1 / 21

I’m Like a Paper Bag, But the Bottom’s Wet

I’m Like a Paper Bag, But the Bottom’s Wet. Feraco Search for Human Potential 30 November 2010. Characters. Aeschere Hrothgar’s most trusted and valuable advisor Beheaded by Grendma (no one is safe); avenged by Beowulf Beow Son of Shield Sheafson

dextra
Download Presentation

I’m Like a Paper Bag, But the Bottom’s Wet

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. I’m Like a Paper Bag, But the Bottom’s Wet Feraco Search for Human Potential 30 November 2010

  2. Characters • Aeschere • Hrothgar’s most trusted and valuable advisor • Beheaded by Grendma (no one is safe); avenged by Beowulf • Beow • Son of Shield Sheafson • Takes over after Shield dies; foreshadows Beowulf’s reluctant inheritance of the Geatish throne (best-case scenario) • Beowulf • Main character; son of Ecgtheow • Slays Grendel, Grendma, and dragon • Courage, divine will, and honor…but everything is never enough • Breca • Competed against Beowulf in a swimming contest • Used by Unferth to question Beowulf’s capabilities

  3. Characters • The Dragon • An ancient evil who guards a lost race’s cursed treasure hoard • Disturbed by a slave’s recklessness; destroys Hygelac’s Great Building; defeated by Beowulf • Eadgils • Son of Ohthere and Onela’s nephew • Oddly, befriends Beowulf while in exile • Eanmund • Son of Oethere; killed by Weohstan, who is awarded his gear by Onela • Ecgtheow • Beowulf’s father; kills Heatholaf, the Wulfing prince, and cannot pay the death-price • Exiled by the Geats, Ecgtheow is rescued by Hrothgar, who pays for Heatholaf and averts war (indebting Ecgtheow in the process)

  4. Characters • Eofor • Hygelac’s thane; he avenges his king’s death by killing Ongentheow • He gets to marry Hygelac’s daughter as a reward; they produce no children • Finn • Long-ago Frisian king; Hildeburh’s husband • Betrayed and killed after reaching a truce with the invading Danes that prevents them from going home (betrayal foreshadow’s Beowulf’s thanes running away) • Freawaru • Hrothgar’s and Wealhtheow’s only daughter; betrothed to Ingeld, the Heathobard prince • Beowulf worries their marriage is doomed, with the ensuing conflict dragging the Shieldings into a war they cannot afford

  5. Characters • Grendel • A descendent of Cain’s clan, and the poem’s main villain; lives with his mother in the burning, haunted mere • Cursed by genetics, not by action; wages “lonely war” on Heorot for twelve years • Impervious to human weapons; Beowulf fights him hand-to-hand and tears him apart • “Grendma” • Along with Grendel, the last in Cain’s cursed line; slain by Beowulf with a giant’s weapon • Attacks Heorot and kills Aeschere after her son’s death • Haethcyn • Hrethel’s second son, and Hygelac’s older brother/predecessor as king • Never meant to be king, but accidentally kills Herebeald with an arrow; thrust into power too soon and is quickly kills, destabilizing Geatland • Halfdane • Beow’s only son and Hrothgar’s father • A good and wise king who has many children before dying

  6. Characters • Halga • Hrothgar’s younger brother; provides him with an heir, Hrothulf, outside the typical line of succession (middle-case scenario re: foreshadowing Beowulf’s ascension) • Heardred • Hygelac’s only son; forced into power when Beowulf rejects the throne after Hygelac’s death • Tutored by Beowulf, but quickly killed by the Swedes (avenging Ongentheow), leaving the former as king (worst-case scenario) • Heatholaf • The Wulfing prince; killed by Ecgtheow • War between the Wulfings and Geats is averted when Hrothgar pays the death-price • Hengest • In olden times, a young Dane who assumes a battlefield kingship once Hnaef is killed in the fight against Finn’s forces • His forces rise up against Finn after a year in exile and head home

