Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2023
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
English
First Advisor
Andrew Pfrenger
Second Advisor
Sarah Baechle
Third Advisor
Brad Cook
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis investigates the various ways in which Beowulf has been interpreted across time, explaining how factors, called paratexts, have played a large part in shaping these interpretations and how, especially in reading the Beowulf manuscript, we inherit the sum of these influences. In order to demonstrate this, I present a variety of arguments and perspectives on the text that have been developed by scholars over the years based on different types of paratexts (physical, intangible, and translational) in the absence of a known author. At each stage of Beowulf’s life, there have been opportunities for individuals with authority over the text to change the way it was presented to the audience, even today where new media adaptations are responsible for representing Beowulf to a modern audience. My investigation concluded that despite the immense amount of research having been previously conducted in an effort to develop a deeper understanding of the text, ultimately, there will always be room for new interpretations.
Recommended Citation
Martin, Abigail, ""Beowulf": Interpretation and Supplementation" (2023). Honors Theses. 2825.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2825
Accessibility Status
Searchable text
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Classical Literature and Philology Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, Language Interpretation and Translation Commons, Medieval Studies Commons, Scandinavian Studies Commons