Beowulf and Sir Gawain & The Green Knight

The story of Beowulf is an interesting case of a literary work that had no influence on subsequent works until modern times because the work was lost, and though a handful of learned antiquaries could study the text in Shakespeare's time, they could not comprehend Beowulf, the most important text preserved in Anglo-Saxon prose. The work did not begin to reach a wide audience until after World War I, and after World War II it would become an influence on modern literature.

There remains some question about the origin of this heroic poem, but it is believed to have been an Anglian poem composed in Northumbria (or possibly Mercia) during the first half of the eighth century. The version that exists today

presupposes an aristocratic Christian audience whose Germanic background and ancestry included the knowledge of Scandinavian and all of Germanic tradition and folk-lore of which the stories of Beowulf's three battles

. . .
ork in the opening lines: Lo! we have heard the glory of the kings of the Spear-Danes in days gone by, how the chieftains wrought mighty deeds. . . In every tribe a man shall prosper by deeds of love. Fame is the motivator for action, so that the hero will be remembered by the people. This drive toward fame is the structural basis of heroic society, as can be seen in the story of the fabled Scyld in the prologue to Beowulf. The poet describes how he comes to rescue the lordless Danes from anarchy and to establish for them the Scylding dynasty. He gains his position through force against neighboring tribes until he obtains their submission and tribute, and this is the way a king should behave: But what has been won by force must now be maintained by other means. Through the God-sanctioned birth of a son to Scyld a dynasty is established, but this alone will not insure a secure future of the Danes unless the young prince realizes that he must win his subjects' loyalty and affection by generous gifts. Generosity is the second great obligation of a king. . . What emerges in the poem is that there is more between the king and his subjects than gifts and loyalty--there is also a great love that has been built over tim
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1821
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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