Graduate Seminar: Thomas H. Bestul

Beowuld and Germanic Legend

Thomas H. Bestul, University of Illinois at Chicago

Through translating Beowulf, the class explored the epic poem as a literary and cultural document, with the principal aim of placing it within the larger context of Germanic legend.  Sources and analogues traditionally linked to the poem were examined in relation to the current idea of Germania as a social construct as it has developed over the centuries in Western Europe.

Learn more about Center for Renaissance Studies programs for graduate students.