


What relationship do you see between the Pagan and Christian belief systems in
the poem?
"It is better for a man to avenge his friend than much mourn" ​(45)​
...
" It is hard
to ignore the Christian and pagan elements of Beowulf
...
The reader is introduced to Grendel's mother through her
lineage
...
From this quotation alone
we can see the fusion of Christian and pagan elements
...

Beowulf himself is defined in terms of wyrd
...
The Christian God has given
man free will; therefore what will happen to man is not controlled by fate, but it is
controlled by God
...

Once we discover why the two have been combined, then we may see how they work to
induce Grendel's mother to take revenge on her son's death, and how they work to
persuade Beowulf to take vengeance for Aeschere's death
...
It was "a period in which the virtues of the heathen 'Heroic Age'
were tempered by the gentleness of the new belief; an age warlike, yet Christian
...
The poem is "a
Christian perception of the insane futility of the primitive Germanic thirst for vengeance;
and the facts that Beowulf's chief adversaries are not men but monsters and that
...
It was also a period in which people such
as "Hrothgar and his Danes
...

Yet it is the the Christian and pagan version of comitatus that lead Beowulf to
avenge Aushere's death
...
But because of the time that poet makes Grendel into a Christian
character
...

Grendel represents something evil
...

Ragnorok is the end of the world and when all good warriors must fight for their god
...
The good warrior, "the great-hearted kinsman of
Hygelac had him by the hand" (37)
...
In
other words, evil still lives
...
Beowulf himself says, "each of us must await his
end of the world's life" (45)
...


Is Beowulf an ideal hero and king?
Goodness, loyalty, courteousness, evenness, and bravery all describe the traits an ideal
hero would possess
...


Throughout the poem Beowulf slays monstrous creatures that seem not of the real world and, in
truth, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of the ideal and perfect hero
...
Beowulf
hears of this and decides to aid King Hrothgar
...
Beowulf fights Grendel without armor and finishes him by ripping his arm
off
...
Beowulf
then slays Grendel’s mother and prevails
...
Then a fire-breathing dragon emerges from the ground, and
Beowulf does what needs to be done
...


One could surely tell from the summary above that Beowulf is indeed a strong,
courageous and loyal human being, which is why he is indeed an ideal hero
...

Beowulf is not called, begged, or summoned to aid Hrothgar; instead, he makes the heroic choice
to help the king of Denmark rid his country from a terrible demon
...


Though one could guess that Beowulf had help from his 14 men and strong shield, sword,
and armor in defeating Grendel, but that would be the most inconsistent accusation
...
It
is only a true and ideal hero who would fight a demon creature such as Grendel without any sort
of armor
...


Beowulf:
-

Glorified

-

On a Quest

-

Ethical

-

Strong

-

Confident

-

Brave

-

Fearless(of death)

-

Beowulf, to all that knew him, was considered a hero
...
Not only
was he a great hero, but he was also the a great ruler of Geats for 50
years
...
Its pretty
safe to say that he was after recognition vs riches
...
The battle with Grendel was the first
...
It was just another day, being protected by God and partaking
in heroic acts
...
In
Beowulf, Grendel was portrayed as “insensible to pain and human
sorrows, “or incompetent of any mental feeling
...


-

To many, Grendel is seen as monster because of his appearance and his
isolation
...
He is
lonely, he's seems to be jealous of the humans, and l think he longs for
acceptance
...


Christianity:

Christianity is apparent in both Beowulf and Grendel
...

He thinks the sky ignores him, which leads him to believe that god ignores him
...
Through the story Beowulf
acknowledges God as his protector, but there is also a strong sense of heroic pride
within Beowulf which is at times in direct conflict with some Christian values

How is Grendel related to the Bible?
According to the Bible, all of Cain’s decedents were punished by God because of Cain’s
sin, so Grendel's life was destined to be troublesome
...
Second, he was raised to be wicked and
mean, and never had the chance to become good
...
He also does not know how his actions affect
other people
...
This relationship was one of the reasons why Beowulf went to help them
to fight off Grendel
...
Beowulf
eventually became ruler of the Geats due to his heroic acts and strong leadership
qualities
...
Loyalty
At every step of his career, loyalty is Beowulf's guiding virtue
...
Certainly he is interested
in increasing his reputation and gaining honor and payment for his own king back in
Geatland
...
The young Geat is devoted to the old king because Hrothgar came to
the assistance of Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, years before
...
When the tribe sought vengeance,
Hrothgar, then a young king, sheltered Beowulf's father and settled the feud by paying
tribute ​(wergild)​ in the form of "fine old treasures" (472) to Ecgtheow’s enemies
...
The tie between the families goes back
many years, and Beowulf is proud to be able to lend his loyal services to Hrothgar
...
After Hygelac
is killed in an ill-advised raid on Frisia, Beowulf makes a heroic escape (2359 ff
...
Beowulf could become king then but is more loyal than ambitious
...
After Heardred is killed, Beowulf does become king and rules with honor and
fidelity to his office and his people for 50 years
...

