Utopia Prompts for 2/2

For Tuesday, please post a response to Sir Thomas More's Utopia. You may respond specifically, or loosely, to one of the following prompts, or you may go your own way if you are compelled by something else. Just be sure to use specific examples from the text in your response.

1. We often think of a "Utopia" as a perfect society, but it is unlikely that More thought of his island in that way. While Utopia is obviously a critique of the England, and Europe, of the early modern period, the play presents ideals that would probably not hold up in any society where human beings live. Yet other ideals seem to be presented as viable, and preferable, alternatives. Which Utopian ideals seem like good ideas to you? Which seem unfeasible?

2. To More's Christian contemporaries, who believed that mankind was fallen and subject to diverse passions, Utopians would have seemed ridiculous. The belief that mankind can become reasonable, rational, and free from greed would have been laughable. Why, then, do you think More creates Utopians this way? Is he defeating his own purposes? If not, explain why you think More makes Utopians so rational.

3. Utopia is an example of a serio ludere, or "serious play," which is a genre that allows the author to criticize an aspect of society (the church, the monarchy, etc.) in the persona of a fictitious narrator or character, one who is himself not entirely credible. ("Hythlodaeus" means "learned in nonsense.") Do you think this lack of credibility damages the critique?

4. Book 2 of Utopia was written before Book 1. Why do you think More added Book 1? How is it important as a preparation for Book 2? Be specific.

5. Do any of Hythlodaeus's arguments about European society in Book 1 seem appropriate to our day? What parallels can you draw? Can any part of the Utopians' social structure or ideology, as presented in Book 2, apply to 2010? Use specific contemporary examples as well as specifics from the text.

Thank you. See you on Tuesday.

The Pardoner's Tale and middle English

I had a very hard time reading, understanding, and reading the Pardoner's tale as my only copy was the middle english version in our book. I got very little of the story and only know that through out the story there were gold coins, brothels, and 3 rioters. Anybody else having problems? I know the Pardoner is not virtuous or anything close to it from all the brothels in the story and the coins, but I couldn't get much else. Please help explain what the story is or if you have a english version post it or the link please :D that would help tremendously!!

Vanessa -

Radix Malorum est Cupiditas

Hi all. I just got back from Tennessee, and I'm regrouping a bit. Let's not worry about the blog for tomorrow. I'll put some prompts up for Utopia on Friday and we can resume blog activity for Tuesday. You can, of course, feel free to discuss anything Chaucer-related on the blog, answer each other's questions, or share your feelings about reading Middle English. But it is not required. Just be ready to discuss The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale for tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it.

Queen Guinivere's portrayal

In the section "Poison Apple" it seems to me that Malory paints Quinevere in the worst light. She dismisses Lancelot who has long been her friend and Champion. She is shown in public as not caring, though secretly she grieves, and then as if to prove something she throws a party for the other nights. I'm not certain how that would appear at the time, but today she's what we would call a "two-faced liar." On the other hand both Arthur and Lancelot were shown to have honor and courage. Arthur was forbidden by law to take his wife's side and defend her, even though he wanted to. He was honorable in all his dealings with this situation. He couldn't openly help her, but he did everything that he possibly could. Lancelot was shown to be a hero, even with the trickery of Sir Mador. He was down but he struck Lancelot when Lancelot showed mercy. Despite his wound, Lancelot still overpowered Mador.
Other than that, I couldn't say who was the better. Lancelot or Arthur, that is the question.

the tale of Gaulahad

I enjoyed reading the story or Gaulahad and how from what i understood in the story was that he was looked at as someone that was pure in heart and almost as if he was who every looked to as a religous leader, it speaks several times of him being in the service of christ.
he also seemned to be the pne that people waited to see because of how pure and in touch he was, if im wrong and picked up on what was not there please let me know.

Have you heard about Guinevere and Lancelot?

It’s quite funny to look at the love triangle situation from the viewpoint of an office romance. Arthur is the boss, Lancelot the employee, and Guinevere the boss’s wife. You can almost see Agravain standing by the water cooler saying, “Hey, have you heard about Guinevere and Lancelot?” It can also be seen as the all-too-common tale of the wife who has an affair with her husband’s best friend. It’s easy to relate these fantastic stories to the mundane dysfunctionalities (I may have made that word up, my computer doesn’t like it) of society today.


That being said, I absolutely hated Guinevere in The Poisoned Apple. You have Lancelot who just screams “Everything I do, I do it for you” through his actions (trying to stop rumors and slander, fighting for her honor, etc.), while Guinevere picks up the tune of “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got till it’s Gone” after sending him away. I saw her as such a hypocrite. She gets angry with Lancelot and goes as far as to banish him from the court because he has been with other women, while her relationship with Lancelot would be seen in the same light to King Arthur, although it might be a little more personal.

After Lancelot is banished, Guinevere holds a feast for all the knights of the Round Table, despite the grief she has for Lancelot’s departure. It says, “She bare it out with a proud countenance, as though she felt no thought [grief] nother danger.” The behavior she shows throughout the story is very prideful. Not much later, she forgets her pride by kneeling down and begging Sir Bors to be champion for her and misses Lancelot. I wonder if this is trying to show Christian ideology that pride is bad. What’s that saying? Pride came before the fall?

