Characters

Main Characters:
Beowulf - The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture. In his old age, he proves a wise and effective ruler.
King Hrothgar - The king of the Danes. Hrothgar enjoys military success and prosperity until Grendel terrorizes his realm. A wise and aged ruler, Hrothgar represents a different kind of leadership from that exhibited by the youthful warrior Beowulf. He is a father figure to Beowulf and a model for the kind of king that Beowulf becomes.

Grendel - A demon descended from Cain, Grendel preys on Hrothgar’s warriors in the king’s mead-hall, Heorot. Because his ruthless and miserable existence is part of the retribution exacted by God for Cain’s murder of Abel, Grendel fits solidly within the ethos of vengeance that governs the world of the poem.

Grendel’s mother - An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems to possess fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance—a human motivation.

The dragon - An ancient, powerful serpent, the dragon guards a horde of treasure in a hidden mound. Beowulf’s fight with the dragon constitutes the third and final part of the epic.

Minor Characters:
Shield Sheafson - The legendary Danish king from whom Hrothgar is descended, Shield Sheafson is the mythical founder who inaugurates a long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish tribe’s highest values of heroism and leadership. The poem opens with a brief account of his rise from orphan to warrior-king, concluding, “That was one good king” (11).
Beow - The second king listed in the genealogy of Danish rulers with which the poem begins. Beow is the son of Shield Sheafson and father of Halfdane. The narrator presents Beow as a gift from God to a people in need of a leader. He exemplifies the maxim, “Behavior that’s admired / is the path to power among people everywhere” (24–25).

Halfdane - The father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, Halga, and an unnamed daughter who married a king of the Swedes, Halfdane succeeded Beow as ruler of the Danes.

Wealhtheow - Hrothgar’s wife, the gracious queen of the Danes.

Unferth - A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf.

Hrethric - Hrothgar’s elder son, Hrethric stands to inherit the Danish throne, but Hrethric’s older cousin Hrothulf will prevent him from doing so. Beowulf offers to support the youngster’s prospect of becoming king by hosting him in Geatland and giving him guidance.

Hrothmund - The second son of Hrothgar.

Hrothulf - Hrothgar’s nephew, Hrothulf betrays and usurps his cousin, Hrethic, the rightful heir to the Danish throne. Hrothulf’s treachery contrasts with Beowulf’s loyalty to Hygelac in helping his son to the throne.

Key Facts

full title · Beowulf

author · Unknown

type of work · Poem

genre · Alliterative verse; elegy; resembles heroic epic, though smaller in scope than most classical epics

language · Anglo-Saxon (also called Old English)

time and place written · Estimates of the date of composition range between 700 and 1000 a.d.; written in England

date of first publication · The only manuscript in which Beowulf is preserved is thought to have been written around 1000 a.d.

publisher · The original poem exists only in manuscript form.

narrator · A Christian narrator telling a story of pagan times

point of view · The narrator recounts the story in the third person, from a generally objective standpoint—detailing the action that occurs. The narrator does, however, have access to every character’s depths. We see into the minds of most of the characters (even Grendel) at one point or another, and the narrative also moves forward and backward in time with considerable freedom.

tone · The poet is generally enthusiastic about Beowulf’s feats, but he often surrounds the events he narrates with a sense of doom.

tense · Past, but with digressions into the distant past and predictions of the future

setting (time) · The main action of the story is set around 500 a.d.; the narrative also recounts historical events that happened much earlier.

setting (place) · Denmark and Geatland (a region in what is now southern Sweden)

protagonist · Beowulf

major conflict · The poem essentially consists of three parts. There are three central conflicts: Grendel’s domination of Heorot Hall; the vengeance of Grendel’s mother after Grendel is slain; and the rage of the dragon after a thief steals a treasure that it has been guarding. The poem’s overarching conflict is between close-knit warrior societies and the various menaces that threaten their boundaries.

rising action · Grendel’s attack on Heorot, Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel, and Grendel’s mother’s vengeful killing of Aeschere lead to the climactic encounter between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother.

climax · Beowulf’s encounter with Grendel’s mother constitutes the moment at which good and evil are in greatest tension.

falling action · Beowulf’s glorious victory over Grendel’s mother leads King Hrothgar to praise him as a worthy hero and to advise him about becoming king. It also helps Beowulf to transform from a brazen warrior into a reliable king.

themes · The importance of establishing identity; tensions between the heroic code and other value systems; the difference between a good warrior and a good king

motifs · Monsters; the oral tradition; the mead-hall

symbols · The golden torque; the banquet

foreshadowing · The funeral of Shield Sheafson, with which the poem opens, foreshadows Beowulf’s funeral at the poem’s end; the story of Sigemund told by the scop, or bard, foreshadows Beowulf’s fight with the dragon; the story of King Heremod foreshadows Beowulf’s eventual ascendancy to kingship.

