Beowulf the epic poem has become as legendary as the figure himself. As dramatic as any Greek tragedy, the tricks of Fate assail heroic figures through the perilous existence depicted, parried only by unexpected gleaming acts of glory and loyalty....
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Universitätsbibliothek der Eberhard Karls Universität
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Beowulf the epic poem has become as legendary as the figure himself. As dramatic as any Greek tragedy, the tricks of Fate assail heroic figures through the perilous existence depicted, parried only by unexpected gleaming acts of glory and loyalty. Debates have arisen over whether this may fairly be called the first literary work in the "English language," but it is as good a place to start as any. Scholars have asked whether the plot is coherent in the version that has come down to this day. Julie Boyden's conclusion, after much study, is that it is once we remove the Christian elements that were almost certainly inserted by the monks who transcribed the oral poem. And then, there are always questions as to how best to make ancient writings, translations, and especially poems, accessible to modern readers. In many "modern" editions of Beowulf, the Old English has been disregarded in favor of a more modern syntax. Ms. Boyden worked to avoid that while working on this translation; she wanted the strength of the original language to be apparent to any reader, and sought always to find the 'mot juste' in the original without resorting to any poetry she might invent on her own, as others have done Front ; Table of Contents; A Note on Pronunciation; Preface; Beowulf: Introduction to a Pagan Hero; Principal Characters in Beowulf; Beowulf.