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Lesson 1 The Land of Monsters Within and Monsters Without

This document provides an introduction and overview of the epic poem Beowulf. It discusses how Beowulf is considered the oldest surviving Germanic epic and follows the heroic acts of the Geatish warrior Beowulf as he battles various monsters. The document outlines the characters of Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel's mother, and King Hrothgar of the Danes. It also previews a lesson on Beowulf that will explore the hero and his battles against the monsters through comprehension questions.

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159 views15 pages

Lesson 1 The Land of Monsters Within and Monsters Without

This document provides an introduction and overview of the epic poem Beowulf. It discusses how Beowulf is considered the oldest surviving Germanic epic and follows the heroic acts of the Geatish warrior Beowulf as he battles various monsters. The document outlines the characters of Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel's mother, and King Hrothgar of the Danes. It also previews a lesson on Beowulf that will explore the hero and his battles against the monsters through comprehension questions.

Uploaded by

scaythereign
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIT I THE ENGLISH

CLASSICAL TRADITION: A JOURNEY


TOWARD THE ROOTS OF HUMAN
CIVILIZATION
LESSON 1 – THE LAND OF MONSTERS WITHIN AND MONSTERS WITHOUT
INTRODUCTION
◦ Welcome aboard the vibrant tour to English literature, where love for reading is your ticket
and passion for learning is your passport! This unit flies you to the earliest British
masterpieces that left remarkable imprints and influences on human civilization. These
include “epic” battles with monsters, tragedies between star-crossed lovers, and grand
conversation with nature and the “divine,” to name some.
◦ What exactly are we going to do?
In this lesson, you will meet a hero long before
Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Iron Man ever existed.
Like these popular superheroes, Beowulf exhibits
extraordinary abilities and virtues every rightful hero
possesses. He also has his fair share of vulnerabilities. But
being the hero he is, Beowulf overcomes his shortcomings
to conquer his life’s biggest monsters.
BEOWULF
EPIC – a long narrative
poem that recounts the heroic
HERO
tales of a legendary or historic
person.
-great people who did great
EPIC POEMS – narrate the things
important events in an epic -in ancient times, a hero was a
hero’s life. Each important descendant of the gods or was
event is connected to other blessed with superhuman
important events that shape powers and abilities
the epic hero’s character.
- a great warrior in the land of the -ancient heroes was either great
Danes and Geats warriors or powerful kings who
CONNECTED EVENTS –
-a Geatish hero who fights the personified courage, integrity,
develop the main message or
monster Grendel and Grendel’s theme of a selection
and nobility especially in the
mother face of adversity.
-Beowulf is the oldest surviving
Germanic epic and the longest Old
English poem
CHARACTERS
The protagonist of the epic,
Beowulf is a Geatish hero
who fights the monster
Grendel, Grendel’s mother,
and a fire-breathing
dragon. Beowulf’s boasts
and encounters reveal him
to be the strongest, ablest
warrior around.
In his youth, he personifies
all of the best values of the
heroic culture. In his old
age, he proves a wise and
effective ruler.
A demon descended from
Cain, Grendel preys on
Hrothgar’s warriors in the
king’s mead-hall, Heorot.
Because his ruthless and
miserable existence is part
of the retribution exacted
by God for Cain’s murder
of Abel, Grendel fits
solidly within the ethos of
vengeance that governs
the world of the poem.
The king of the Danes.
Hrothgar enjoys
military success and
prosperity until Grendel
terrorizes his realm. A
wise and aged ruler,
Hrothgar represents a
different kind of
leadership from that
exhibited by the youthful
warrior Beowulf. He is a
father figure to Beowulf
and a model for the kind
of king that Beowulf
becomes.
An unnamed
swamp-hag,
Grendel’s mother
seems to possess
fewer human
qualities than
Grendel, although
her terrorization of
Heorot is explained
by her desire for
vengeance—a
human motivation.
Wealhtheow

Hrothgar’s
wife, the
gracious queen
of the Danes.
Unferth
A Danish warrior
who is jealous of
Beowulf, Unferth is
unable or unwilling
to fight Grendel,
thus proving himself
inferior to Beowulf.
Wiglaf
A young kinsman and
retainer of Beowulf who
helps him in the fight
against the dragon while
all of the other warriors
run away. Wiglaf adheres
to the heroic code better
than Beowulf’s other
retainers, thereby proving
himself a suitable
successor to Beowulf.
COMPREHENSIVE CHECK
Direction: Pair with your “secret hero or heroine.” answer these questions
together.

1. What is Heorot?

2. Who is Grendel?

3. What does Grendel resent about Hrothgar and his men?

4. What does Grendel do at Heorot?

5. How long did Grendel’s wrath reign?


COMPREHENSIVE CHECK
Direction: Pair with your “secret hero or heroine.” answer these questions
together.

6. Why is Hrothgar’s throne untouched by Grendel?

7. Why does Beowulf come to Heorot?

8. How many men does he bring?

9. Who meets his men at the shore?

10. How does Beowulf convince the man of his heroics?


COMPREHENSIVE CHECK
Direction: Pair with your “secret hero or heroine.” answer these questions
together.

11. Where did Beowulf and Grendel battle?

12. What advantage does Beowulf have in battle?

13. How many men are left by the battle’s end?

14. Where do the monsters live?

15. How will the victor be rewarded if he succeeds?

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