The Week Ahead: Sept. 2-5

Overview:

This week we continue reading Beowulf (see the Schedule of Readings and Assignment Deadlines for specific reading assignments), Commonplacing as we read. We will look at materials from Anglo-Saxon culture in class on Wednesday that will give us more insight to their cultural values.  Should be a great week!

 

Assignments Due:

No assignments due this week. Stay on top of your reading and commonplacing.

 

Questions to Consider for Reading and Class Discussion:

 

For Tuesday:

–Is Beowulf a text that supports Christian values? What are those values? Where do we see this in the text?

-What details about the battle with Grendel are particularly interesting to you? What are the differences and similarities in how Beowulf and Grendel approach their battle?

-In what ways do the descriptions of Grendel let us know that he is NOT a member of the Anglo-Saxon community? In what ways is he an outsider?

-What are the gifts received by Beowulf? What do you think is significant about these gifts? Why is gift giving so important in Anglo-Saxon culture?

 

For Friday:

-A big question: Why do you think the story gives Grendel a mother (rather than a father) for Beowulf to battle?

-Note the details we get about the dragon: what does the narrator tell us about its history? How does the dragon spend its days? In what ways does it differ from the other villains in the story?

-Pay special attention to the dragon’s treasure. What happens to it? What attitudes do we see in the story toward gold and treasure?