Textuality » 3A Interacting

LFioretti - Beowulf's Epic Poem
by LFioretti - (2009-03-03)
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Analysing Beowulf's epic poem the reader can understand that in the Anglo-Saxon society people had different relevance according to their generosity, courage, work and age.

The first word that appears in the text and makes me understand what  Anglo-Saxon society was like is thane. The word means that a man is a royal vassal of some importance and it is an Old English name, so there was a hierarchy subdivision of  people.

If there were a thane there was a king too who ruled his people.

Another word that confirms the previous line is warrior: warriors had a relevant role in Anglo-Saxon society because they had to fight to defend their people for example their wives, children, old men and their honour.

Reading the text the reader can also understand that Anglo-Saxons were sea-men, so they were also fishermen and sailing men.