The Core of Rot

It never ceases to amaze me the trouble that these two fated and troubled lovers get themselves into. Every story alludes to their failure to enjoy their higher passion and love through the shameful deceit of their King and Lord, Arthur. Having set Lancelot away because of her jealous heart, the Queen finds herself in another disastrous predicament as she is wrongfully accused of poisoning another, sending the knights into a frenzy. Guinevere seems to finally have a perception check, since she only seems to focus on the fact that Lancelot is gone because of her pettiness. Once all of the knights are rising against her it becomes clear that at last she is becoming held accountable for her jealousy and unrighteous desires in having Lancelot and spurring her husband Arthur. Though it seems unjust that she is accused for an crime she didn’t commit it almost seems to be karma getting back at the lovers for their long wrong doing against their King. I can not fault or name either Guinevere or Lancelot as the lowest of Malory’s tale. They both indulge in treachery and as much as a part of me wishes that all could work out for them to just be happy in love together, I must pass out judgment and grin in the face of their self afflicted trials.

Whom does Malory portray most favorably in "The Poison Apple," Lancelot, Guinevere, or Arthur? Who comes across in the most negative light? Explain using examples.

This story of King Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot is told in so many different ways. The different versions that I've seen haven't portrayed one person as being horrible. One example is the move, First Knight. Just like the movie, after reading "The Poison Apple," Lancelot, in the end, was a hero and loved by all. In my opinion however, he comes across in the most negative light. He's not only having an affair, but he's being unfaithful in his affair with Guinevere. Guinevere definitely takes second place for the most rotten character of the three. She sends Lancelot away for the wrong reason. She should be sending him away because she wants to make things right with King Arthur and her marriage, not because Lancelot is just as rotten as she is.

King Arthur is by far the gem among these three characters. He's been betrayed by both Guinevere and Lancelot and he still shows respect for them both. He never gets revenge or finds some other woman to get hot with. He trusts their words to only get betrayed once again. Though there is nothing negative said about Arthur through out this story, there isn't much said about him at all.

The Poisoned Apple

I think that Mallory paints Queen Guinevere in the most negative light and Sir Lancelot is the most positive in The Poisoned Apple. The first example of this comes at the beginning of the story when we are told that Lancelot busies himself with other things, like doing God's work, trying to deflate rumors and save Guinevere from being dishonored. In response to his trying to help the situation, she gets angry with him and banishes him from Camelot. (Oh, the fickleness of women.)
Another example of a negative light on Guinevere, notice how quickly the Knights turn against her when they discover the poisoned apple. Not a single Knight gives her the benefit of the doubt, their trust in her must not have been very high to begin with for them to turn on her so quickly.
In contrast, when people speak of Sir Lancelot, they talk about his loyalty and good will and the fact that he can do no wrong. Even in The Day of Destiny, after everyone has learned of the adultery that went on, and after they had battled Lancelot, the Knights and even King Arthur had few bad words to say on his behalf. When Sir Gawain was dying (the wound given to him by Lancelot himself), he wrote a letter to Lancelot, begging for his return.
King Arthur, in my opinion, is painted as somewhat of a fool in this story. His Knights are all loyal, and think very highly of him, but all of this is going on right under his nose. Even when Lancelot tells Arthur of the fierce loyalty he has for the queen, Arthur goes on without a trace of suspicion.

Prompts for Le Morte d'Arthur (or Morte Darthur)

The selections you are reading come from Malory's Morte Darthur, which is Mallory's compilation of Arthurian tales, often with his own twists and interpretations. Although Arthurian romances did not originate with Malory, his is the best-known work of Arthurian literature and the source for later Arthurian tales (including White's The Once and Future King, which Jillian mentions in her post). Of course you will not be able to understand the entire arc of the narrative(s) from the three sections in our anthology, but they will give you a sense of Malory's major themes and his writing style, and they will give you insight into Malory's vision of Britain in the 1400s.

1. As the section on Malory indicates, Malory understood the lofty ideals and chivalric codes in Arthurian stories, but he was also aware of how easily these ideals break down in the real world. Point to some examples where Malory shows these tensions.

2. Whom does Malory portray most favorably in "The Poison Apple," Lancelot, Guinevere, or Arthur? Who comes across in the most negative light? Explain using examples.

3. Compare and contrast Beowulf and "The Day of Destiny"? What similarities do you see? What are the most distinct differences?

4. How have these excerpts influenced the more contemporary versions of Arthurian tales that you have read/seen? What are some of the distinct differences? (Keep in mind that you have not read most of the text, so if you choose to respond to this prompt, please focus on what you have read; in other words, don't write that Merlin isn't around; he is, but not in these sections, which represent part of the grail-quest, part of the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the death of Arthur).

Thank you. See you on Thursday.

