1. BEOWULF700? Introductory Notes British Literature

2. BEOWULF • The story of a great Pagan warrior renowned for his courage, strength, and dignity • It is an epic poem—a long, heroic poem • It is the first known work to be composed in the English language (not English as we know today) • Considered the national epic of England

3. Background on the Epic • Beowulf, a Great from a region that is now southern Sweden, sets sail from his homeland to try to free Danish King Hrothgar’s great banquet hall, Herot, of a monster that has been ravaging it for the last 12 years • This monster, Grendel, is a terrifying swampland creature of enormous size whose eyes “burn with a gruesome light”

4. The struggle between Beowulf, a young adventurer eager for fame and Grendel, a fierce and bloodthirsty foe, is the first of three battles in the long poem • The Battle versus Grendel • The Battle versus Grendel’s mother • 50 years later—the battle against a dragon

5. Beowulf embodies the highest ideals of his time and place: loyalty, valor, unselfishness, and a sense of justice. He represents good while Grendel represents evil • Throughout Beowulf, there is an uneasy blend of Christianity (and Christian ethics) and paganism (and pagan morality) • Against the gloom (which represents the Anglo-Saxon belief of fate), the story applauds the highest virtues of human nature: courage, generosity, and faithfulness

6. The author is unknown, versions were probably recited as early as the sixth century • The text we have today was composed in the eighth century, and was not written down until the eleventh • VALUES: dignity, bravery, prowess in battle