Thursday, November 20 (B)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Thursday, November 20 (B)"

Dwight Roland Jenkins
6 years ago
Views:

1 Name: Pre-AP English I Literature: Epic Unit Beowulf In-Class Reading Schedule *These are the dates will we read in class. Grendel Homework Reading Schedule *These are the dates the reading is DUE. 11/5 (A) and 11/6 (B): lines /5 (A) and 11/6 (B): Begin reading, nothing due 11/7 (B) and 11/10 (A): lines , /7 (B) and 11/10 (A): Chapters /12 (A) and 11/13 (B): MOY Benchmark. 11/12 (A) and 11/13 (B): Chapters 3-6 Homework: lines /14 (B) and 11/17 (A): lines , , 11/14 (B) and 11/17 (A): Chapters , (end) 11/18 (B) and 11/19 (A): Beowulf Final Discussions/Activities 11/18 (B) and 11/19 (A): Chapters /20 (B) and 11/21 (A): N/A 11/20 (B) and 11/24 (A): Grendel Graded Discussion EPIC PROJECTS DUE: Wednesday, November 19 (A) Thursday, November 20 (B) *Note: If you are completing a project about Grendel, you should read ahead of schedule. Be discreet in revealing the plot should you read ahead of your classmates so as not to ruin the reading experience for them. 1

2 2

3 Beowulf, lines Read each quotation below, which reflects an idea related to Anglo-Saxon culture. Determine which cultural idea below best represents the idea presented in the quotation and write that word below it. This will help familiarize you with these ideas as they occur in Beowulf. wergild ( man-price ) wyrd ( fate ) Christianity fame/reputation/glory (FRG) comitatus warrior code ancestry Paganism 1. Behaviour that s admired/ is the path to power among people everywhere (l 4-5). 2. The fortunes of war favoured Hrothgar (l 64) a great mead-hall/ meant to be a wonder of the world forever (l 69-70). 4. Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed offerings to idles (l ). 5. There was no one else like him alive./ In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth,/ high-born and powerful (l ) he knows your ancestry;/ also that he welcomes you here to Heorot (l ). 7. The hero arose, surrounded closely/ by his powerful thanes (l ) to heighten Hygelac s fame/ and gladden his heart,/ hand to hand/ is how it will be (l ). 9. Fate goes ever as fate must (l 455). 10. Finally, I healed the feud by paying:/ I shipped a treasure trove to the Wulfings/ and Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance (l ). 11. There s nothing you wish for/ that won t be yours if you win through alive (l ). 12. The truth is clear:/ Almighty God rules over mankind/ and always has (l ). 13. Time and time again,/ Beowulf s warriors worked to defend/ their lord s life (l ). 14. The Geat captain/ had boldly fulfilled his boast to the Danes (l ). 15. Meanwhile a carrier of tales,/ a traditional singer deeply schooled/ in the lore of the past, linked a new theme/ to a strict metre ( ). 3

4 Kennings, as seen in Part I of Beowulf A kenning is a literary device in which a poetic phrase substitutes for a noun. In the best kennings, one element of the phrase will create a striking, unexpected comparison. Often used in Anglo-Saxon poetry and especially in Beowulf, a kenning provides powerful imagery that would help the audience focus on the words of the scop or poet telling the story. A kenning also allows the scop some variety, so words don t become overused. Finally, Anglo-Saxon poetry depended heavily on alliteration, and some kennings provided additional alliteration. Here are examples: sky-candle (the sun) swan-road (the sea) stout-hearted (brave) battle sweat (blood) light-of-battle (sword) helmet bearers (warriors) giver of gold (king) earth-hall (burial mound) dwelling place (home) When we translate these kennings from Anglo-Saxon, they lose some of their poetic quality. Part I: Can you think of some modern day examples of kennings? Part II: The following are just some of the kennings we already read in Part I of Beowulf. Match the kenning to the character or object it represents from the word bank. Some answers will be used more than once. Hrothgar Beowulf Grendel weaponry mead-hall sea throne sky armor whale-road terror-monger Heaven s dome death shadow the Geat captain war-board treasure-seat ring-giver treasure-giver Halfdane s son blacksmith s work battle-dress Hygelac s thane Hrothgar s dwelling smith s masterpiece corpsemaker Part II: Create a kenning for yourself! and a friend! 4

5 Beowulf, lines , Focused Reading: Elements of the Epic Poem Directions: As you read, look out for the following elements of epics and of Anglo-Saxon culture. Take notes by paraphrasing relevant parts of the text and including line numbers. Kennings, Patronymics, Epithets Alliteration Caesuras Comitatus (bond of loyalty between king and warrior) Heroic Code/Ideals Feasting Culture, including Orations Wyrd (fate) Fame/Glory Cataloguing Revenge (including Wergild) Description of Monstrous Forces Connections to Other Epics 5

6 In groups, read aloud lines Beowulf, lines For each of the following sections, pick out one quotation as a group that you feel is most important. This will require your group to pause after each discussion to discuss what you have read. Write down the line numbers and quotation, and be prepared to share its significance with the class. Sections lines lines lines lines

7 7

Introduction to Beowulf

Introduction to Beowulf Beowulf is one of the earliest poems written in any form of English. Actually, this writer should be called an editor because the poem had a long oral tradition and finally came