The Poisoned Apple

So I don't think prompts have been posted on this piece yet but I read it today and wanted to talk about it. The story of King Arthur has always been one that fascinated me. Here is this great King, goes from being a young wannabe squire called Wart, to the greatest King of England. Yet, his life knows only hardship and sorrow it seems. One great cause for unhappiness in Arthur's life is his wife Guinevere having an affair with his most trusted knight Lancelot. As I read the Poisoned Apple my mind went to the novel The Once And Future King by T.H White. During King Arthur's youth, before he was King Arthur, he was tutored by the wizard Merlin. At one time Merlin gives Arthur very wise advice something to the effect of 'the best way to deal with sadness or hardship is to learn something'. So I wonder, what are we supposed to learn from the somewhat sad story "The Poisoned Apple"? Even though Lancelot comes to Guinevere's rescue and she is not blamed for the death of Sir Patrise still the story didn't make me glad. I think the Poisoned Apple to me may be on giant metaphor. The apple is meant to kill Sir Gawain yet ends up backfiring and killing Sir Patrise instead and putting as innocent Guinevere in peril. Similarly Guinevere and Lancelot's adultery will end up rotting and ruining the lives of many people including themselves and King Arthur though he did not do wrong. Neither of these things were intended to go as wrong as they did or are going to. Love is supposed to be something wonderful and lovely and good, like an apple. But this love is destructive and harmful, like a poisoned apple. I hope that extended metaphor isn't painfully cheesy haha

Red Thorr = Christ

1/19/10 Cultural Embodiment

It is obvious that the literature written between the eighth and tenth centuries, the time Beowulf was written, will greatly reflect the cultural aspects of that time. They wrote about things dear to them, what they cared about, and how they proudly lived within their societies. As the ultimate leader and hero representing them, it is no surprise that Beowulf is the total embodiment of their culture. His brave words and actions radiate the ideals of who a man was expected to be in order to be honored or even accepted within their society.

There are numerous examples throughout the poem in which Beowulf proves to be the model example of their culture. The fact that he even decides to go and help the Danes upon hearing of Grendel in the first place, without being asked or promised anything in return, shows a praiseworthy characteristic of bravery. He of course continues to prove his bravery in the other two main battles of the story. He doesn't think twice about the consequences that might become of his entering into territory of Grendels mother or attempting to conquer a dragon at an old age. Another cultural element portrayed by Beowulf is the initial introduction he gives to the Danes when he mentions all of his family relations. Family ties were incredibly important in gaining the respect necessary to be taken seriously. Almost every time Beowulf speaks, "son of Edgetheow" is used to label him.

The words Beowulf speaks to Hrothgar pertaining to the death of his dear friend Ashhere are alone a great window into understanding of their culture as well. One of the main themes of the poem is avenging the death of a "kinsman". Strongly stated in this quote, (lines 1383-1388) is Beowulf's belief that one of the greatest things a man can do before he dies is "earn some renown" by "aveng[ing] his friend." Rather than be consumed by the sorrow of the loss of a dear friend, one must be willing to show courage and do everything in his power to be rememberd for fighting back and in some cases, the ultimate honor, dying in the fight.

The Complexity of Beowolf

One of the greatest sources of tension between paganism and Christianity is in Beowolf himself. I specifically notice it in his character/personality and his actions in many instances throughout the poem, but especially at the poems onset. It seems to me that he is doing a very Christian deed by traveling to Denmark after hearing news of the great evil being visited upon the Scyldings by this troll that dares to slaughter them. In Beowolf's explanation to the coast guard upon arriving, he reveals a desire to ease their sorrows and has even formed a plan of attack that will ensure the defeat of the monster Grendel. The complexity of Beowolf's character is furthered by the means used to defeat the monster, not merely killing him but almost torturing him in a way by bare-handedly ripping of his arm and then displaying the trophy for all to see. This could represent the pagan part of his nature being shown forth in his actions in contrast to his verbal concern for the Scylding people. The brutishness of his attack is followed by a total lack of sorrow for ending the life of another living thing, evil though it be. Beowolf is described as being "pleased with this night's work" (826), an emotion that would not be highlighted in a more Christian setting where meekness or humility would have been a better emotion to display after a successful battle.

Beowolf's character is more fully explored in lines 2176 to 2185 upon his return to the land of the Geats. He is described in glorious praises as having a sort of reverence and respect for the gifts God has given him and the courage and honor he shows both on the battle field and off. I suppose that a more pagan disposition would see such strength and abilities such as Beowolf possesses to be due to one's own accomplishments and not as an "endowment [from] God" (2180-81). Beowolf's character displays such a mix of both pagan and Christian virtues that I see him as the greatest source of tension in the poem. I don't at all feel that this negatively effects the poem. On the contrary, it is the complexity of his nature and the differing references between Christian and pagan beliefs that make Beowolf's adventures so much more intriguing.

Beowulf Influences

As one of the oldest surviving and most well known of the early English epic poems, Beowulf represents a substantial influence on our modern pop culture. The other day I was rereading Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and happened across a passage wherein Holden Caulfield explains that the only reason he passed English was because of the interest he had in the poem Beowulf. In many ways, similarities can be drawn between the heroic Beowulf and the often antihero Holden Caulfield as they each set out on a journey and face various challenges along the way.

That being said, there are a lot more blatantly obvious examples of Beowulf's influence on pop culture. Online sources make great mention of the various film adaptations including the most recent CGI version. The other obvious Beowulf influence is the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and specifically the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. One of the more interesting Beowulf spin offs that I was remotely familiar with is a 1971 novel by John Gardner that tells the Beowulf story from the point of view of Grendel. Attempting to explain his history, his misunderstanding with the people of Hrothgar, and his complicated relationship with his mother; Gardner attempts to explain what has motivated Grendel to attack. I think that this book sounds very interesting and I intend to read it at some point in time.

