We'll continue discussing Beowulf for the next two days, though try to finish it as soon as possible since that will help our discussion. On Wednesday, I'll give you an in-class writing response covering a specific event/idea in the last third of the poem. However, as you continue to read, here are some ideas to consider...
* What role does the dragon
play in the poem? He’s clearly not humanized in the way Grendel or his mother
are (he’s a literal monster), but he still exhibits some very human
characteristics. What might these be?
* Consider, too, how this
dragon relates to another dragon we might known from Tolkein: Smaug. If you
know The Hobbit, how are the two related? How might Tolkein have been
inspired from this one?
* Why, according to the
poem, does Beowulf fail in his final fight? Why does fate, or God, abandon him?
* How does the final third
of the poem comment on the bonds of family, clan, and kingdom? What ‘doom’
might it prophesize for future generations?
* What is the importance of
Wiglaf and his speech towards the end of the poem? How might he echo other
characters in the poem? Does he express the true beliefs of the poet?
* Does the poet seem to look
back longingly on Anglo Saxon ideals, or as a Christian, does he see their
limitations? How might this explain why he chose an old pagan warrior as the
subject for a Christian poem?
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