Explain HOW characterization, the setting and voyage contribute to convey

• the idea of the values of Anglo-Saxon civilization
• the message it may provide to a contemporary reader.

This extract tells about the characterization of Beowulf and his voyage to help king Hygelac. Beowulf was a thane, so he was very closed to the king and when he heard about the monster Grendel he decided to travel from his home in Geatland to Herot. In line 3 the narrator associates an adjective usually referred to God (mighty) to Beowulf and also he was a superlative (st). Moreover the composer does not call Beowulf by name. the choice raises the reader’s attention because curiosity and expectation grow up. Beowulf was brave, strong and powerful, therefore he resembled a God. He was also the embodiment of solidarity and loyalty, the most important values of Anglo-Saxon civilization; he left his home land to help his king and to fight the monster. When Beowulf announced his plan everyone embraced his idea, even the old people, who are people who matter. Beowulf chose the fourteen best warriors to face the monster and he ordered a boat to be ready. The warriors were also brave and willing. Lines from 19 to 24 present the semantic field of war (warriors, cargo, weapons, war-gear) and voyage (vessel’s hold, wood-weathered ship). The two fields are connected by the use of run on lines, in lines 20 and 21. Run on lines and the repetition of “w” create the idea of speed. Beowulf’s men were eager to face the sea and therefore good seafarers. The boat was fast and it presented as a woman (“her neck”, “her curved prow”), but it is also personified like a bird. She can fly over the waves. The image of the ship underlines speed: the crew must to arrive as soon as possible. Beowulf was a good leader, and he sailed without difficulty; he was able to organize the voyage because the crew arrived in due time. The narrator, who is a 3^rd person narrator, uses images and similes to keep the reader’s attention. Indeed, the listener can image the voyage because the narrator appeals to their senses (hearing and sight). The story is set in the sea and in headlands. Sea and headlands are dangerous places, but the crew was able to arrive to Herot without much troubles. They thanked God, because in Anglo-Saxon civilization praying was very important to face difficulties. The message that the extract may provide to a contemporary reader is that migrations aren’t a nowadays trend. People move from a place to another to find a better place to live and in this case to help other people. Solidarity is indeed a value that today has gone lost.