However, all of these examples are much more literal and often direct adaptations of the famous poem. Knowing the complex history of the Beowulf poem and the fact that it was not really a part of the literary lexicon until it’s popularization by Tolkien, it can be a little hard to ascribe its direct influence on a lot of the earlier literary movements. However, I do think it is interesting to look at exactly what the poem Beowulf is doing. On a basic level, Beowulf tells the tale of a hero as he accomplishes various tasks and overcomes difficulties. All the while, the Beowulf poet gives us a glimpse into the daily life of the nomadic warrior/king during that period of time. In many ways, Beowulf either sets or shines as an ancient example of what is still a popular blueprint for many literary works. While a direct influence cannot necessarily be proven, it can be easy to see the basic outline of the hero overcoming obstacles that become increasingly more difficult. This basic plot outline can be easily seen in a wide variety of books from the Harry Potter novels to even Gone with the Wind.

Another great example of Beowulf’s influence, and his role as an outside foreign protector, can be seen in almost any comic book. Take for example Superman, who comes from another planet with superior and supernatural powers that allow him to protect us from villains that we cannot destroy on our own. In many ways it can be said that Beowulf is the original superhero/action star.

Males Romantic Notion

I'm constantly amazed that ancient artifacts and manuscripts hold such modern day value, with lessons for us on the human experience. Obviously with all of our new technologies and our far reaching explorations we still have the same basic human problems and virtues as we did a thousand years ago. Some might say that the story of Beowulf is conflicted because of its use of both pagan rituals and Christian beliefs, but I think this is where the story rings true. Even today Christianity and pagan rituals walk hand and hand; throwing a wedding bouquet, being superstitious about Friday the 13th, and then there is Christmas. Here we celebrate the birth of Christ while simultaneously we enjoy the character of Santa Clause, who like Hrothgar is a gift giver. I felt the story of Beowulf unified Christianity and pagan beliefs more than trying to cause lurking resentments. To me Beowulf represented a hero that respected and gave balance to old traditions, at the same time giving a foundation of freedom for new beliefs.

I'm big on the epic classic hero story. I love battle scenes, villains who are hateful, but interesting. I like how there were many heroes in this story, champions besides Beowulf, again Lord of the Ringesk. Beowulf stood out as a hero more often than the rest because he did not sit back and wait for events to just happen to him; he takes action and chooses to affect the outcome of his own fate.

The end of the story reminded me of another poem, one by Alfred Lord Tennyson named "Ulysses" Ulysses is another war hero who is getting older and is suffering the doldrums of living a normal more sedentary life as a king. He doesn't want to die warm in his bed; he wants to die seeking some kind of adventure... Tennyson writes, " I am a part of all that I have met; yet all experience is an arch wherethrough Gleams that untravelled world, whose margins fades For ever and for ever when I move. How dull it is to pause to make an end, To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!" This reminds me of the lines in Beowulf where it says, " There's no joy in harp-play, glee-wood's gladness, no good hawk swings through hall now, no swift horse tramps at the threshold. Terrible slaughter has carried into darkness many a kindreds of mankind." (2260) even though I think this passage is about the toils of war, I think it also resonates how Beowulf is not ready for a nice quiet life. I think Beowulf has good intentions for his countrymen when he fights the dragon, but at the same time I feel he has that common aspect of a warrior... he wants a death like his comrades before him...he rather die fighting than leave this world in a complacent manner.

Woden or Christ?

The Christian themes that the Beowulf poet tried to impose upon the story stick out like a sore thumb. Running across references to Christian mythology in the poem feels akin to hitting a pothole while driving - it's jarring and knocks me out of the groove of the story. 'Beowulf' is rife with themes of pride, honour, and glory, all of which were Viking and Saxon virtues derived from their Pagan roots. Christianity's values teach one to follow and be meek. In fact, 'Pride' itself is one of the seven deadly sins of Catholic tradition! It seems odd, then, that some people actually view Beowulf as a tale of Christian redemption, when the actions of just about every character are steeped in the quest for glory and pride. The core values of these two cultures simply do not mesh.

On top of the value systems clashing, the Christian references feel like an afterthought, as if they'd been tacked on after the poem was written. Most of these references are trite (many instances of simply name-dropping God when something good happens, i.e. "a hope for the people, sent them by God..." [Longman 36-37]), and often offer only a very, very thin veil over what was obviously a reference to a Heathen god or theme. "From Cain came down all kinds misbegotten - ogres and elves and evil shades - as also the Giants who joined in long wars with God." [Longman 39]. If we simply replace the figures from Christian mythology with figures from Norse mythology, this passage makes much more sense:

From Ymir came down all kinds misbegotten - ogres and elves and evil shades - as also the Giants who joined in long wars with the Gods.

Thus we have textbook Norse myth. While these references to Pagan beliefs are quite specific, there is a "notorious absence of any explicit references to Christ in Beowulf" (Chickering 24). I believe that this arises from the incompatibility of the epic with Christian mythology - an incompatibility that made it generally difficult for the poet to Christianize it with full and complete success.

