MA.AA.LW09 Fiction/Non-Fiction: Beowulf
Beowulf is not only the sole surviving Old English epic (pagan) poem, but also undoubtedly one of the most important works of (Old) English literature. We will not only discuss the overall structure, the manuscript, the language, the problem of the audience and the different scholarly interpretations, but also read and analyse key passages and trace the story’s influence on and adaptations in modern literature and culture in form of re-writings (e.g. John Gardner’s Grendel), illustrations (e.g. John Howe’s Beowulf cycle), graphic novels (e.g. Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf) and movies (e.g. Zemeckis’ 2007 Beowulf).
Recommended text edition: Seamus Heaney (trans.). Beowulf. A New Verse Translation. Bilingual edition. London: faber and faber, 2007. (An electronic version will be available on Moodle)
Please note that the first session (6 April 2023) and the session on 25 May 2023 are online sessions. |
