Painting with Words – Beowulf
The dragon began to belch out flames and burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow that scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger would leave nothing alive in his wake. Everywhere the havoc he...
Category: Europe, Middle English, 8th – 10th, century, Beowulf poet, Beowulf
Beowulf – A Student Guide
After reading Beowulf and your teacher’s instruction, discuss the following ideas with your teacher. Choose #1, #2, #3, or #5 and write a short essay (one to two pages) for your teacher. 1. Beowulf...
Teacher’s Guide to Beowulf
To prepare the student: Epics are “culture bearers.” From Meyer Reinhold, “Greek and Roman Classics,” 1971, New York: An epic is derived from the Greek Word “epos” meaning word, saying, speech. It distinguishes recited...
Important Middle English words in Beowulf
sc,op = poet Hwaet! = lo, pay attention gar = spear wyrd = fate King = ring giver queen = peace weaver waxed = grew waned = dropped off Heorot = heart, deer
Beowulf’s Themes
Prepare to discuss the following themes with the students: Life is short and hard, death will come to you. The whole story lies between Shield’s funeral and Beowulf’s funeral. In warrier culture, fame was immortality....
Beowulf’s lesson
Despite the brutality and chaos of the medieval heroic age in Europe, there were values present in those societies that stood out, nonetheless, as bright and clean and pure – heroism, loyalty to family...
Beowulf’s characters
Wiglaf He is more insightful than Beowulf. He understood what it meant to lose Beowulf, for the society as a whole. Wiglaf has energy and strength, and he has honor, and loves his king. He...
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