Elements of English Literature
Alliteration
- A repetition of consonants within two or more words.
Beowulf, you've come to us in friendship, and because of the reception your father found at our court." (191-192)
Allusion
Any direct or indirect reference to a person, place, event, or character in history, mythology, or sacred texts.
In the quote below, the biblical names Cain and Abel were mentioned. In the Bible, Cain murdered his brother, Abel, and was punished by God for doing so. The author relates the monster, Grendel, to Cain. Both Grendel and Cain made crimes and were shunned by the public. So Hrothgar's men lived happy in hall till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel's death." (15-26) |
Catastrophe
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Dramatic Irony
The tragic reverse of what the participants expected.
In the fight against Grendel's mother, Beowulf fought and killed her and her blood splattered all over the floor. The Danes who stood by stared at the blood and thought it belonged to Beowulf. They thought that Beowulf perished. However, the audience knew that Beowulf survived the threat.
In the fight against Grendel's mother, Beowulf fought and killed her and her blood splattered all over the floor. The Danes who stood by stared at the blood and thought it belonged to Beowulf. They thought that Beowulf perished. However, the audience knew that Beowulf survived the threat.
Flat Character
- One-dimensional character serving purpose only to further the plot.
Round Character
A character possessing the depth and complexity of a living person.
A round character in Beowulf is Beowulf. Beowulf possesses youthful qualities as a hero and many people, even outside of his tribe, know of his herosim. As he gets older, he fights against tougher opponents. In his fight against Grendel, Beowulf did not use a single weapon. This goes to show of not just his bravery, but shows his willingness and determination.
A round character in Beowulf is Beowulf. Beowulf possesses youthful qualities as a hero and many people, even outside of his tribe, know of his herosim. As he gets older, he fights against tougher opponents. In his fight against Grendel, Beowulf did not use a single weapon. This goes to show of not just his bravery, but shows his willingness and determination.
Mood
- The atmosphere or emotional effect generated by the words, images, situations in a literary work.
Protagonist
Reversal
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Setting
A combination of the locale, historical background, season or hour, and spiritual, ethnic, and cultural background.The setting in Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia, in the 5th century. Germanic tribes defeat the Western Roman Empire at the time and Europe entered a time of turmoil afterward. The Germanic tribes of the Danes and Geats settled on the lands of what is now Denmark and Sweden. This epic poem was written sometime between the eighth century and tenth century.
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Tragic Irony
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