Textuality » 3A Interacting
The epic poem Beowulf was composed during the 7th century. It recounts the deeds and legends of Germanic tribes, the Geats and Danes, who lived in the Baltic area, from where the Anglo-Saxon sailed to invade Britain.
In this text we are going to analyze the first stanza of the poem where it is introduced the protagonist of the poem: Beowulf. We focalize the attention on the structure of the stanza.
In the 16 lines Beowulf is described with some appellative and with an extremely positive connotation:
»"there was no one else him alive" -line 3. He was not like the other man.
»"he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful" -line 4/5. He had divine nature.
»"dear as he was to them" -line 10. He was a good man with the people.
»"his ambition" -line 12.
»"like the leader he was" -line 13. People trust in Beowulf.
»“canny pilot”. He was a clever navigator. Anglo-Saxons were a good seaman.
The reader creates in his mind the image of a courageous and positive hero. There are a lot of verbs, conveying the idea of an intensive work: Beowulf orders, announces, leads. Beowulf gives orders to the other people, and nobody denies, neither his older brother, that in a hierarchical society has the highest power: Beowulf is considered the best.
He conveys the typical values of Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf’s characterization does not resort to physical appearances, but it refers to Beowulf’s reputation and skills. The narrator used adjectives, similes and metaphors to describe him directly; he used people’s opinions, in particular his relatives, to describe him indirectly. He in this 16 lines is introduced the mission of Beowulf he would like to sail the swan’s road to defeat Grendel. The swan’s road is a kenning and it is use to aid the scops when they told a poem without stopping. The stanza tells the preparation of the journey and the launch.
We can find out to the poem more information about the Anglo-Saxon’s society.
It was firmly based upon rank, it underlines by the key words prince, vassal(thane in Old English) and king. In the Anglo–Saxon society were used to inspected omens before making something. The Anglo-Saxons were superstitious. The use of the comparative “elder” underlines that the old men had an important position in the Anglo–Saxon society. The warriors had an important role in this culture because it was based on war. The relationship between people were regulated by the Anglo-Saxon’s value honour, loyalty, generosity and ,last but not least, courage.