Quest For Immortaltity- presentation

People in today's society want to try and find ways for people to live forever or even to live longer. They already have things like supplements to try to make them live longer. People are trying to be healthy by eating healthy, exercising, taking different kinds of supplements and so on. But none of those things will make you live forever. Currently, life expectancy in the United States is about 80 for women, about 75 for men. There is no way possible for somebody to live forever. Or is there? Death is a natural thing in our lives because it happens to everyone. You can't stop death but scientists now are trying to let us live longer.
How would you like to live for 400 or 500 years? And even better, you'd be in perfect health.
On 60 minutes, they talked to a scientist who said that this could be possible in the next 20 to 30 years for the first steps towards immortality!
We don't like facing the fact that we are going to lose the ones that we love or even die ourselves. And in the book when Gilgamesh loses Enkidu he goes to great lengths to find immortality to get his best friend back.In the end of the book the walls of Uruk will be the source of his own immortality because the walls of the city will not fall down.
Also anything that is born, will die. It shows that in the book because Enkidu dies. Gilgamesh felt the loss of his friend, but he doesn't need to be afraid of death and that's what his mind-set was. That death is bad because it took his best friend away from him. Gilgamesh sets out to find Utnapishtim who can tell him the secret of immortality. He tells Gilgamesh to go to the bottom of the lake and get the the plant of immortality. He dives down and stops to take a bath and an animal eats it. This may represent that the struggle to find immortality will always end in defeat. If someone spends their life fearing death, trying to avoid death, they may never experience the many pleasures that life has to offer.




http://www.jasonmoon.org/rants/gilgamesh.htm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/28/60minutes/main1168852_page2.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Literary Archetypes!

The Hero is Gilgamesh because he goes through anything to save his friend. Enkidu was his best friend, his companion through anything. When they went to fight Humbaba to find more power, Gilgamesh knew he needed to protect his friend. And also when the Bull of Heaven came down and almost beat Enkidu to death, Gilgamesh got the ax and killed the Bull, saving his friend. When Enkidu died, Gilgamesh when on a journey to find the secret for eternal life so bring his best friend back to life.
The Antihero is also Gilgamesh because at times through the journey he loses hope. He becomes weak and makes himself think that he can't go on anymore. He is alone now and doesn't have enough strenght to keep going. " He was my friend, pleaded Gilgamesh, unconcious once again of audience and pain. Recounting flowed from him like music played from someone else. My younger brother who saved me from the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba, who listened to my dreams, who shared my pain. Why did he have to die? He would have stayed with me in death. He would not have let me died alone. He was a friend" (p.68). Gilgamesh couldn't understand why Enkidu had to die, so Gilgamesh would grieve and lose a lot of hope during his journey.
The Wise Fool is Utnapishtim because everyone thinks that his is an old man that knows nothing. But he tells Gilgamesh of his adventures that he had and what the gods told him to do. Utnapishtim got chosen to be the one that builds a ship and saves the ones that are needed on the earth and the others will die during the flood. He survives through a flood and gets chosen by the god of war to become immortal. Utnapishtim didn't want to become immortal but they knew that he was wise enough to handle it. He comes off as being very wise and has a lot of good advice and knowledge.
The Devil Figure is Ishtar because she tries to persuade Gilgamesh to marry her, to make him love her. Gilgamesh refuses to marry her because her love brings war. He tells her that her love only brings war and that she once use to be beautiful but now she is ugly and can get noone.
The Outcast is Enkidu. In the begining when he was an animal he was alienated by the humans because he would run wild with the animals and he was one of them. He didn't need to be involved with the human life. But when the prostitue came and slept with him, she took that from him and turned him into a man, into a real human. Once he slept with her, he felt the absense from all of the animals. It was all quiet and he wasn't one of them anymore. He was a man and from then on the animals then alienated him.
The Double is immortality. Immortality can be both sudductive and bring you in and it can also be evil. Immortality has a beautiful side to it saying that you can live forever and you don't have to die. In that case Gilgamesh and Enkidu wanted to be immortal so they could live together and never have to face death and be alone. But Utnapishtim got chosen without choice by the gods to become immortal. The evil side of this is when it gets forced upon you without choice and you can't do anything about it.
The Scapegoat is Enkidu. The gods told them that one of them had to die. They had an arguement over whether it was going to be Gilgamesh or Enkidu. They knew that Gilgamesh was 2/3 god and 1/3 man. So they knew that they had to keep him alive becasue he was a god. Enkidu, not being a king and killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven had to face the punishment somehow. So the gods chose that it should be Enkidu that dies.
The Temptress is the prostitue. She is a very beautiful woman that people adore. She did wrong to Enkidu by sleeping with him and making his life, the animals, betray him. She is an evil person by doing that because at the end of it all, he ended up dying because of her. Because he became a man and had to face death the way humans do.
The Goodmother is Ninson. Ninson is Gilgamesh's mother and before they set off for the fight, gave Gilgamesh and Enkidu great advice. She even took in Enkidu as her son. When Gilgamesh has dreams that he doesn't understand and that he is afraid of, she will tell him what they mean. She gives them guidance through what they have to get through.

