Margaret Moran Mrs. Warren Waxahachie Global High School 13 December, 2013 Beowulf vs.

The Twelfth Night Throughout the history of Great Britain, there have been many great works of literature, each one influenced by the aspects of culture and history that were so unique to their time and place. Beowulf, which was first written around the 11th century AD, is the oldest surviving manuscript from Britain. Created by an unknown author after being passed along by oral storytelling for hundreds of years, it is an epic poem about a great warrior who eventually became the lord of his people. Due to the war-like nature of Britain during the medieval times, Beowulf places a lot of emphasis on strength in battle and loyalty to ones leaders and comrades. Centuries after that story was written, times were very different in England. England had become united and peaceful under Queen Elizabeth, and the people were not constantly at war with each other. Due in part to the influence of the Queens tutor, who loved plays, literature such as The Twelfth Night became popular. Written by William Shakespeare, this play rejoiced in the euphoric nature of the times. Viola and her twin, Sebastian, are shipwrecked. Thinking her brother is dead, Viola disguises herself as a boy, then proceeds to fall in love with a count, who is in love with a noble woman that falls in love with Viola herself, thinking she is a man. It is quite obvious that these two stories do not have much in common. While they are very different, they do have a common ground to stand on. In some ways, they are very similar, especially in how they both mirror the time period that they were written in. The historical setting, cultural

context, literary styles, and aesthetic principles of these two stories have their similarities, which are shared by many literary works, and their differences, which depend on many factors.

HISTORICAL SETTING Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia (northern Denmark and southwestern Sweden) around the 6th century, during the late Vendel period. During that time, Christianity had been introduced to Western Europe, and it was spreading like wildfire. The political structure was very fragmented, with groups of people such as the Geats and the Swedes further divided into smaller settlements led by lords such as Hrothgar and Hygelac. Some of the characters in Beowulf correspond to actual historical figures, such as the Swedish King Onela. The story mirrors the time period because of its representation of the traditional values of loyalty, honor, and accomplishments in battle that made up the Scandinavian code of honor. It also mirrors the assimilation of Christianity into the traditionally pagan culture, as Christian phrases are present alongside monsters of legend. Beowulf is written to the people in general, and assimilates traditional pagan values with the values of Christianity. As an epic poem, its primary purpose is to serve as an entertaining historical narrative, although it is not known whether Beowulf was a real person (or even if some of his feats were possible). The Twelfth Night was written by William Shakespeare in Elizabethan England and takes place during the 16th and 17th centuries. The comedic aspects of this play mirror the time period, and so does the romance. As per usual with Shakespearean comedies, the main characters pair off into the most suitable couples in the end; Viola is with Duke Orsino, Olivia is with Sebastian, and Maria is with Sir Toby. Although he falls in love with Viola before he finds out that she is a woman, Orsino would never have married another man. When he does find out about her real

gender, he says, Give me they hand, and let me see thee in thy womans weed, (Shakespeare, p. 1267), and this signals her return to a womans role. There is no chance for other couples to exist, such as Malvolio and Olivia or Antonio and Sebastian. This preserves the cultural belief of only marrying someone who is appropriate. During this period, Queen Elizabeth the First ruled England, and the political situation was fairly stable and united. The Catholic and Anglican churches coexisted, although not harmoniously, and Puritans had emerged in the former of the two. The Twelfth Night, although it was a play written to entertain the masses, also reflects the concerns of many people with the rise of Puritanism. Malvolio can be said to represent the strict Puritans, while the rest of the main cast represents the general public, which has become increasingly amoral over the years. In fact, the name of the story The Twelfth Night is a reference to the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the largest annual celebration in England. During this celebration, it was common for people to throw away most or all of their morals for that day. It was a day of utter chaos and revelry, much like the chaotic nature of the play that shares its name. CULTURAL CONTEXT In Beowulf, it is mainly the names of the peoples used (Geats, Swedes, etc.) that identify them with Scandinavia. The moral values of loyalty and honor also associate the epic poem with this culture. Toward the end of the poem, after Beowulf is dead, Wiglaf makes it clear that the warrior that did not help him have gone against what is culturally acceptable: Your kinsmen every one shall become wanderers without land-rights as soon as athelings over the world shall hear the report of how you fled, a deed of ill fame. Death is better for any earl than an existacne of disgrace. (Beowulf, p. 100). Scandinavia, and most of the world for that matter, had a very war-like culture at this point in time. Minorities were not exactly treated equally by all, but as

