Accessibility statement

The World of Beowulf - ENG00136I

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  • Department: English and Related Literature
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Elizabeth Tyler
  • Credit value: 30 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module summary

Beowulf has long fascinated readers with its riveting stories of pagan kings, queens, heroes, and the monsters who threaten them. Set long ago and far away in sixth-century southern Scandinavia, and told in moving epic and elegiac modes, it is a story which captivated English audiences for centuries. During this time, the English transformed themselves from small kingdoms led by warlords who settled in Britain in the wake of the Roman Empire, across periods of Scandinavian conquest, into a unified kingdom of England. However, the Beowulf manuscript is just as interested in the wider world: its perspective is global, situating Beowulf within an Afro-Eurasian context. Four other texts in the manuscript recount the adventures of Alexander the Great in Persia and India, the marvels of the ‘East’, the deeds of a heroic Jewish woman defending herself against sexual violence and her people against destruction, and the martyrdom of the dog-headed saint.

As we read the texts of the Beowulf manuscript, and others, we will open up how the English understood the multiplicity of their cultural inheritances, from their pagan origin myths, to their conversion to Christianity (and with it the coming of literacy), to their aggressive hegemony over the other peoples of Britain, to their global thinking. We will also explore questions of gender and sexuality and the environment and engage with the Beowulf manuscript as a handwritten material object..

Seminar texts are read in translation; however, you will receive elementary instruction in Old English grammar and vocabulary through collaborative workshops, for which no prior experience is required. This will enable you not only to engage with some of the greatest works of early medieval literature in the original language, but also to deepen your understanding of the history and grammar of modern English.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23

Module aims

This module aims to introduce you to rich and varied literature composed in England in the Early Middle Ages (c. 600-c.1000). You will develop a detailed knowledge of a range of poetic and prose texts, a basic reading knowledge of Old English, and engage with the critical debates sense of their place within the world.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, you should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an informed understanding of and engagement with a range of core early medieval English texts.

  2. Demonstrate an informed understanding of and engagement with the sophisticated sense of place in time and space, as well as social, cultural and political contexts evident among the people of early medieval England.

  3. Examine key debates and critical contexts for interpreting early medieval English literature.

  4. Develop arguments and ideas which demonstrate a proficiency in critical thinking, research, and writing skills.

  5. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of Old English, and an understanding of some of the key issues at stake in the act of translation.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
2500-word essay		 N/A 70
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled)
The World of Beowulf Exam		 4 hours 30

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

  • You will be given the opportunity to submit a 1000 word formative essay for the module, which can feed into the summative essay submitted at the end of the module.

  • You will submit your formative essay in week 1 of the Summer Term. It will be annotated and returned to you by your tutor within two weeks. Feedback on the essay will be uploaded to eVision.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
2500-word essay		 N/A 70
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled)
The World of Beowulf Exam		 4 hours 30

Module feedback

  • You will receive feedback on all assessed work within the University deadline, and will often receive it more quickly. The purpose of feedback is to inform your future work; it is designed to help you to improve your work, and the Department also offers you help in learning from your feedback. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further you can discuss it with your tutor or your supervisor, during their Open Office Hours

  • For more information about the feedback you will receive for your work, see the department's Guide to Assessment

Indicative reading

Beowulf, The Letter of Alexander, Judith, Marvels of the East and Life of St Christopher alongside a selection of Old English poetry from other manuscripts.

Peter Baker, An Introduction to Old English, 3rd edition, 2012.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.