6V Literature - Beowulf

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

HWAET

HWAET

Beowulf

• Introduction to Old English literature
  
• Beowulf opening lines and extract
  
• Assignments
  

Old English Literature

Characteristics Old English Literature

• Oral tradition
• Importance of scop or minstrel
• Poetry
• No end-rhyme or fixed rythm; alliteration

Beowulf

• example of an epic poem
  
• characteristically Germanic in content and outlook:
•       courage in battle
•       obedience to the king and other (war) leaders
  
•       belief in magic and in dangerous demons
  
• probably composed in 8th century (in England)
  
• original story much older (Scandinavia)
  
• earliest manuscript: c. 1000 (by anonymous monk)
  

The Beowulf Manuscript - first page

(now at the British Library in London)

Beowulf opening lines

Go to Survey p. 6

How should this be pronounced???

Which words remind you of Dutch?

Assign. 1: What attracts a modern audience to this old story?

Assignments

Do assignment 1, 2, 3

> work together!

Original text

0

What is your favourite line of the poem?
Write down the (part of the) sentence

Next literature lesson

What happened after 1066?

Middle English

Introduction to Chaucer by Eva & Charlotte

Bring your reader & workbook, survey and notebook!