Option 1: For
this option you are to modernize the story of Beowulf, up to
his defeat of Grendel. To do so, you will need to place Beowulf
in modern times, of course. However, there aren't many guys running
around in armor with swords these days. Beowulf will need a job.
Heorot will become something important to today,s society. Grendel
will be someone who threatens it. Beowulf will need to defeat
him somehow. He does not have to kill Grendel in your story.
Think of an interesting, funny, or just ordinary job. (Try to
be creative. Grendel does not have to be a robber or a terrorist.)
An important aspect of Beowulf is the
way in which it is told/written. The scop uses kennings, alliteration,
and foreshadowing in telling his story. He also takes great care
in describing Beowulf,s appearance as he readies for battle,
as well as other parts of the story. These create a strong (and
difficult) voice. For this assignment, you should use three kennings
to refer to Beowulf, and what his responsibilities are, i.e.
A cashier: "Beowulf, giver of change A cabbie: "Beowulf,
driver of tourists (You may wish to be more serious, too. Pick
whether you want to be serious of funny. It is your choice.)
You should also describe what the modern-day Beowulf and Grendel
look like. Does Beowulf still look like a warrior? Or like an
ordinary guy?
Option 2: For
this option, you are to write an analysis paper in which you
explore how the story of Beowulf is reflected in the recent terrorist
events. You may include other historical events as examples if
you so choose. You must define our modern-day Beowulf, as well
as our modern-day Grendel. How does this Grendel attack our way
of life? What is central to our society? How are our values reflected
in Beowulf and his actions? How might Beowulf defeat this Grendel?
Are there relatives of Grendel lurking about waiting their turn
to attack? This Beowulf does not have to kill this Grendel. What
other outcomes might there be and are they acceptable?
In this paper, you must use quotes from the
text of Beowulf and correlate them to the ideas in your
paper. In other words, go back through the reading and find passages
and events that seem to connect well with your ideas about the
current issue and explain how each relates to your modern situation.
Option 3: For
this option, you are to identify some of your own personal dragons.
Analyze these dragons and your struggle with them, looking for
similarities to the story of Beowulf. You are Beowulf. What are
your values and how are they manifested? How do you fight your
dragons? Are you able to defeat them as Beowulf defeats Grendel,
or are there some that you continue to battle, unsure of the
ultimate outcome? In what ways are your personal dragons like
Grendel? Like Grendel,s mother?
In this paper, you must use quotes from the
text of Beowulf and correlate them to the ideas in your
paper. In other words, go back through the reading and find passages
and events that seem to connect well with your personal struggles.
Explain how each correlates to your personal struggles. Why can't/don't
we defeat all of our dragons? Will they defeat us? Answer these
questions in terms of your own personal experience.