  7. Characters • Heorogar • Hrothgar’s older brother; precedes him on the throne following Halfdane’s death, but dies fairly quickly • His war-gear and sword are given to Beowulf rather than to Heoroweard, his son; according to Wikipedia, Heoroweard (who doesn’t merit anything more than a single line as a “loyal” person here) kills Hrothulf in later works because he feels he has a greater claim on the throne • Herebeald • Hrethel’s eldest son and intended heir to the throne • Accidentally killed by Haethcyn before he can take power; the loss eventually kills Hrethel as well • Heremod • An olden Danish king, the opposite of Beowulf and Shield Sheafson • Started fine, but corrupted by power; threw away lives needlessly and hoarded treasure until his subjects betrayed and exiled him • Shield’s arrival and ascension, as well as Beow’s birth, undoes the damage he caused

  8. Characters • Hildeburh • The olden Frisian queen, and a Dane by birth • In the war between the Frisians and Danes, she loses her brother (Hnaef, the Danish king), her son (unnamed, a Frisian prince), and her husband (Finn, the Frisian king); the Danes kidnap her and drag her back to Denmark after murdering her husband (parallels Hygd’s devastating losses) • Hnaef • The olden Danish king; Hildeburh’s brother • Dies while leading an invasion against Finn and the Frisians • Hrethel • A great Geatish king who sits at the head of the poem’s version of the Geat family tree • He had three sons, but Haethcyn kills Herebeald, and Hrethel died of grief soon thereafter • Hrethric • Hrothgar’s eldest son; not ready for the throne • Wealhtheow suggests protecting him and his younger brother by naming Hrothulf as a temporary successor

  9. Characters • Hrothgar • Danish king who assumes the throne at a young age • Wise, kind, and generous; saves the Geats in the Ecgtheow incident (inadvertently tying Beowulf to him) • Provides for his kingdom (two sons and a daughter; distributes treasure; builds Heorot), but relentlessly attacked by Grendel; only saved by divine protection on the throne • Hrothulf • Halga’s son; Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar to use him as a temporary heir, a scaffold until Hrethric or Hrothmund proves ready for the throne • In other works, apparently killed by Heoroweard • Hrothmund • Hrothgar’s youngest son; not ready for the throne • Hygd • Hygelac’s wife, a beautiful, wise, and extremely young Geatish queen (Queen Modthryth’s opposite) • Loses everything; her husband dies, and Beowulf’s refusal to listen to her costs her Heardred as well

  10. Characters • Hygelac • The Geatish king, taking over at a young age following Hrethel’s and Haethcyn’s deaths (shades of Hrothgar’s ascension, and Beowulf’s) • Dies in a war with the Swedes and others • Ingeld • The prince of the Heathobards, an old Danish foe • Set to marry Freawaru, the Danish princess • Modthryth • Hygd’s and Wealhtheow’s opposite; in some ways, Heremod’s parallel • Arbitrary and cruel ruler; mollified by marriage • Ohthere • Son of Ongentheow; father of Eanmund and Eadgils • Poem’s history differs from other portrayals where Ohthere takes the throne for a while

  11. Characters • Onela • Son of Ongentheow; takes over the throne following his father’s death • “Ignores the blood-feud” when Weohstan presents Eanmund’s armor to him • Eventually slain by Beowulf, ending the Swede/Geat wars (for now) • Ongentheow • Swedish (Shylfing) king; killed by Eofor • Shield Sheafson • An orphan from overseas, Shield essentially reunites and restores Denmark, kicking off the Shielding royal line • His funeral parallels Beowulf’s, providing one half of the poem’s bracketed structure • He dies young, still in the prime of his life – but provided for his people with Beow • Sigemund • A figure mentioned in song by the scop; a legendary dragonslayer • Fights the dragon alone and triumphs; foreshadows Beowulf’s future battles

