g. Fantasy Literature

AN OVERVIEW OF FANTASY

 

 

 

EPIC FANTASY: BEOWULF

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Part I: Beowulf Battles Grendel

The earliest piece of English fantasy literature that we have is also the oldest piece of English writing that still exists today: the epic poem of Beowulf (as translated by the Irish poet Seamus Heaney).

This poem is not an easy text to read. It is set in a very different time period: a period where the distinction between fantasy and reality was still very blurred. To help guide you through the text, use this document, which offers a ‘step by step’ summary of the poem to help you keep track of what is occurring in the narrative.

It is also worth having a look at  this document, which offers a comparison of Heaney’s translation with the original text of the poem. See for yourself just how much the English language has changed over the past fourteen-hundred years!

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Part II: Beowulf Battles Grendel’s Mother

 

Part III: Beowulf Fights the Dragon

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MODERN FANTASY: HARRY POTTER

 

The second text that we will be looking at is an extract of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling – an more modern example of the fantasy genre.

Most people these days are familiar with Harry Potter, even if they have never read the books. Over 450 million copies of the books have been sold, and the Harry Potter franchise has generated over $4 billion in revenue; few other books even come close to the popularity and excitement it has created. It is a global phenomenon that has reshaped not just the concept of fantasy, but the nature of popular fiction as a whole.

Consider the following book covers given to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in different countries around the world:

 

 

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After looking through the above covers, consider the following questions:

  • What similarities exist between the covers?
  • What differences exist between the covers?
  • What does each over emphasise, and what might this suggest about how different countries and audiences might view the book?
  • Which cover do you like most? Why?
  • Which cover do you like the least? Why?

 

Read the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone in your readers and consider the following questions:

  • What recognisable fantasy elements are present in this chapter and how are they used?
  • What is introduced in this chapter?
  • What plot points are hinted at, but kept hidden in this chapter?
  • Do you consider this chapter to be good ‘literary’ writing? Why/why not?
  • Why do you think this book was able grab everyone’s imagination so vividly? What examples, ideas, or techniques can you identify in this chapter that might help to explain Harry Potter’s global popularity?
  • How would you define magic and its role in fantasy, and is what we see in Harry Potter really a good example of ‘magic’? Is some of the ‘magic’ seen in Harry Potter more ‘magical’ than the rest?
  • How do ideas of the modern, the medieval, and the magical become mixed within the story?