Beowulf 31-35

Students are to complete the following assignment for HW: Beowulf Chapters 31-35 Chapter 31 How long has it been since Beowulf killed Grendel’s mother? What is the change in setting? Chapter 32 What awakens the dragon? What is the man’s motivation for what he does when he finds the dragon? Chapter 33 What does the dragon destroy that is sacred to Beowulf? What does the dragon’s anger represent? Chapter 34 What realization does Beowulf have? Chapter 35 What are the similarities and differences between the way Beowulf prepares for this battle and the way he prepared for the previous battles? What 2 things fail him in this battle?

Beowulf 21-23

Today we read chapters 21 through 23. Students will work on the following open-ended question in class tomorrow: Beowulf battles Grendel’s mother. • What challenges does he face besides fighting Grendel’s mother? • How might this battle add to or detract from his heroic image? Use specific examples from the text as support. . . . He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone’s Answer; the heaving water covered him Over. For hours he sank through the waves; At last he saw the mud of the bottom. And all at once the greedy she-wolf 575 Who’d ruled those waters for half a hundred Years discovered him, saw that a creature From above had come to explore the bottom Of her wet world. She welcomed him in her claws, Clutched at him savagely but could not harm him, 580 Tried to work her fingers through the tight Ring-woven mail on his breast, but tore And scratched in vain. Then she carried him, armor And sword and all, to her home; he struggled To free his weapon, and failed. The fight 585 Brought other monsters swimming to see Her catch, a host of sea beasts who beat at His mail shirt, stabbing with tusks and teeth As they followed along. Then he realized, suddenly, That she’d brought him into someone’s battle-hall, 590 And there the water’s heat could not hurt him, Nor anything in the lake attack him through The building’s high-arching roof. A brilliant Light burned all around him, the lake Itself like a fiery flame. Then he saw 595 The mighty water witch, and swung his sword, His ring-marked blade, straight at her head; The iron sang its fierce song, Sang Beowulf’s strength. But her guest Discovered that no sword could slice her evil 600 Skin, that Hrunting could not hurt her, was useless Now when he needed it. They wrestled, she ripped And tore and clawed at him, bit holes in his helmet, And that too failed him; for the first time in years Of being worn to war it would earn no glory; 605 It was the last time anyone would wear it. But Beowulf Longed only for fame, leaped back Into battle. He tossed his sword aside, Angry; the steel-edged blade lay where He’d dropped it. If weapons were useless he’d use 610 His hands, the strength in his fingers. So fame Comes to the men who mean to win it And care about nothing else! He raised His arms and seized her by the shoulder; anger Doubled his strength, he threw her to the floor. 615 She fell, Grendel’s fierce mother, and the Geats’ Proud prince was ready to leap on her. But she rose At once and repaid him with her clutching claws, Wildly tearing at him. He was weary, that best And strongest of soldiers; his feet stumbled 620 And in an instant she had him down, held helpless. Squatting with her weight on his stomach, she drew A dagger, brown with dried blood and prepared To avenge her only son. But he was stretched On his back, and her stabbing blade was blunted 625 By the woven mail shirt he wore on his chest. The hammered links held; the point Could not touch him. He’d have traveled to the bottom of the earth, Edgetho’s son, and died there, if that shining Woven metal had not helped—and Holy 630 God, who sent him victory, gave judgment For truth and right, Ruler of the Heavens, Once Beowulf was back on his feet and fighting. Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy Sword, hammered by giants, strong 635 And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons But so massive that no ordinary man could lift Its carved and decorated length. He drew it From its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt, And then, savage, now, angry 640 And desperate, lifted it high over his head And struck with all the strength he had left, Caught her in the neck and cut it through, Broke bones and all. Her body fell To the floor, lifeless, the sword was wet 645 With her blood, and Beowulf rejoiced at the sight. The brilliant light shone, suddenly, As though burning in that hall, and as bright as Heaven’s Own candle, lit in the sky. He looked At her home, then following along the wall 650 Went walking, his hands tight on the sword, His heart still angry. He was hunting another Dead monster, and took his weapon with him For final revenge against Grendel’s vicious Attacks, his nighttime raids, over 655 And over, coming to Herot when Hrothgar’s Men slept, killing them in their beds, Eating some on the spot, fifteen Or more, and running to his loathsome moor With another such sickening meal waiting 660 In his pouch. But Beowulf repaid him for those visits, Found him lying dead in his corner, Armless, exactly as that fierce fighter Had sent him out from Herot, then struck off His head with a single swift blow. The body 665 Jerked for the last time, then lay still. . . .

Beowulf

Students have completed the following assignments: 20pts Beowulf defeats the monster, Grendel. • How has Grendel’s role changed with this attack? • What will the Christian and Pagan responses be to this battle? Support your responses with examples from the text. and Beowulf Chapters 18-20 As you read, respond to the following in complete sentences. Chapter 18 List and explain several examples of Anglo-Saxon values in this chapter. Write down the specific lines that exemplify this. Chapter 19 Who is Beowulf’s next opponent? Explain how Christian values relate to this new villain. What does she take with her? (2 things) Chapter 20 List the descriptive words used to describe the villain and her home. (at least 5) Explain how this relates to descriptions of Grendel.

Beowulf 7-9

Students worked independently reading chapters 7-9 and responding to the following which is due tomorrow: Beowulf Chapters 7-9 20pts Read chapters 7-9 and respond to the following in complete sentences. In these chapters Unferth challenges Beowulf. What are his arguments against Beowulf? Do you see any validity in them? How does Beowulf put him in his place? Who would you side with if this were a modern argument and why?

Beowulf HW

Today we read chapters 3-6 of Beowulf in class. Students are to complete the following open-ended question for HW: Beowulf Open-ended questions 20pts Chapters 3-6 Beowulf boasts that he will fight Grendel and that he will use no weapons. • What has Beowulf done that makes him worthy of fighting Grendel? • Will Beowulf be successful and live up to his promise to fight Grendel without using weapons? Support your responses with examples from the text.

Beowulf

Today we read the first 2 chapters of Beowulf. Students are to complete the following worksheet for HW: Beowulf Chapters 1 & 2 Read chapters 1 & 2 and respond to the following in complete sentences: Chapter 1 1. What does King Hrothgar decide to do in order to display the greatness of his people? What is it used for? What do the men sing about? 2. What words are used to describe Grendel? Who is one of his relatives? Why does he attack? Chapter 2 1. How many men does Grendel kill the first night? What does this say about the nature of this villain? 2. How long does the hall remain empty? What does the chapter close with?

Essay/Beowulf

We spent Monday and Tuesday in the computer lab working on final drafts of the Macbeth essay. The final draft is due on Friday and is worth 100pts. It is the final grade of the marking period. Today we began covering background information on our next work, Beowulf.