Beowolf- 1-19-10

The structure of the Beowulf narrative is difficult to figure out. After reading it, I have decided that the original intend of the poem was to have interlacing stories come together, all adding to the glory of Beowulf's adventures and life. There are so many random names and characters that only show up for a few lines in the poem- this leads me to believe that they had their own songs, their own poems that told of their lives. This makes sense to me because if I were someone living back then when this poem was recited, the poet would speak a name and I'd know their story, and why they were significant to Beowulf's story.
However, with the 'lost in translation' elements which I'm sure there are many, and the effects that Christianity had in warping the poem to fit different beliefs, I feel like I understand this narrative best by thinking of it simply as a three part story about a heroic warrior. The three parts of course being his battle with Grendel, and then Grendel's mother, and finally the dragon.
Trying to figure out the details of what happens in between gives me too much of a headache with all its contradictions and repetitiveness.
However, speaking of contradictions, I still don't FULLY believe that is the correct structure. If it were, then the battles would be the center of the poem, and they definitely are not (in my opinion at least). The battles are somewhat anticlimactic, even the feasts are more detailed than the fights.
Either way, the base of the Beowulf story is a wonderful one. It's become a template for many other stories and plots, I think, and for good reason.

Ideals of Beowulf's Society

If the hero of a heroic epic generally embodies the ideals of a culture, than I think the culture that Beowulf resided in had its ideals centered around loyalty, bravery/heroism, and power. All throughout the poem these values are alluded to in various situations.

When Hrothgar asks Beowulf to kill Grendel and he succeeds in killing both Grendel and his mother, the poem mentions how Hrothgar and Beowulf honor and praise one another and how a pact of loyalty is made. Loyalty is later alluded to when Beowulf’s crew leaves him to fight the dragon singlehandedly. Only Wiglaf remains loyal to Beowulf, and he later rebukes the ones who fled when they later return to see what happened. Wiglaf even goes so far as to tell them that they “shall become wanderers without land-rights/ as soon as athelings over the world/ shall hear the report of how you fled,/ a deed of ill fame. Death is better/ for any earl than an existence of disgrace!” (2884-2888).

Bravery and heroism are obviously a huge part of the values of Beowulf’s society, otherwise we would have no story….The whole poem basically centers around the brave deeds of Beowulf and the endless praise he receives for his heroism.

Overall, I think the biggest value in Beowulf’s society is power. The whole poem constantly makes references to various power struggles. Grendel was only feared as long as he was the strongest. When Beowulf defeated him, however, he became the one that everyone honored. Even the king used his power in a way when he showered Beowulf with gifts and made a loyalty pact with him so Beowulf would remain a “guardian” to the people. It seems like the various power struggles illustrate how the society was organized at this time, that is, that military strength and bribery seemed to be what controlled people best.

Beowulf

Beowulf, is a creatively written story about a warrior. The use of description and imagery enlivens the story, making it possible for readers to identify with the characters and events. Exaggeration and alliteration are two devices that together allow the reader to experience the poem. Examples of alliteration such as, “The Hall of the Heart”, “His pledge
and promise”, “Dragging the dead men home to his den”, “Fitted and furnished”, and “Showed sea-cliffs shining” in which, adds creativity and rhythm to the poem. It makes it more entertaining to read, speak, or listen to considering its great length. One of the strongest examples is found where it reads, “The demon delayed not, but quickly clutched / A sleeping thane in his swift assault, / Tore him in pieces, bit through the bones, / Gulped the blood, and gobbled the flesh, / Greedily gorged on the lifeless corpse,” (558-563). This is the image of Grendel killing one of the soldiers before his fatal fight with Beowulf. Great descriptive passages are found about Grendel’s swamp-home, describing it as, “A dismal covert / of trees that hung over hoary stone, / Over churning water and bloodstained wave.” (926-928), “The water boiled in a bloody swirling” (933), “The swimming forms of sea-dragons, / Dim serpent shapes in the watery depths”. As readers, these are the mental images that nightmares are made of. In comparison to our modern fiction, Beowulf might seem wordy and lengthy but when we take time to savor the graphic descriptions, vivid imagery, clever alliteration, and fantastic exaggerations we can understand how this thirteen hundred-year-old epic poem has lasted through the years. It is creatively written and has therefore stood the test of time!

I apologize that my lines don’t match up with our class text, I am in the midst of moving and I somehow lost my book. I had to buy another book so that I was able to finish the reading and post my response in time. But I wanted to at least cite the best I could! Sorry!

Tues. Jan. 19, 2010

If you want to understand the general storyline of Beowulf, it may help to think of it in either 3 or 2 parts. This helped me as I began to read the poem. However, I believe that the piece as a whole is more of an interlacing story. There are so many parts, so many different stories, so many different ways to interpret what goes on in the poem.
Beowulf's story is the connecting thread but throughout the his story, other ones are introduced. Sometimes those interlacing stories come about in the form of the court storyteller or poem reciter, or sometimes they appear as sidenotes like when the author pauses to tell the fate of Hrothgar's daughter. These help to show the traditions and customs of the time period although that was probably not the authors primary reasons for including them. I believe the author also used these to further the plot. Or used them as examples to drive a point home. An example of this is found after Beowulf slays Grendel's Mother and the returns to tell the King. The King is pleased and rewards Beowulf but cautions him to not let the fame and strength go to his head. He uses his own story as an example that no man is invisible.
It's interesting to see how the story develops if you look at it as lots of little stories threaded into a main plot. I think you can glean a lot more from the work as a whole by doing this.

