ENGLISH 9 Q1 WEEK 4
Old English Literature (449-1066):
The Origins of English Culture and Values
In the fifth century A.D., several tribes landed in England.
They were the Angles, Saxons, and the Jutes. Together they are
referred to as Anglo-Saxons. The island got its name from the
Angles –Anglo-land, later shorter to England. The present English
literature is based on the language of the Anglo-Saxons.
The longest and earliest surviving literary piece of Anglo-
Saxon literature is Beowulf. It is based on the ancient traditions
which the Anglo-Saxons brought from their home continent.
Other literary pieces as old as Beowulf were a few riddles, battle
poems, and songs that show the interests of the people or their
melancholy and restless wandering.
Beowulf
Summary
King Hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king
Shield Sheafson, enjoys a prosperous and successful reign. He
builds a great mead-hall, called Heorot, where his warriors can
gather to drink, receive gifts from their lord, and listen to stories
sung by the scops, or bards. But the jubilant noise from Heorot
angers Grendel, a horrible demon who lives in the swamplands of
Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes every night,
killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. The Danes
suffer many years of fear, danger, and death at the hands of
Grendel. Eventually, however, a young Geatish warrior named
Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s plight. Inspired by the challenge,
Beowulf sails to Denmark with a small company of men,
determined to defeat Grendel.
Hrothgar, who had once done a great favor for Beowulf’s
father Ecgtheow, accepts Beowulf’s offer to fight Grendel and
holds a feast in the hero’s honor. During the feast, an envious
Dane named Unferth taunts Beowulf and accuses him of being
unworthy of his reputation. Beowulf responds with a boastful
description of some of his past accomplishments. His confidence
cheers the Danish warriors, and the feast lasts merrily into the
night. At last, however, Grendel arrives. Beowulf fights him
unarmed, proving himself stronger than the demon, who is
terrified. As Grendel struggles to escape, Beowulf tears the
monster’s arm off. Mortally wounded, Grendel slinks back into
the swamp to die. The severed arm is hung high in the mead-hall
as a trophy of victory.
Overjoyed, Hrothgar showers Beowulf with gifts and
treasure at a feast in his honor. Songs are sung in praise of
Beowulf, and the celebration lasts late into the night. But
another threat is approaching. Grendel’s mother, a swamp-hag
who lives in a desolate lake, comes to Heorot seeking revenge for
her son’s death. She murders Aeschere, one of Hrothgar’s most
trusted advisers, before slinking away. To avenge Aeschere’s
death, the company travels to the murky swamp, where Beowulf
dives into the water and fights Grendel’s mother in her
underwater lair. He kills her with a sword forged for a giant, then,
finding Grendel’s corpse, decapitates it and brings the head as a
prize to Hrothgar. The Danish countryside is now purged of its
treacherous monsters.
The Danes are again overjoyed, and Beowulf’s fame spreads
across the kingdom. Beowulf departs after a sorrowful goodbye to
Hrothgar, who has treated him like a son. He returns to
Geatland, where he and his men are reunited with their king and
queen, Hygelac and Hygd, to whom Beowulf recounts his
adventures in Denmark. Beowulf then hands over most of his
treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewards him.
In time, Hygelac is killed in a war against the Shylfings,
and, after Hygelac’s son dies, Beowulf ascends to the throne of
the Geats. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity to
Geatland. When Beowulf is an old man, however, a thief disturbs
a barrow, or mound, where a great dragon lies guarding a horde
of treasure. Enraged, the dragon emerges from the barrow and
begins unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats. Sensing his
own death approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With
the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in killing the beast, but at a heavy
cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom
kills him moments after their encounter. The Geats fear that their
enemies will attack them now that Beowulf is dead. According to
Beowulf’s wishes, they burn their departed king’s body on a huge
funeral pyre and then bury him with a massive treasure in a
barrow overlooking the sea.
For items 1-2, answer in 2-3 sentences only. Write in your
own words.
1. What surprises you in the battle between Grendel and
Beowulf? Why?
2. How does Beowulf finally meet his end? What does this tragic
end say about the role of the hero?
3. Throughout the poem, Beowulf faces a series of enemies. From
Grendel, to his mother, to the evil dragon, each of these
monsters presents the hero with an intense challenge. Imagine
that Beowulf was not killed at the end of the epic and create
another challenge for him to face. Your response can be
presented in paragraph form, a short comic, a picture and
poem or any other mode that you feel adequately conveys the
challenge you have created.
