* Notes
* J. R. R. Tolkien's "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" (1936); read (at least) pp. 245-250.
* Begin work on Tuesday's Journal Assignment as You Read:
1. What basic facts do we know about the background of Beowulf?
2. What is the Beowulf author doing by including a bunch of tales with the larger tale? Are these merely random insertions to meet an ancient Anglo-Saxon CWP word count or to confuse modern high school students, or do they play larger structural or thematic roles relating to the work as a whole? Consider the tales' moral content, their typologies, and the atmosphere they establish.
2. What is the Beowulf author doing by including a bunch of tales with the larger tale? Are these merely random insertions to meet an ancient Anglo-Saxon CWP word count or to confuse modern high school students, or do they play larger structural or thematic roles relating to the work as a whole? Consider the tales' moral content, their typologies, and the atmosphere they establish.
3. What is the Beowulf author saying about the nature of
good and evil? Is evil merely something in the heart of creatures lurking
"out there" in the wild, or is it something more complex than beast
and dragon versus man?
4. Beowulf is full of contrasts. What are some of the
most important ones, and what is the author telling his readers/listeners with
these contrasts?
5. What is the Beowulf author's view of the goodly king? A goodly thane (warrior)? Is there a difference between the two? What is it?
6. How is Beowulf a tale that attests to a world in religious transition (from pagan to Christian), and what might the author be saying about it?
7. Beowulf addresses the subject
of peace in a culture characterized by war. Address the various attempts
at establishing peace and also take a stab at the author's view of
whether or not this peace is ever attainable.
8. Where do we see the seeds of English chivalry sown and sprouting through this Anglo-Saxon take on a Geatish legend?
9. What is the Beowulf author doing with all his biblical allusions? Which ones do you remember or see? Why do you think he includes them? What do they add to the tale?
10. What does Tolkien say is the problem with literary criticism of Beowulf up to his own day?
HW: Finish Reading Beowulf
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