Beowulf

As I have thought about this, to me it appears that the Dragon represents Beowulf’s way of becoming immortal. Grendal does embody the evils of fratricide and Grendal’s Mother represents “the darkness of blood feud and revenge” they are both labeled as “monsters”. Beowulf was able to overcome these by defeating them. In ancient anglo-saxon culture, humans born with disabilities were classified as “monsters”. Being deformed or marked by disfiguring features was a sign that god had cursed you. In the text it says “on kin of Cain” or decedent of Cain, it shows that Grendal was human and that god had cursed him, as he had cursed Cain. With Grendal and Grendal’s mother both being disfigured forms of humans it makes the slaying of the Dragon so significant. He conquered the impossible in his final act as a King, warrior, and protector.

The progression of the feat’s accomplished by Beowulf continue to build upon each other until the final act. Beginning with the dismembering of Grendal arm as his first heroic deed. Showing forth as a fearless warrior with endless brute strength and also defeating fratricide, a human weakness. Then, the killing of Grendal’s Mother was an amazing feat. Taking in the added difficultly of the battleground being at the bottom of the murky moor or Grendal’s Mother’s home court, essentially losing any upper hand he may have had makes it even more impressive. In the layer at the bottom of the lake, Beowulf used all the resources he had. “On his shoulder lay braided breast-mail, barring death, withstanding entrance of edge or blade, Life would have ended for Ecgtheow's son, under wide earth for that earl of Geats,
had his armor of war not aided him” Beowulf shows his knowledge in battle by using his armor to spare his life till he acquired the Giants sword and was able to slay the monster. He overcomes the next hurdle that had caused many to fall before him, blood feud or revenge. As King he ruled in peace “for many year” or 50 years, displaying his maturity and knowledge. Being able to hold a kingdom in peace for so many years was no small accomplishment.

As Beowulf went forth to do battle with the dragon, he took all the weapons and defense he could. He took a shield made of iron to protect him from the serpent’s fiery breath. He made a battle vow “but fire in this fight I must fear me now, and poisonous breath; so I bring with me breastplate and board.” He knew he was facing any enemy that was like any before. He acknowledges that if this battle were in his youth he would be more confident and he shows respect for the serpent by saying “My mood is bold but forbears to boast o'er this battling-flyer”. In the battle Beowulf is about to be defeated when Wiglaf comes to his aid. This was Wiglafs first battle “For the first time now with his leader-lord the liegeman young was bidden to share the shock of battle.” The future ruler, the only one in Beowulf’s war company to stand his ground, was a young warrior on his first tour of duty with his king. Together they are able to defeat the dragon but not without Beowulf receiving mortal wounds. On Beowulf deathbed he gives Wiglaf specific duty, “Now I've bartered here for booty of treasure the last of my life, so look ye well to the needs of my land!” In Beowulf’s final words he appoints another to protect his people, showing that he is ever mindful of the safety of his people. He also defeats pride, and from the text it seems he has no lack of confidence, by accepting the aid of another, who overall was so much less than him.

Death in battle, in defense of his people and in his final heroic act is a fitting seal to his life’s accomplishments. The dragon was Beowulf’s way of becoming an immortal and showing that he had overcome all that had previously caused others to fall.

The Dragon

The representation of the dragon or serpent for me seemed to be what we talked about earlier of gift exchange being so important in the culture. When Daniel talked about a king having all these fabulous treasures and that to keep his nobles happy he would give them gifts every so often, made a strong impression on me when I was reading the dragon section. The treasure that had been left hidden in that cavern by "former men" (p 104 line 3048) which had a curse on it (p 104 line 3067) was the result of a greedy "princes who had placed the treasure there had laid on it a curse to last until Doomsday" (p 104 lines 3066-67). The princes had violated the rules and hidden his treasure away for no one to enjoy. So when I read how the "serpent" who had taken over guardianship of the treasure was so upset about one tiny golden goblet missing from his treasure trove I thought about the violations that the dragon had made. The word serpent which was used several times in describing the dragon made me think of the Adam and Eve story and that the serpent here has a similar meaning of human greed. I held the dragon accountable for not sharing because it too could be considered a monster like Grendel whom had been considered vile for not repaying the men's families that he had violently killed.

I also thought about the implications later on down the poem when Beowulf ends up dying when killing the dragon with the help of his comrade. Because the slave had taken the goblet from the dragon, the dragon had taken from Beowulf (in the fire taking a lot of his people's homes), and then the dragon took Beowulf's life while the comrade took the dragons life. All these exchanges that had to occur, which were sprung from some ancient princes violation of exchange seemed to make me think of a theme to this poem. The theme I got was a lesson about ancestry and violations of exchanges and payments or dues, I can just imagine this story being told to young kids way back then to teach them what terrible things can come and which great heroes could suffer from violations of their cultures exchanges and ancient mistakes of ancestors.

As for the tone difference in the Dragon Section I thought the tone was more of leaning towards the fate side of what was to happen there, that everything that was about to happen, was meant to happen and that everything which had occurred before had led Beowulf to that exact moment, in that exact time so that he could die. I got the feeling of this undeniable strength of the old Beowulf versus the fate that was meant for him and that he could not fight it and at the end he was happy at the very least to leave such an endowment of treasure for his people.

