Textuality » 3A Interacting
BEOWULF
Analysis of the first stanza ( 1-16 )
Beowulf is a long epic poem probably composed sometime during the 7th century, written in Old English. It was later translated into a contemporary rendering by Seamus Heaney in 2000.
The title refers to the name of the best hero in the world, Beowulf.
The poem recounts the deeds and legends of Germanic tribes who lived in the Baltic area. It is set in a part of history where in Denmark glorious kings ruled. The reign of these kings was famous and rich. The epic poem speaks about Beowulf a very important hero, the mightiest man on earth. One day Beowulf is called to help Hrothgar, king of the Danes, to defeat his land from Grendel, a monster in human shape, that has taken over the hall of Herot. Those revegeins have been gone for 12 years and have been compromised the peace of the country.
The poet puts the hero in the forefront while the ordinary people remain in the background and he doesn't describe the physical aspect of Beowulf but his qualities. The characterization is made up by comparisons, reputation, background information, behaviour and social relationship. The narrator uses positive connotations to describe the protagonist and he tell us what people think of him:
-"there was no one else him alive" -line 3. that's a positive connotation and a superlative expression: it was better than the other people.
-"he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful" -line 4/5. He attributes it to Beowulf almost a God - like nature. He came from one of the most important families in the tribe. "powerful" is a climatic tension: the characterization reaches the climax.
-"dear as he was to them" -line 10. Beowulf was helpful and kind with the people
-"his ambition" -line 12. He was ambitious like all heroes.
-"like the leader he was" -line 13. Beowulf had got good skills in leadership.
The categories used by the poet to create the characterization are:
1) Hierarchy. He is a thane, a very important royal vassal.
2) Hometown.
3) Reputation.
4) Solidarity
5) Generosity
6) Strategic mentality
7) Skill in leadership. He is authoritative.
The reader uses pieces of information to create in his mind the idea of a positive character. Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. He is a great warrior and embodies the typical values of Anglo - Saxon culture. A closer analysis shows that in the first section the narrator does not provide a physical description but he relies on reputation (about what other people thinks about him).
The first part of the poem is made by 16 lines. The narrator tells us about the hero. He uses adjectives and superlatives to underline his behaviour and he makes use of comparisons to reinforce his reputation. The reader immediately understands that Beowulf is a leader and he is respected by all people, as we can read. Moreover the narrator tells us about Anglo-Saxon society. In fact he provides information about the social structure where the warrior was very important because their culture was based on war. In that society relationships between people were very important and they were regulated by Anglo - Saxon values like honour, generosity, loyalty, relatives relation, courage.
The use the comparative "elder" (line 10) is important to underline that old people were important in society. If we consider the sound aspect we can notice that lines do not rhyme, but we can also see that there are two alliterations at line 3 and 4.
Very important are the verbs "ordered" and "announced" at lines 5-6. They describes the social status of Beowulf, referring to him as to one endowed with leadership skills.
In the 7th line the narrator uses a kenning to speak about the sea ("the swan's road"). As a matter of fact at line 9 "nobody tried to keep him from going" the narrator underlines his courage and his generosity. He could manage situation that common people couldn't. At line 11 you read "they inspected omens" so you understand that the population was superstitious.
Later at line 13 we have a simile ("like the leader he was"). The narrator chose the central position of the word "leader" to strengthen its meaning: Beowulf had a central position in the society.