BEOWULF

THE TEXT

• Oldest surviving manusript date: early 11th century
• How is it dated?
• Antiquarian Robert Bruce Cotton (1571-1631)
• bust of Roman Emperor Aulus Vitellius shelf A, position 15
• Cotton Vitellius A. xv.

TEXT HISTORY

• Donated to Britain in 1700.Moved to Ashburnham House in Westminster c. 1729
• 1731- House catches fire, manuscript is badly burned around the edges
• 179/182 is argued to be palimpsest- erased for revision or re-use
• Might be the description of the dragon!
• gatherings or quires of three to six vellum leaves tied together with thread

Manuscript Saga

• 1786: G. J. Thorkelin, an Icelandic scholar
• looking for documents relating to Denmark
• 1807 his house burned down along with his translated work
• Finally published in 1815
• First English edition appeared in 1833

Untitled Slide

BEOWULF THE FILM

• 82 million US gross
• 196 mil worldwide
• Zemeckis - BTTF, Forrest Gump, Contact
• Rating was disputed
• 12A in England, PG-13 in USA

Beowulf the Film

• Roger Ebert: 3/4 Stars, 6.3/10 IMDB
• Jolie spent 3 days filming
• Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson
•  John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, and Angelina Jolie
• Actors wore 78 body markers while filming

DIFFERENCES

• the portrayal of Beowulf as a flawed man and a braggart
• the portrayal of Hrothgar as a womanizing alcoholic
• the portrayal of Unferth as a Christian
• the portrayal of Grendel as a fragile childlike creature rather than savage demon
• Beowulf's funeral