Main Characters

Beowulf: Illustrious warrior from the land of the Geats in Sweden. When a monster terrorizes a Danish kingdom, Beowulf sails across the sea to come to the aid of the beleaguered Danes. Beowulf possesses enormous strength and courageously confronts the monster in hand-to-claw combat. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, Beowulf may mean bee-hunter (Beo for bee and wulf for hunter). A bear, of course, hunts bees and, therefore, Beowulftranslates loosely as bear.  Hrothgar: King of a Danish realm terrorized by a monster. He presides at Heorot, a great mead hall. Heorot  Wealhtheow: Hrothgar's wife and queen.  Grendel: Monster that terrorizes Heorot.   Grendel's Mother: Monster that retaliates after Beowulf defeats Grendel.  Dragon: Monster that goes on a rampage in the land of the Geats.  Wiglaf: Warrior who helps Beowulf fight the dragon.   Hygelac: King of the Geats in Sweden. He is Beowulf's uncle.  Hygd: Hygelac's wife and queen.  Heardred: Son of Hygelac.  Ecgtheow: Beowulf's father.  Unferth: Danish warrior who envies Beowulf.  Breca: Childhood friend of Beowulf.  Aeschere: Counselor to Hrothgar.  Freawaru: daughter of Hrothgar and Wealhtheow   Scyld Scefing: Onetime King of Denmark and great-grandfather of Hrothgar. He is mentioned in the epic but does not take part in the action.   

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3. English literature of the Middle Ages and genre variety. English ballads. The peculiarities of the genre. Ballads of Robin Hood. Robin Hood and the national idea of justice.

The ballads were composed in the XII-XIV centuries and written down in the XV-XVII centuries.  Now you hear the music of Medieval English ballad performed with the Medieval musical instruments.(music files)

Characteristics of a ballad are:

 A ballad tells a story.n   A ballad focuses on actions and dialoguen rather than characteristics and narration.   A ballad has a simple metricaln structure and sentence structure.   A ballad is sung to a modal melody.n   A ballad is of oral tradition, passed down by word of mouth. Therefore, itn undergoes changes and is of anonymous authorship.

В тетради

Robin Hood is a legendary hero of English folklore. In the old tales, Robin Hood is an expert archer and good-hearted outlaw who lives in England's Sherwood Forest and "robs from the rich and gives to the poor." He loves Maid Marian, leads a band known as the Merry Men (which includes Friar Tuck and the oversized Little John) and torments the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin appears in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe and many other books, stories and movies. Most Robin Hood stories are set in the era of 1100 - 1300 A.D., and in many he is a defender of the real-life King Richard the Lion-Hearted and enemy of the usurper, King John. Much like King Arthur, Robin is a fictional figure who may have been loosely based on a real person or persons.

4. English literature of the Middle Ages and genre variety. English legends about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The main characters and plots. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table The famous story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table is well known. King Arthur is the figure at the heart of the Arthurian legends but the Knights of the Round Table play an important part in the story and legend of King Arthur. The Arthurian legend revolves around the Code of Chivalry followed by King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The basis for the code of Chivalry followed by King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were Honour, Honesty, Valour and Loyalty. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were ' Brothers in Arms'. The Round Table was therefore built to ensure that all the Knights of the Round Table were deemed equal and each of the seats at the Round Table were highly favoured places.

The medieval tale of Arthur and his knights is full of Christian themes; those themes involve the destruction of human plans for virtue by the moral failures of their characters, and the quest for an important Christian relic. Finally, the relationships between the characters invited treatment in the tradition of courtly love, such as Lancelot andGuinevere, or Tristan and Iseult. In more recent years, the trend has been to attempt to link the tales of King Arthur and his knights with Celtic mythology, usually in highly romanticized, early twentieth century reconstructed versions.

Additionally, it is possible to read the Arthurian literature in general, and that concerned with the Grail tradition in particular, as an allegory of human development and spiritual growth (a theme explored by Joseph Campbell amongst others).

Arthur was the first born son of King Uther and heir to the throne. Because of the troubled times, Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the little Arthur should be raised some-where secret and that no one should know his true identity.

After the death of King Uther, there was a big conflict over the throne. Merlin used his magic to set a sword in a stone. On the sword, there was written: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise born king of all England." Of course all the knights took their turn at trying to pull out the sword, but no one could succeed. Arthur, quite by chance, withdrew the sword for another to use in a tournament. People didn’t believe, but when the sword was set back in the stone and he pulled it out once more, he became the king.

Excalibur was often attributed with magical powers and associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain.

He gathered Knights around him and fought back the Saxons who, since the Romans left Britain, were slowly but surely taking over the country. After many great battles and a huge victory at Mount Badon the Saxons were defeated.

Arthur's castle was called Camelot. His knights met at the Round Table. They carried out acts of chivalry such as rescuing ladies and fought against strange monsters and also took part in search for the Holy Grail. The most well-known knight is sir Lancelot. He is typically considered to be one of the greatest and most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of the king’s victories. He is perhaps most famous for being intimate with Arthur's wife Guinevere and the role he plays in the search for the Holy Grail.

King Arthur’s beautiful wife,Queen Guinevere, was as famous as the king himself and added a romantic side to the story. His equally beautiful half sister Morgan le Fay added a dark side and his son Mordred was Arthur’s biggest enemy. Civil War broke out after a time of peace and in the battle of Camlann, both Arthur and Mordred were deadly wounded. The King’s body was placed on a boat and it sailed to the isle of Avalon, where three maidens cured his wounds. According to the legend, Arthur and his knights rest there under a hill, waiting for the country to need their help again.

The first reliable reference to Arthur dates back to the year 830 (AD) and is called the 'Historia Brittonum' written by the Welsh monk Nennius. Only difference is, that he refers to Arthur as a warrior, not a king.

 

Arthurian Characters

Guinevere - Arthur's wayward wife Merlin - King Arthur's magician Ambrosius Aurelianus - Some say he's Arthur Joseph of Arimathea - Biblical character in England? Uther Pendragon - Arthur's legendary father Ygerna - Arthur's legendary mother Nimue - The Lady of the Lake Vortigern - Sponsor of the Saxons

Aspects of the Arthurian Legend

Camelot - King Arthur's Magnificent Court. Excalibur - Arthur's famous sword. The Holy Grail - The most mystical of objects. King Arthur's Knights - King Arthur's Chivalric Order.