III & IV

When Enkidu died, Gilgamesh cried day after day for his lost friend. He was wandering around alone and it was sad to him because he has never been alone. He figured that he wasn't anymore than a king, he was just a man who was lost. He suddenly got very angry and even insane and he tired to bring Enkidu back to life. He decided that he was going to try and find the secret of enternal life. So he set out to find Utnapishtim, the one who survived the flood and death, the one who knew the secret!
Gilgamesh comes to the mountains of Mashu and has to get by the Scorpian people who guard the gate. They said that noone has passed through this gate. There is only death and grief. Gilgamesh said that he has gone through enough grief that he could handle it. Through his travels through the gate he would always think of Enkidu and say his name over and over again thinking that he might be there with him. He gets down on himself and starts crying but then remembers why he is taking this journey alone and it is to find the secret to eternal life so he can bring his friend back. Gilgamesh had to go over the sea of Death to get to Utnapishtim and he had to find his boatman Urshanabi. He could show him the way. Urshanabi told him to take his ax and cut down a lot of trees and they will be the poles to push him across the sea of death. He sea sail on the sea and Ur told him not to let the waters touch his hand and take extra poles with him.
When he reached Untapishtim he told him what he all went through to get here and that he needs to help his friend. Utna. said that brings him hope that one can come this far to bring life to a friend. Untapishtim told Gilgamesh that people were planning on a big flood and that Ea told him that he needed to pack up this loved things and and build a ship. The floods came everyone died and wasn't on the ship. Utnapishtim couldn't believe that they all had to die. He wondered why they all had to face death. Ea came and touched his forehead and said that he and his wife shall be known as gods now. He didn't want to become immortal. He envys the freedom the mortals have.
Utnapishtim then tells Gilgamesh that you cannot stop death and that it a natural thing in life that just has to happen. You can't bring people back from death either. Utnapishtim told him that there is a plant in the river, it has thorns that will prick your hands but will give you a new life. Gilgamesh tied stones to his feet and jumping into the river. He saw the plant and when he reached it he grapped it and it cut him sending his red blood into the river. Gilgamesh took a bath in the water and left the plant alone and a serpant came from the water and ate it. When he saw that the skin from the serpant was left he sat down and started crying.
He recognizes his loss and returned to Uruk. He asked people if they ever heard of a man named Enkidu and no one had.
Gilgamesh then looked at the walls and what his people had all gotten done and for a moment all his grief and hurt passed from him.

