Second Assignment on Beowulf - Christian Elements in the Poem

Read Beowulf (you should have already read 1/2 of it at this point).

While you read it, pay attention to two things in the whole poem (not just in the second part):

• The battles . Pay special attention to those battles in which Beowulf himself is involved.
• The obviously Christian references -- to God, and any others you may find.

Keep in mind that, as your introduction points out, the poem was written by a Christian.

In fact, it was certainly written down in a monastery by some monk. The duty of monks was to occupy themselves in labors pleasing to God. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves how the writing and copying of Beowulf could be thought of as "pleasing to [the Christian] God."

Now, think about this poem as an allegory. Think about the battles as moral or spiritual battles.

Consider the likelihood that the Old English audience and author were not so naive as to believe that monsters, fire-breathing dragons, etc., really existed, and that if they did, any warrior should confront them by putting his weapons aside and wrestling with them.

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Written Assignment: Write 300 words, or a bit more, on the possible meaning of Beowulf for a Christian, aristocratic audience.

Email it to your group and to me by 10 p.m. the evening before class.