Beowulf study questions, English LIterature Year II dzienni

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Beowulf (adapted from the guide by Al Drake)

 

lWhen you read a modern prose narrative--say an ordinary novel--how do you generally expect the author to deal with the series of events that make up his "plot?" How do you suppose he would represent "time," "place," and "character" within the story? In what ways does the technique of Beowulf differ from such conventional handling of time, place, and character? Where would a modern author start when writing a similar story?llWhat sense of the poem's heroic values can you draw from reading the "Prologue?" Who is the implied audience, and what expectations does the Prologue create about the rest of the poem's significance for this audience? What is the audience expected to learn from listening to a tale about Beowulf? llWhat function do the poem's kennings serve? (Kennings are complex noun clusters like "word-hoard," "treasure-giver," "swan's way," etc.) What kind of world outside the poem's action do these kennings assume or create? llWhat seems to be the proper role of a king in this Germanic culture? What does he have to do to keep his people satisfied?  Also, what responsibilities does the "thane" have to his lord or king?llWhat role does the Hall of Heorot play in this culture?llHow is Grendel described? ll“The Lament” is the speech of the last survivor of a nameless tribe, burying their treasures, which are going to be appropriated later by the dragon. What similarities can you notice between this excerpt and other OE elegies?llIn what way is Beowulf’s funeral similar or different from the one described at the beginning of the poem?llA wailing woman predicts the destruction of the Geat nation after Beowulf’s death. Why is the king’s death a possible sign of impeding doom?llWhat role does wealth play in Beowulf's culture? What problems does it cause? llWhat generalizations can you make about the values of a warrior society (i.e. the heroic ideal) based upon your readings from the Old English period? What qualities are most admired? Are there noticeable absences relative to our modern views of "heroism"? How do these ideals differ from our own? l

 

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