II

Gilgamesh said that he and Enkidu must go fight Humbaba and prove that they are much stronger than he is. Enkidu was afraid of the forrest and told Gilgamesh not to go. He knew that he wasn't going to win the fight and that they were friends now so he had to stand behind Gilgamesh. Enkidu started to feel weak but Gilgamesh said that it was Humbaba that was just making him weak, and he needs to forget about it and we need to go and kill his evil power over us. When Enkidu was with the animals they told him never to go into the forrest of Humbaba because it brings death. Gilgamesh went to the Market House and got all the weapons for the fight. He noticed that Enkidu was in a terriable pain and asked what was wrong. Enkidu was about to cry and told Gilgamesh that it was a road which you have never traveled.
They get their weapons and stop by Ninsons house. She then says that Enkidu is not her son, but she will adopt him and have upon him the same protection as she does with Gilgamesh.
Once they got to the forrest, Gilgamesh became afraid and it was Enkidu telling him that he can't be fearless. The approched the gate and when Enkidu touched the gate his hand felt numb and he couldn't feel his wrist or his fingers. He asked Gilgamesh for help, and told him to just move on without him. Gilgamesh told him that he will get better and that they had to go forth together. Enkidu awoke in the middle of the night and he was in pain, he tried to have Gilgamesh hear but he couldn't get him to hear. When Gilgamesh finally awoke he still couldn't hear Enkidu because he was still caught up in his dreams.
In the morning Gilgamesh started to cut down the great cedars and when Humbaba heard that he came rushing down the path. When Gilgamesh hear that he was coming he felt weak. Then they saw his head, that looked like a great buffalo's head.Gilgamesh saw Humbaba hit Enkidu and beat him to the ground until he thought that Enkidu was dead. Enkidu then hit Humbaba and when he was down Gilgamesh got his ax and held it above his head. Humbaba was begging that he would be their servant if he didn't kill him. Enkidu thought Gilgamesh was giving in so he yelled to him not to give in to his demands! Gilgamesh brought the ax up higher and brought it down and cut Humbaba right in the neck.
They returned to Uruk and Ishtar came to him and said the gods were mad about Humbabas death and was blaming it all on Gilgamesh and Ishtar said that Anu (her father) would relent him only if he married her. That would be the only way. He told her that her love only brings war and that she is an old fat whore. Ashtar got mad and told her father that they need to be punished so Anu brought down the Bull of Heaven and it killed 3 hundred men and then attacked Gilgamesh. Enkidu seeing his friend in trouble got strength and fought the bull. He got the sword and he lunged it between his horns right in it's neck and it fell dead.
Enkidu awoke from a dream not feeling well and the wounds from the fight getting worse. He said that in his dream the gods said that one of them just die becasue they killed Hubaba and the Bull of Heaven. Enlil said that Enkidu must die becasue Gilgamesh is part god.Gilgamesh then started freaking out because he didn't know what he would do without Enkidu with him. He couldn't go on alone. Gilgamesh knew that his friend was close to dying so he was going over the good times that they had together and make him try to forget his pain. Enkidu told Gilgamesh that he was going to be alone and that he has to face it. He said that the prostitue made him see death and feel what death is. He asked why he was crying and why Gilgamesh was to go on alone. Is that how it is with friends? and then Enkidu died.

I

Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk. He is also 2/3 god and 1/3 human. Enkidu was born on the Steppe. Enkidu was an animal and a man. Gilgamesh had his people rebuild the walls of Uruk, but then he wouldn't take care of them and they would fall down. So the people of Uruk started to hate him because he would make them build the walls and they would always fall down.
A hunter saw Enkidu letting out a trap that he had set. So the hunter got mad and told his boy to go to Gilgamesh and tell him what Enkidu was doing. Gilgamesh listened and sent a prostitute to sleep with Enkidu so the animals would be ashamed of him. The prositute had Enkidu sleep with her and when they awoke he felt a wave of lonliness. All the animals have left him.
Gilgamesh said that he woke up from a dream and said to his mother that a star had fallen from the sky and the people of Enkidu stared at it and he got jealous and tried to carry it away but he was too weak. He was worried because he has never dreamt like that before. Ninson said, " Your equal is the star which fell, as if a sign from Heaven had been sent which is too heavy but which you will try to lift and drive away, and fail." (p.19) He said that he never fails at anything. He had another dream of an ax and when he tried to lift that he also failed.
Enkidu again woke up next to the prostitue where he eventually got use to her body and she asked him why he still wanted to run with the animals. She said that she would lead him to Uruk where he belongs, he is a human now, not an animal.
The birthright of Gilgamesh is to sleep with the bride before she is married. Enkidu didn't that was right. So when they were going to the Family House to pick the bride, Enkidu stood in the way of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh got very upset because the people were cheering for someone other than him. So he lunged at Enkidu and they got into a very huge fight. After they faught for a while, they stopped and looked at eachother in the eyes and saw themselves, once it was all silence they burst out laughing, and from there on, became soulmates.