Textuality » 3A Interacting
GDaniotti - Society in Beowulf
by - (2009-03-04)
Up to Beowulf . Epic Poetry
From the first stanza of the extract on page 57 you can recognize some typical aspects of the Anglo-Saxons society.
First, the society was based on hierarchy: at the top there was the king, then came the thene, the vassals, the warriors, the sailors...
Old people had a very important role and the reputation of one person depended also from their judgment.
Anglo-Saxons society was composed by pagan people, they believed in omens and in the supernatural.
Last but not least, considering Beowulf's characterization, stands out also the most important values of their society: solidality, generosity, leadership, audacity.