首页
登录
职称英语
Historical Background → The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English, i
Historical Background → The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English, i
游客
2024-01-04
29
管理
问题
Historical Background
→ The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English, is the earliest existing Germanic epic and one of four surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. Although Beowulf was written by an anonymous Englishman in Old English, the tale takes place in that part of Scandinavia from which Germanic tribes emigrated to England. Beowulf comes from Geatland, the southeastern part of what is now Sweden. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, lives near what is now Leire, on Zealand, Denmark’s largest island. The Beowulf epic contains three major tales about Beowulf and several minor tales that reflect a rich Germanic oral tradition of myths, legends, and folklore.
→ The Beowulf warriors have a foot in both the Bronze and Iron Ages. Their mead-halls reflect the wealthy living of the Bronze Age Northmen, and their wooden shields, wood-shafted spears, and bronze-hilted swords are those of the Bronze Age warrior. However, they carry iron-tipped spears, and their best swords have iron or iron-edged blades. Beowulf also orders an iron shield for his fight with a dragon. Iron replaced bronze because it produced a blade with a cutting edge that was stronger and sharper. The Northmen learned how to forge iron in about 500 B.C. Although they had been superior to the European Celts in bronze work, it was the Celts who taught them how to make and design iron work. Iron was accessible everywhere in Scandinavia, usually in the form of "bog-iron" found in the layers of peat in peat bogs.
The Beowulf epic also reveals interesting aspects of the lives of the AngloSaxons who lived in England at the time of the anonymous Beowulf poet. The Germanic tribes, including the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes, invaded England from about A.D. 450 to 600. By the time of the Beowulf.poet, AngloSaxon society in England was neither primitive nor uneu tured A
→ Although the Beowulf manuscript was written in about A.D. 1000, it was not discovered until the seventeenth century. B Scholars do not know whether Beowulf is the sole surviving epic from a flourishing Anglo-Saxon literary period that produced other great epics or whether it was unique even in its own time.C Many scholars think that the epic was probably written sometime between the late seventh century and the early ninth century. If they are correct, the original manuscript was probably lost during the ninth-century Viking invasions of Anglia, in which the Danes destroyed the Anglo-Saxon monasteries and their great libraries. However, other scholars think that the poet’s favorable attitude toward the Danes must place the epic’s composition after the Viking invasions and at the start of the eleventh century, when this Beowulf manuscript was written.
→ The identity of the Beowulf poet is also uncertain. D He apparently was a Christian who loved the pagan heroic tradition of his ancestors and blended the values of the pagan hero with the Christian values of his own country and time. Because he wrote in the Anglian dialect, he probably was either a monk in a monastery or a poet in an Anglo-Saxon court located north of the Thames River.
Appeal and Value
Beowulf interests contemporary readers for many reasons. First, it is an outstanding adventure story. Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon are marvelous characters, and each fight is unique, action-packed, and exciting. Second, Beowulf is a very appealing hero. He is the perfect warrior, combining extraordinary strength, skill, courage, and loyalty. Like Hercules, he devotes his life to making the world a safer place. He chooses to risk death in order to help other people, and he faces his inevitable death with heroism and dignity. Third, the Beowulf poet is interested in the psychological aspects of human behavior. For example, the Danish hero’s welcoming speech illustrates his jealousy of Beowulf. The behavior of Beowulf’s warriors in the dragon fight reveals their cowardice. Beowulf’s attitudes toward heroism reflect his maturity and experience, while King Hrothgar’s attitudes toward life show the experiences of an aged nobleman.
Finally, the Beowulf poet
exhibits
a mature appreciation of the transitory nature of human life and achievement. In Beowulf, as in the major epics of other cultures, the hero must create a meaningful life in a world that is often dangerous and uncaring. He must accept the inevitability of death. He chooses to
reject
despair; instead, he takes pride in himself and in his accomplishments, and he values human relationships. [br] An introduction for a short summary of the passage appears below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Beowulf is the oldest Anglo-Saxon epic poem that has survived to the present day, ______ ______ ______
Answer Choices
(A) The Northmen were adept in crafting tools and weapons made of bronze, but the Celts were superior in designing and working in iron.
(B) In the Viking invasions of England, the Danish armies destroyed monasteries, some of which contained extensive libraries.
(C) King Hrothgar and Beowulf become friends at the end of their lives, after having spent decades opposing each other on the battlefield.
(D) The poem chronicles life in Anglo-Saxon society during the Bronze and Iron Ages when Germanic tribes were invading England.
(E) Although Beowulf was written by an anonymous poet, probably a Christian, about 1000 A.D., it was not found until the seventeenth century.
(F) Beowulf is still interesting because it has engaging characters, an adventurous plot, and an appreciation for human behavior and relationships.
选项
答案
EDF
解析
summarize the passage. Choice A is true, but it is a minor point that establishes the time period for the poem and refers to major point D. Choice B is true, but it is a detail that refers to major point E and explains why there may be only one manuscript. Choice C is not clear from the information in the passage.
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3333788.html
相关试题推荐
TheHistoryoftheGuitarTheword’guitar’wasbroughtintoEnglishasanadapt
TheHistoryoftheGuitarTheword’guitar’wasbroughtintoEnglishasanadapt
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
ResearchingtheoriginofmedievalmanuscriptsBackgroundMedievalmanuscripts
随机试题
[originaltext]M:DoyourememberthefilmonspaceexplorationthatwasonTVl
[A]lengthy[I]transparent[B]transformation[J]deliberately[C]absorpt
Thecriminaldidn’trealizethevalueoffreedom______hehadlostit.A、ifB、as
发现幼儿患病时,幼儿教师可以自行给幼儿用药。()
淮河上游,在距今8000多年前的贾湖遗址的一些红烧土块内发现了保存很好的稻壳印痕
期货公司变更法定代表人,拟任法定代表人应当具备任职资格。期货公司应当向住所地的中
患者,男,46岁。右侧腮腺反复肿大2年。自述每于进食时右侧腮腺憋胀感,并伴轻微疼
关于白斑,以下哪项描述是不恰当的A.在临床和病理上诊断为其他疾病的病变也可称为白
患者,女,14岁,无长期服药史。临床检查见全口牙牙龈增生覆盖牙冠的2/3以上,增
根据凯恩斯消费理论,关于消费支出的说法正确的是()。A.在收入中所占的比重会不
最新回复
(
0
)