Part two, literary elements, themes and motifs

Literary Terms and Examples of Literary Terms:
Kenning : Compound Metaphor
*Swamp-thing from hell

Litotes: Humerous Understatement, Dark humor
*Line 1367

Apositive (1 example): Building up
* lines 1818- 1820

Symbol:
Deer- Kingdom
Trophy- Pride

Allusion (3 examples):
* Noah and the Flood
* Heremod
Epic Boast (1 example): just a resume
* Lines 1474- 1491

Epic Hero (definition and how Beowulf fits it):
* as defined by dictionary.com, “ a main character in an epic whose legendary or heroic actions are central to his/her culture, race, or nation” journey, stands for the values for his culture, stronger, wiser, more moral than anyone else
Heroic deeds, bravery, willingnesss to meet fate, respect of king, give gifts, and usually has a tragic flaw.
Beowulf fits this because he is not greedy, He is a good courageous warrior, he is polite and doesn’t seem to have any flaws.

Motifs and Themes:

Exile: Grendel's mother, Shield

Kin Killing: The foreshadow that Hrothgars Nephew will kill him.

Ambush: Hint that Hrothgars Nephew will kill him, Beowulf ambushing Grendel's mother

Wergild: Blood money; one of the ways to protect the ways of a group that has killed someones kin

Wyrd: idea of Fate; everyone has a fate that they will eventually meet. if your supposed to died today in battle, more honorable to meet fate valiantly than to try to run away from it
- Fighting Grendels Mother

The Role of Kings: Keep the peace, give gifts, ring giver. Bring up his warriors, a structure a presence a head to keep the society in tacked.
-Hrothgar, Hygelac

The Role of Woman: Take care of the warriors, be a good hostest. They are also used to keep the peace. looking pretty, raising warriors
-Great Queen Modthryth, Hygd, Wealhtheow

The Role of Warriors: be courageous and back there king up. protect the land and king. swear alliegance to the king. die by the king, dont run away
- Fighting Grendels Mother

Paganism vs. Christianity: It is hard to tell what religious veiws Beowulf or the people have in this book. God is mentioned on countless occasions along with referring to the bible through Cain and Abel but the idea of wyrd is always there. The ideas are so intermingled it hard to tell which one was the original.
Voice coming through is christian but the reaso bowulf does things is to fit his culture which is paganism

Digressions:

Heremod