  12. Characters • Unferth • A member of Hrothgar’s circle (not family) who is wise and somewhat respected, but “under a cloud for killing his brothers” • He mocks and challenges Beowulf when he arrives at Heorot out of jealousy, but Beowulf refutes his story and puts him in his place • Unferth isn’t brave enough to fight, but he does gain some small measure of redemption by giving Beowulf his ceremonial sword, Hrunting (which Beowulf eventually returns) • Wealhtheow • Hrothgar’s wife, the Danish queen • Wise and generous, she presents gifts and distributes treasure; serves as an extension of rule • Weohstan • Wiglaf’s father, he killed Eanmund • Tried returning his armor to Onela, who was so impressed that he allowed Weohstan to return with the war-gear • Wiglaf • The last of the Waegmundings, and Beowulf’s only loyal thane • He turns back and goes to fight by Beowulf’s side against the dragon • Avoids the curse on the treasure hoard because his intentions are pure (wants to reassure Beowulf before he dies) • Wulfgar • A Danish retainer who greets Beowulf ritualistically, then introduces him formally to Hrothgar

  13. Settings and Symbols • Boasting • Reputation/Tradition • Opportunity • Burial / Funeral Pyres • The end of things • Burning and Passion • The Coast and the Whale-Road • Borders (keep in, keep out) • Permanence vs. Impermanence • The Dragon / The Hoard • Sin/Wickedness/Recklessness • Inevitability

  14. Settings and Symbols • Grendel’s Mere • Cursed by God (burning water) • The Underworld/Fear • Heorot Hall / Denmark • The things we build • Defending what we love • Ritual and tradition • Hygelac’s Great Building • Burned to the Ground • The Iron Age • Swords (Hrunting/Naegling) • Ritual and Tradition • The Past’s Failure, the Uncertain Future

  15. Concepts and Themes • Courage and Wisdom • Beowulf / Wiglaf / Shield / Weohstan / Wealhtheow • Grendel / Unferth / Modthryth / Haethcyn • Danger • The Danger You Bring Upon Yourself • The Dangers You Cannot Avoid • Degeneration and Death • Everything Ends; Everything Fades • The Great Building; The Old King; The Dragon’s Barrow • Divine Will and Faith • The Throne • The Warrior • The Son • Courage

  16. Concepts and Themes • Fleeing and Exile • Grendel / Grendma / Cain • Heremod • Ecgtheow / Eadgils / Finn and the Danes • Good vs. Evil • Beowulf vs. Grendel/Grendma/Dragon • The Changing Face of Everything • Grief vs. Hope • The Hopeless Shieldings • Salvation from the Sea • The Wailing Geat • Hate and Revenge • Finn / Ongentheow / Ingeld / Beowulf / Aeschere / Grendma • A Thousand Years of War • Geatland Gone

  17. Concepts and Themes • Heirlooms and Marriage • National Ties + Family Ties • Averting Catastrophe, Preserving the Past, Ensuring the Future • Heroism, Honor, and Sacrifice • Beowulf as a Youth vs. Beowulf as a King • Why Would Anybody Want to Be King? • The Thanes, Grendel, and the Olden Danes • The Motivations: Glory, Family, and Everything In Between • Identity and Reputation • How Much Can One Control? • Opportunity Knocks… • Inevitability • Fighting the Dragon • Someone Starts Fighting Again

  18. Concepts and Themes • Lineage and Heritage • Without Family, We Are Nothing • Without a Past, We Have No Future • Cementing Identity • Loyalty and Friendship • Beowulf and Wiglaf / Hrothgar and Aeschere • National Ties • Love is the Source of Hate • Names, Family, and Community • The Only Things One Can Count On • Families Torn Apart

  19. Concepts and Themes • Power • That Which We Seek • That Which Kills Us • Royalty and Subjects • Ring-Givers vs. Hoarders • Hrothgar and Hygelac vs. Heremod and Modthryth • Vulnerability • Beowulf/Sigemund; Beowulf/Grendel/Grendma • The Death of New Kings

  20. History and Translation • One copy, partly toasted • Used as “Rosetta Stone” • People used to ignore the “mythical” elements in favor of its history • J.R.R. Tolkien changed our reading of the poem • “The Monsters and the Critics” • Saw it less as linguistic touchstone and amalgamation of historical references and more as a vibrant legend in its own right • Believe it or not, that used to be all we used this beautiful poem for: history and scansion • Thanks, Tolkien!

  21. Beowulf’s Last Words “Fate swept us away , / sent my whole brave high-born clan / to their final doom. Now I must follow them.” That was the warrior’s last word. / He had no more to confide. (2814-18)

More Related