Beowulf 1-19-10

From a very limited knowledge of Angelo-Saxon or English history, I have learned from Beowulf, and in class, that there are three cardinal rules not to break. The first major rule was not to kill your own brother (your own blood). We learned that Grendel signified this sin. It is suggested that Grendel's mother represents "the darkness of blood feud, and revenge." As taught in class, one of Grendel's wrong-doings was to reject gifts. It didn't allow the celebratory gift giving to be carried out. It was looked down on because, in this time, gifts were considered cordial and a way of showing respect. Gift giving was the thing to do.
Before Beowulf was made a king he was advised to be an exceptional gift giver unlike past kings who grew greedy and were eventually looked down on. Hrothgar gave many gifts and was the first primary example of the importance this brought to the culture. I believe the dragon represents greed in this poem. It is the last of the three morals the culture believed that hadn't been illustrated by an evil creature. When the servant stole the gold and jeweled goblet to make his master happy, there was a peace between the two. Greed (the dragon) couldn't stand it and began to terrorize the village. Ironically, the reason the treasure was there in the first place was because it had nobody to take care of it or give happiness to because the people that knew of it were all dead.
The Geats were at peace with Beowulf as king. There weren't any invaders during his reign. The dragon was the one last thing that needed to be defeated but it was greed that drove Beowulf to the dragon. He said, "And this dragon's treasure, his gold and everything hidden in that tower, will be mine..." I think it was for this reason that Beowulf had died. Had he gone solely to bring the peace once again he would have had a different fate. "Beowulf had gotten its gold, bought it with blood; dragon and king had ended each others days on earth." The kings greed had killed him according to my theory. As a result of greed, "And this people can expect fighting, once the Franks, and the Frisians, have heard that our king lies dead."
Wiglaf had a different motive. His was to help the king that had given so much. He didn't seek to be more wealthy, fame, or anything other than to keep his word. He said something that struck a scary thought to the Geats, "And now the giving of swords, of golden rings and rich estates, is over, Ended for you and everyone who shares your blood." If the dragon did represent greed than Wiglaf is saying, because you allowed your king to be killed by greed our culture of gift giving is now over. Over for you and your kids or any of your blood.
I'm not a religious person, but Adam and Eve's apple is a good analogy to sum this up. Greed, being the forbidden fruit, caused all the peace between lands and gift giving to come to an end. In Beowulf it reads, "Hiding that treasure deep in its tower, as the dragon had done, broke God's law and brought it no good. Guarding its stolen wealth it (greed) killed the king..." Even when the king had died he preferred to see the treasure before anything else.
The first two fights were to show how Beowulf would acquire his fame. He was on the path to greatness. He gained the highest credibility after leaving the two battles and bringing happiness to his king. People followed him and looked up to him. His name would already be remembered throughout history. Sadly, Beowulf wanted more. This is how "the dragon section" differs from the others. As mentioned above, his actions were no longer to pursue a great stature because he already had that, it was to fulfill his own agenda.

Beowulf Prompts

A few of you have spoken to me about the difficulty you are having with following the actual story of Beowulf. As we have discussed, this is probably due in part to the many digressions, and in part to the challenges of reading a translated text an unfamiliar poetic meter (although I hope Thursday's class helped with this somewhat). I encourage you to read summaries of the various sections if that is helpful to you. You can find these online for free. Then when you go back and read the sections, you will already know what is happening, and the story itself will be easier to follow. Just make sure that you never read any supplemental material instead of the poem itself. I believe doing that is grounds for a public whipping.

Please choose one of the following prompts and post a response to it before class on Tuesday. You do not need to retype the question(s) or state which prompt you have chosen (this will be obvious to us as we read). You don't have to answer the prompt exactly, either. These prompts are meant to help you and spur your critical thinking, not constrict you. If you want to write about something else that is important to you, please do. I also encourage you to respond to the thoughts of one or more of your classmates. Whatever you write, please think about, and come prepared to discuss, all of the prompts.

1. On Tuesday we discussed three possible organizational structures for Beowulf: a series of three battles (Grendel, Grendel's mother, the dragon), a division into two parts (Beowulf the thane vs. Beowulf the king), and an example of interlacing art, where the poet weaves various strands together into one story. Having finished the poem, which of these possibilities do you agree with? Why?

2. A heroic epic is a long, narrative poem that relates the deeds of a larger-than-life hero to the values of a particular culture. In fact, the hero generally embodies the ideals of a culture. Using the following quote from Beowulf (or another group of lines of your own choosing), talk about what values Beowulf embodies. (Beowulf speaks these lines to Hrothgar after Grendel's mother kills his friend and advisor, Ashhere.) "Bear your grief, wise one! It is better for a man / to avenge his friend than to refresh his sorrow. / As we all must expect to leave / our life on this earth, we must earn some renown, / if we can, before death; daring is the thing / for a fighting man to be remembered by." (1383-88)

3. We have discussed the tension that exists between pagan and Christian elements in the poem, and we have attributed this to the fact that the story is pagan in origin but is being told by a Christian poet to a Christian audience. Where do you see the tension between paganism and Christianity in your reading for today? You might discuss the fate vs. free will tension we discussed in class, but you are not required to.

4. If Grendel embodies the evils of fratricide, and Grendel's mother represents the darkness of blood feud and revenge, what might the dragon represent? And, perhaps relatedly, how does the tone of what might be called the "dragon section" differ from the previous sections of the poem?

5. Elements of Beowulf influence, and find themselves alluded to or repeated in, more modern literature, pop fiction, film, comic books, etc. What parts of Beowulf reminded you of something else you have read or seen? What kind of connections did you make while reading it?