Preparing for his last battle, with the fiery dragon, Beowulf puts his trust in 11 of his
finest men, retainers who have vowed to fight to the death for him
...
When it is apparent that Beowulf is losing the battle to the dragon,
however, all but one of his men run and hide in the woods
...
Wiglaf calls to
the others in vain
...
For
Beowulf, sadly, it is the end
...
As he
dies, Beowulf passes the kingdom on to the brave and loyal Wiglaf
...
Reputation
From the beginning, Beowulf is rightly concerned about how the rest of the world will
see him
...
When a drunken Unferth verbally assaults Beowulf at the
first banquet, at issue is the hero's reputation
...
Reputation is also the
single quality that endures after death, his one key to immortality
...

He has and continues to amass treasures; his intent now is in building his fame
...
If Beowulf can't win a match like that, Unferth
asserts, he surely can't defeat Grendel
...


He points out that he swam with Breca for ​five​ nights, not wanting to abandon the
weaker boy
...
His reputation intact, Beowulf prepares to
meet Grendel and further enhance his fame
...
) leading to the
great man's fine reputation
...
Although aggressive in war, Beowulf
has "no savage mind" (2180) and never kills his comrades when drinking, an important
quality in the heroic world of the mead-hall
...

As he prepares to meet the dragon, near the end of the poem, now King Beowulf again
considers his reputation
...
Hrothgar's Sermon warned Beowulf of the
dangers of pride, and some critics have accused the great warrior of excessive pride
(hubris)​ in the defense of his reputation
...
The
final words of the poem, stating that Beowulf was "most eager for fame' (3182), might
be best understood by a modern audience by remembering that, in Beowulf's world,
fame is synonymous with reputation
...
Its status as a
symbolic object is renewed when we learn that Hygelac died in battle wearing it,
furthering the ideas of kinship and continuity
...
The preparation involves the rebuilding of the
damaged mead-hall, which, in conjunction with the banquet itself, symbolizes the rebirth
of the community
...


GRENDEL

Character list:
Grendel​ - The protagonist and narrator of the novel
...
​ In ​Grendel,​he is a lonely creature who seeks an understanding of the
seemingly meaningless world around him
...


Hrothgar​ - King of the Danes
...
In ​Beowulf,​Hrothgar is an exemplary
model of kingship, but in ​Grendel​ he is more flawed and human
...

The Shaper ​ - A harpist and storyteller in Hrothgar’s court
...
The Shaper represents the power of
art and imagination to create meaning in a meaningless world
...
The
dragon provides a vision of the world as essentially meaningless and empty
...
Some critics hold that the dragon
is not actually a separate character, but rather a personified aspect of Grendel’s own
mind
...


Beowulf ​ - A Geatish hero who comes across the sea to rid the Scyldings of Grendel
...
In the climactic battle with Grendel, Beowulf appears to sprout wings and
speak fire, prompting comparisons to the dragon
...
Grendel’s mother lives with Grendel in a cave in a vast underground realm
...
She has either
forgotten or never knew how to speak, though at times her gibberish approaches
coherent language
...
Unferth believes
wholeheartedly in the heroic ideals of his warrior culture
...

Wealhtheow ​ - Hrothgar’s wife and queen of the Danes
...

Hrothulf​ - Hrothgar’s orphaned nephew
...
In ​Grendel,​ Hrothulf is a young man who forms ideas of revolution
after seeing the aristocratic thanes subjugate the Danish peasants
...
A crotchety old man, Red Horse believes
that all governments are inherently evil and that revolution does nothing but replace one
corrupt system with another
...
Ork is a theologian—one who studies the theories
behind religion
...