long as they kept the code of honor and were loyal to their lord, they were not often treated unfairly. In the world of Beowulf, the indigenous peoples of conquered lands were usually enslaved, forced to swear loyalty to their conquerors, or massacred. Women were generally regarded as servants, whether in great halls or as peace-keepers. As for The Twelfth Night, the characters courtly manners (in the case of the nobles) are very identifiable with Elizabethan England. The fact that it is a play further proves this, as plays reached an unprecedented level of popularity in Elizabethan England. Minorities, women, and the indigenous people of conquered lands were, in effect, all treated as slaves. Both pieces encourage conformation to cultural normality. In Beowulf, the characters conform to the cultural beliefs of remaining loyal to a lord, never abandoning your comrades in battle, and winning glory for your people. Although Malvolio desperately wants to marry Olivia, and there are hints at romance between Sebastian and Antonio throughout The Twelfth Night, the cultural norm of heterosexual couples of the same status is adhered to. It is these cultural norms that are portrayed in both stories. Neither piece is concerned with how natural science works, although Elizabethan England saw the establishment of numerous grammar schools for middle-class boys and petty schools for middle-class girls. Plays came to be considered a form of education, as Queen Elizabeths tutor encouraged it. In Beowulfs time, there was little knowledge about science, and many people believed in the supernatural. Therefore, few, if any, formal schools were established. Beowulf focused on the warriors code of honor and the growth of a warrior into a great lord, while The Twelfth Night was about social interactions, especially those of a romantic nature.

LITERARY STYLES The style of writing seen in Beowulf is an epic style of poetry that is derived from a long tradition of oral story-telling. The traits of epic poems include a formal tone, no back-story that is irrelevant to the plot, kennings, similes, and stronger-than-normal heroes. The Twelfth Night, like most of Shakespeares work, is a play, and therefore written in dialogue format. This type of genre was written for a large city audience that wished to be entertained, and therefore contains many elements of comedy. Both pieces focus on keeping with cultural norms; Beowulf does so in the forms of loyalty, courage, honor, and feats of battle, while The Twelfth Night is about always sticking to cultural norms when it comes to marriage. The story of Beowulf also reflects the cultural change to Christianity during the 6th century, while The Twelfth Night reflects the revelry and chaos of Elizabethan England. The authors of both stories used genres that best pertained to their audience. Beowulf put down an oral tale in writing for the first time, while The Twelfth Night was written to be performed. AESTHETIC PRINCIPLES During the time that Beowulf was written, much emphasis was placed on heroic deeds and adventures. People considered a tale beautiful if it described great adventures in a way that held their interest. It focuses mainly on the beauty of works of man in a world that is just beginning to accept the possibility of a God. Despite the fact that Beowulf and the other characters are obviously not Christian, several Christian references are made. In fact, the monster Grendel is referred to as, kindred of Cain. (Beowulf, p. 39). The story describes the great deeds of a hero and a lord, but it ends with Beowulf suffering from old age and death, which are inevitable in this world. It appreciates the beauty of the civilizations that man has created, but also praises the beauty of the dragon, the pitiable nature of Grendel and his mother, and the flow of how life

moves always moves on. At some points in this story, such as when treasures are described or when a character dies, the piece is meant to be cathartic (emotion-inducing), while some parts, such as Wiglafs speech at the end of the story and Hrothgars advice to Beowulf, are meant to be analyzed based on the culture of the time period. As an artistic whole, Beowulf is made up of the different times of the warriors life, as he transitions from a young warrior to a great lord. It is made beautiful in an artistic sense by its use of descriptions, including similes and kennings, and its way of portraying the events of the story in a way that entertains the reader. The Twelfth Night, as a play, mainly had the aesthetic focuses of entertaining a crowd and portraying common cultural situations. It concentrates on the interactions of people, not on the beauty of the world. The world considered by the story is the cultural setting and the way people deal with each other. This play is meant to describe the beauty of peoples emotions, especially those of a romantic nature. All of the words can be seen as having a philosophical meaning, as is usual in Shakespearean plays, although they are often simultaneously cathartic. The situations of the twins, especially the complex web of confused relations that Viola has formed to cross-dressing, come together in the end to complete the story and make it an artistic whole. It is mainly the use of symbolism, dramatic tone differences, and allegory. The characters words have many meanings. Also, the characters can be said to represent the time period quite nicely, especially the Puritan (Malvolio) and the revelers (the rest of the cast). CONCLUSION Due to the extreme differences between the cultures that these two stories were written in, the stories themselves are as different as day and night in many ways. While Beowulf emphasizes honor and strength, The Twelfth Night centers on people who make complete fools of themselves for the sake of love. Because it is a result of strong beliefs held by an individual, it is

inevitable that literature reflects the beliefs of a culture as well as those of the individual. Love, war, prejudice, strength, honor, and many other feelings and circumstances affect people, inspiring them to write down a record of their beliefs. Stories are also written in ways that people consider beautiful. For example, rhyming couplets, which are more difficult to write than normal sentences, exist because people find rhyming to be a more beautiful style of writing poetry. In different cultures, different personality traits are also subject to aesthetic preference. Beowulf includes aspects of pagan culture turning to Christianity due to that cultures aesthetic preferences, just as The Twelfth Night centers around romance and comedy for the same reason. Literary styles have also developed over time as well. In the days when written stories were beginning to circulate alongside oral storytelling, it was important to write in a dramatic style that could hold an audiences attention. Although the intent to hold an audiences attention has remained the same, the means of doing so has altered over time. By the Elizabethan Era, plays with multiple actors were common, which meant that successful stories were usually written for the theater.

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