Please make sure you read "The Dream of the Rood" in addition to finishing Beowulf. We may or may not have time to discuss it on Tuesday (I hope that we will), but we will certainly be discussing it at some point, and you should be prepared for Tuesday just in case.

Thank you. I'll look forward to reading your responses.

Beowulf--"Bee Hunter"

After reading the the 900 lines of Beowulf, it took me a moment to digest the content. Honestly, it's difficult to comprehend each section in its entirety, but there was one part that stood out to me. When asked who he was, this hero from Geats, this traveler from the north, he answered, "I am Beowulf." I find this part to be the emphasis of my reading because of, not only the historical repetition of such a phrase, but the power of Beowulf's hero. His presence is commanding, creating a need to be noticed. Like many heroes in modern times, short, simple phrases like this continue to be used. They're volatile statements that leave an imprint in the text, and cause the reader to remember. The hero doesn't seem to babble on and on, but instead he/she gives commanding, short, one-liners to present himself/herself. Perhaps Hollywood has done this on more than one occasion? I think so.

"I am Batman!" "We're the A Team!" "This is Sparta!" - to name a few.

Beowulf, Lines 1-900

I have found this reading to be difficult and hard to understand. I also read the introduction before hand, and yet I was still having a hard time understanding what was being said, the setting of scene, or even the characters. I felt lost and confused. Even though, I have a low desire for even shakespeare, I believe that the passion for reading text from these era's is difficult. I think when a text isn't clear i have to read it over a few times to understand what is being said. For instance, it says on line 32, "A boat with a ringed neck rode in the haven,/icy, out-eager, the atheling's vessel" (37). I think this is when the king is being sent of into the water, after he dies? I really enjoyed the lecture on the history of Beowulf, and where it came from. But i wonder if that is where the passion of this text ends for me? I have read this twice, and feel overwhelmed with confusion. I hope that today's lecture can shed some light on the language. But really, should this be so difficult to read? It is hard to set the scene in my imagination for the story. I apologize for the rambling, I hope to gain more insight during today's lecture.

Beowulf 1-900

In the past, attempting to understand Beowulf was merely that, an attempt. I despised the idea of reading it. I admit it may have just been projections from my Jr. High experience, but reading it this time shed new light. I really enjoyed it. I definitely saw the J.R. Tolken inspired side of it. Herot, resembling a castle, human warriors, dangerous creatures, and a seemingly distant land were all captivating.
It amazes me that even as far back as this original document was written, complex fictional stories were told. Granted it is a poem, it still tells a very imaginative story. I was also impressed with the writers ability to breed strong, different emotions through the writing style itself. In the beginning when King Shild was being revered, the style seemed, to me, to be very bold and proud, but when he died and the people were sending him off with gold and treasures, the style turned to a more subtle use of words. Maybe I just got emotionally involved when the story changed from a positive moment to a negative, but I think otherwise. The pattern continued through all 900 lines. I owe far more credit to writers in this time than I have given. Again, very impressive.
For the record, so I don't get hanged later, I read through a more simple version in the school library first and then read the real stuff. It really helped give me a better understanding when I went through the tough version. If you care to spend the time, it's worth it.

Beowulf Manuscript on Display

I think the Curators at the British Library may be doing this to spite me in a cruel, ironic gesture, but it appears that the original Beowulf manuscript, the one I have tried to see on multiple occasions, will in fact be on display through the end of the month, as part of the events surrounding the manuscript's 1000-year anniversary. You can read about it here. Also, you can watch a short video and listen to the British Library's Curator of Medieval Manuscripts talk about the manuscript at the Library's the online gallery page, here.

See you on Thursday.

Welcome to Our Class Blog

Welcome to our online community, a public forum for continuing discussion. The blog exists so that our discussions of literature can be fluid, moving in and out of the classroom, and so that you always have a forum available to you. You will have insights come to you in class, but they will also come as you are reading, as you are going about your day, at 2 AM as you are lying in bed, etc. The blog is ideal for posting pre-class thoughts and impressions or for reflecting on our class discussions. Others will benefit from what you have to say, and you will benefit from their reactions.

Beyond self-initiated posts, which you may upload as often as you like, you are required to post one response per week to one of my writing prompts. I will be posting two groups of prompts each week, one for each class period. You may respond on both days if you wish, but you are only required to respond once. (You can also receive credit by commenting on the response of one of your classmates.) Each response should be somewhere between 200 and 400 words long, and it must be posted before class. In other words, if I post prompts on Tuesday night after our class, you will need to respond to one of them before Thursday’s class in order to receive credit. If I post prompts on Thursday, you will need to respond before Tuesday. We usually begin class discussions with your responses, so posting on time is crucial.

The cut-off time for posting is one hour before class starts, and these responses cannot be made up.

Please be aware that I expect these responses to be thoughtful and genuinely insightful. Don't just dash something off at the last minute and expect it to fly. Your responses should also be well-written. Do not assume that because you are writing on a blog you can abandon punctuation, spelling, grammar, and paragraph structure.

In order to join the blog, you must have a gmail account. If you don’t have one, you will need to create one. Once you have an account, send me your gmail address in an email (dwestover@uvu.edu). In return, I will send you an invitation to the blog. Accept that invitation by following the appropriate links and becoming a contributor. Blogging is a required component of this course, and you will need to contribute as early as next week, so please register right away.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to a great semester.

-Daniel