Textuality » 3A Interacting
We are going to analyse the epic poem "Beowulf".
What are the categories used by the poet to create the characterization?
They are hierarchy, hometown and reputation.
In the first line we find the word "thane": it means that Beowulf was a royal vassal.
In the second line there is another piece of information: Beowulf's home country was Geatland.
From the third line the narrator starts to tell us Beowulf's character and personality.
There is a superlative expression: "no one else like him alive". It means that he was better than all the other men in the world.
The narrator says that Beowulf was the mightiest man on earth.
In the fifth line there is a relevant term: "high-born". It means that he came from one of the most important families.
The term "powerful" means that Beowulf was a strong leader.
From the sixth line the narrator tells about Beowulf's plan. We can understand that he had a strategic mentality: he was skill in leadership. Beowulf was authoritative because nobody tried to keep him from going.
In the last lines the narrator tells us that Beowulf left with fourteen people. "Captain", "canny", "coast" and "currents" expand the idea of the sea that the crew had to sail.