Ork is one of only a few priests in the novel for whom religion is more than an empty
show
...
The fourth priest has a vision of the universe to which Beowulf
alludes in his battle with Grendel
...
The ram stands stupidly
at the edge of a cliff and will not budge despite Grendel’s repeated protests
...

The encounter with the bull is a formative event in Grendel’s philosophical development
...

Grendel tries to bludgeon the goat to death with stones, but it continues to climb
...
In Scyld
Shefing’s honor, the Danes are sometimes referred to as the Scyldings
...
Hrothgar plans to marry Freawaru off to
Ingeld in order to avoid a war with the Heathobards
...

Hygmod​ - King of the Helmings and Wealtheow’s brother
...


Why is Grendel attracted to the words of the Shaper? Why is he attracted to the words
of the dragon?

The dragon and the Shaper represent two opposing elements of Grendel’s personality
...
Though the dragon has, by
virtue of his incredible power, a rare insight into the true nature of the world, the basic
premise he relays to Grendel is inarguable and understandable even to a “creature of
the Dark Ages” such as Grendel
...
This assertion supports the vague feelings of futility and helplessness that Grendel
has already been experiencing
...

Despite the dragon’s teachings, Grendel cannot shake the feeling that something
meaningful will come of all his questioning and seemingly pointless suffering
...
The Shaper, on the other hand, feeds these emotional, spiritual
yearnings
...
This concept of a highly ordered, morally coherent world is incredibly seductive
to Grendel, because believing in such a world would help alleviate his feelings of
isolation and emptiness
...
Grendel has seen enough of the Danes’ true history to realize that the Shaper’s
moral systems are specious
...


Theme
1
...
His ​mother​ cannot communicate with
him, and the various animals he addresses cannot respond
...
When he finally encounters humans, he tries to
communicate with them, but they misunderstand him and brand him as a terrifying
monster
...
But the dragon is condescending and dismissive of Grendel
...
By leaving Unferth alive and by never killing all of the Danes,
Grendel plays a kind of game with his rivals that leaves him someone to interact
with
...
His violent outbursts and antagonistic
relationship with humans can be seen as the result of a lonely creature’s misunderstood
attempts to reach out and communicate with someone else
...
”

2
...
Grendel speaks to nature and at times wonders if there is
some kind of spirit in nature (as the Danes believe), but ultimately concludes that the
world is made up of a series of mindless, mechanical processes
...
Having been around for much longer than the Danes,
Grendel is able to laugh at their narrative of history and understanding of the world
...
From the dragon’s grand perspective, the world is simply “a swirl in
the stream of time,” and “a temporary gathering of bits
...
Regardless of whether one agrees
with the ideas of the dragon, the novel ultimately suggests that one’s understanding of
nature is greatly dependent on one’s perspective in time
...

Quote: “Why can’t I have someone to talk to?” I said
...


Motifs

-

The seasons:​ Novel begins in the spring and ends in the winter of the following
year; spring symbolizes new beginnings, while winter symbolizes aging and
death
The zodiac​: Another yearlong cycle—the novel is divided into twelve chapters
and each is linked to a different zodiac sign
Machinery​: Mechanical actions and references to machinery abound and serve
to highlight Grendel’s frustration with what he sees as pointless, mindless
adherence to set patterns of behavior
The number 12​: Considered a “perfect number,” 12 refers to the signs of the
zodiac, the months in a year, the sons of Israel, the apostles, and many more

Symbols

-

The bull​: acts in an unthinking, mechanical way, much like the world, which
Grendel sees as acting in a brute, unfeeling manner

-

The corpse:​ the body of a dead Dane proves to Grendel that the divide between
animals and man is not clear-cut; humans are capable of cruelty and violence

-

Hart (Herot):​ great political power and persistence

-

Fish: Christ figure

Astrological signs & philosophies

Chapter One:
Aries: ram, the beginning of a new cycle;
Orphisim: body is the prison of the soul, belief in reincarnation

Chapter Two:
Taurus: encounter with the bull;
Solipsism: there are no thoughts, experiences, emotions other than one’s own

Chapter Three:
Gemini: sign of the twins; Sophism: teaching anything for a price, not virtue;
emphasizes perversion of truth

Chapter Four:
Cancer: crab, the nourisher, shows growth of religion;
Christianity/Old Testament: basic values of good vs
...
New Testament: Grendel’s beliefs vs
...
”
Chapter Twelve: Faith
Pisces: fish (end of astrological cycle)
Empiricism: origin of all knowledge is in sense experience



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