Beowulf | Study Guide

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Course Hero. "Beowulf Study Guide." Course Hero. 25 Aug. 2016. Web. 18 July 2018. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Beowulf/>.

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Course Hero. (2016, August 25). Beowulf Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved July 18, 2018, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Beowulf/

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Course Hero. "Beowulf Study Guide." August 25, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Beowulf/.

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Course Hero, "Beowulf Study Guide," August 25, 2016, accessed July 18, 2018, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Beowulf/.

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Beowulf. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

Though the poem celebrates victory, no hero can fend off death and defeat forever. every one of us, living in this world / Means waiting for our end. Let whoever can Win glory before death. or Lines 1386–1388 Death and Defeat Allegiance to tribe and leader shape characters' actions, driving plot and relationships. Loyalty The great mead hall Heorot symbolizes the importance of hospitality in Beowulf's culture and era. Hospitality Themes The Geats Wealhtheow Grendel Grendel’sMother Dragon Wiglaf Loyal Warriorto Beowulf Beowulf Prince of the Geats Hygelac King of the Geats Queen of the Danes Hrothgar King of the Danes Main Characters The Danes The Monsters A central work of Old English literature, the poem follows Beowulf’s defeat of three monsters. Overview Grendel attacks Beowulf and his men at night in Heorot Hall, grappling with the hero until Beowulf mortally wounds him by wrenching off a claw. After Grendel’s enraged mother murders a Dane, Beowulf tracks her to their pool and dives in. A magic sword appears to help him pierce her thick hide. 50 years later, a dragon attacks Geatland. Beowulf tracks it to its barrow, and though a loyal warrior helps him triumph, he is mortally wounded. Heorot, the great mead hall Grendel 1 Grendel’s “mere” (pool or lake) Grendel’s Mother 2 Dragon 3 Geatland, the dragon’s barrow John Mitchell KembleFirst complete English translation 1837 Francis Barton GummereRetains alliteration of the original 1910 Michael AlexanderModern verse translation published by Penguin Classics 1973 Seamus HeaneyMost popular modern translation 2000 J.R.R. TolkienTranslation and commentary (completed in 1926) 2014 Popular Translations ofBeowulf A pillar of today's fantasy genre, Beowulf has shaped many of the most popular books, movies, and TV shows of the last century. Beowulf andFantasy Pop Culture INFLUENCE 1933 King Kong 1937 The Hobbit 1954 Godzilla 1957 How the GrinchStole Christmas 1958 The Ring-Givers 1971 Grendel 1981 Grendel, Grendel, Grendel 1997 Harry Potter 2003 Eragon 1997 Buffy theVampire Slayer 2001 Shrek 1996 A Song of Fire & Ice: A Game of Thrones Man vs. Beast Monster Outcast DirectReference Dragons 2007 Beowulf 1976 Eaters ofthe Dead 1995 Star Trek 2000 Xena Beowulf ~700–750 Unknown c. 700-750 Old English Epic Poem Author Years Composed Original Language Beowulf Adventure
Overview Context

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