Beowulf

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Beowulf is often called the first great poem in English. But why? In this course, we will explore the nature of Beowulf: is it really English? Is it really a masterpiece? Is it really a poem? (The answers to these questions are by no means simple.) We will read all 3182 lines of Beowulf over the course of the semester--mostly through the interpretations of modern translators, but with an eye on the original text as well. Our main goal in our discussions and writing will be to work out where Beowulf's aesthetic and emotional force comes from, and how it persists: why does this work continue to move and inspire us more than a thousand years after it was written down? As well as the poem itself, this course will look at modern adaptations of the Beowulf story across many media, including movies, music, and comic books. No prior knowledge of the Old English language is necessary: Students will pick up the basics as they go along, but there will be no assessed language work in the course.