A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC （老师的指导律师协会经典）.pdf

A T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E T O T H E S I G N E T C L A S S I C E D I T I O N O F BEOWULF By DANA HUFF S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Beowulf 2 I N T R O D U C T I O N Beowulf ’s origins are mysterious. While we do not know the identity of the author, and we are unsure of its precise date of composition, most scholars believe it was composed by a single Christian author for a Christian audience in Anglo- Saxon England anywhere from the eighth to eleventh century. Beowulf was composed in the oral poetic tradition. Whether it was originally written or oral is not known. The poem, filled with biblical allusions to the Old Testament, is also influenced by Germanic oral tradition and Old Norse myth and legend. Beowulf is well suited for upper-grade high school students of all abilities. Adolescent readers will enjoy its action and adventure. Television shows, such as Xe na: Warrior Princess and Hercules, and movies like The 13th Warrior (based on Michael Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead), have helped pique student interest in stories of feudal heroes. Most upper-grade high school students previously have been introduced to epic poetry and its related concept of the epic hero in such works as The Odyssey. Lower-ability students should be able to read and understand Beowulf with the help of plot summaries and class discussions. All students will