: Extra Credit Essay Assignment*

Note to teachers : Students may use a copy of the text to respond to the essay.  Or, the teacher may photocopy an appropriate selection or passage and require students to respond to that passage only in a timed writing setting.

Describe the rhetorical, structural, and literary devices used to present Unferth as a foil to Beowulf.  Cite examples from the text and articulate how these devices were used to further the theme of the work.

5 = Essays which are characterized by insightful remarks and which thoroughly describe the diverse methods employed to compare and contrast the two characters are deserving of the score "5." These essays must also be free of major errors which distract from the meaning of the essay.

4 = Essays which earn a mark of "4" are also free of major errors which distract from the meaning of the essay.  These essays contain some insightful remarks and cover a wide variety of devices. The writers of these essays are able to articulate the methods employed by the author in presenting Unferth as a foil to Beowulf.

3 = Essays which earn a mark of "3" may contain many errors. They may note only some of the many devices employed by the author in his attempt to present Unferth as a foil to Beowulf.  These essays, although accurate, make only obvious or superficial observations in regard to the methods employed by the author.

2 = Essays which earn a mark of "2" may be so riddled with errors that the reader has difficulty finding the message.  These essays may be at times inaccurate and in general poorly organized.  These essays do, however, make a few observations regarding the devices used by the author to present Unferth as a foil to Beowulf.

1 = Essays which earn a mark of "1" have not succeeded in communicating the methods in which the author presented Unferth as a foil to Beowulf.  These essays have an unwilling tone, describe devices inaccurately, or rely on a repeated remark to carry the thesis. These essays seem to be written by someone who does not understand the nature of writing devices and is unable to communicate regarding their use.

*Assignment from Barbara Bishop at Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Georgia.