Which lecture did J.R.R. Tolkien deliver in 1936 that influenced modern fantasy criticism?

J.R.R. Tolkien delivered the lecture Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics in 1936.

The lecture argued that Beowulf should be valued as a work of art rather than treated merely as a historical source or a collection of linguistic evidence. Tolkien defended the importance of its monsters, especially Grendel and the dragon, claiming that they were central to the poem’s structure and meaning.

The text was based on Tolkien’s Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, delivered at the British Academy on 25 November 1936. It became one of the most influential modern essays on Beowulf and helped redirect scholarly attention toward the poem’s literary qualities. Tolkien’s later fantasy writing also reflected his interest in mythic monsters, heroic traditions, and the relationship between loss and courage.