Lines 81-85 of Beowulf come at the end of a section in which the poet describes the building of Heorot, King Hrothgar’s hall. The lines in question are prophetic. They tell of the future burning of Heorot as a result of treachery by Horthgar’s in-laws.
The first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a mythological history that connects the founding of Britain with the fall of Troy and the founding of Rome. The first four lines of the first stanza address the actual fall and burning of Troy through treachery.
The primary commonality between lines 81-85 of Beowulf and the first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the burning of Heorot and Troy, respectively, as a result of some form of treachery. In both instances, the great works of civilization (Hrothgar’s hall and the city of Troy) are brought down by human behavior that could be construed as uncivilized.
Additionally, if you are using particular translations of the two poems, you may want to look closely at the language of the two translations in the sections in question to determine if those particular translations use any common language and/or imagery.
No comments:
Post a Comment