I believe in this unit i will read litterature from the past and compare it to literature now, which will give me a broader understanding of literary works, as well as works from other time periods.
Beowulf:
Overall i liked beowulf. I could tell it was a very old story by the literary works used. It was confusing to me at times but the modern version that i read was alot easier to understand then other versions. The story was narrowed down and did leave a few key elements of the story out, and adding parts of the story that really had no significance to the story at all.
The story was about the danish people, the Danes, and the Anglo-Saxons, called the geets. Beowulf was a geet, a mighty warior above all other soldiers in the world. He had the stregth of thirty men in just his grip alone. Well the king of the Danes was friends with Beowulf's father and the Anglo Saxons found out about the trouble that the danes were having so he sent Beowulf to fix it.
The problem was a monster named Grindle, who killed the Danish people for a long time. He would come in at night and kill as he pleased. With Beowulf around it didnt exactly go that way. The first time Grindle came in to kill, Beowulf ripped off his arm. The Danes believed that Grindle was finally dead and rejoiced. The king gave Beowulf gifts for his brave act. Soon after, Grindles mother came in to avenge her sons death and she killed the kings most trusted advisor.
Beowulf took a army of his own anglo- saxons and went to the lair of grindles mother. He killed the beast with a sword that was gaven to him by the gods, then he finished off grindle. Soon after the sword melted away. Beowulf was praised again and became king of the Geets. He ruled for fifty seasons and finally came his last battle, a dragon.
Beowulf brought an army of twelve warriors, but he was the only one brave enough to battle the dragon. Swords wouldnt scratch the dragon, the dragon sent fire around beowulf intrapping him, while all of his warriors went and hid. Finally one warrior came to help Beowulf and threw his sword peircing the dragons head, making the fire less strong. Beowulf then took out his knife and killed the beast, that was his last victory. Beowulf won the battle but the strike from the dragon sent him to death, he then had a funeral and will be remembered by the anglo-saxons forever.
Beowulf showed that the Anglo-Saxon culture was a brave culture, as well as a culture of warriors.
"So the good Geat chose
the bravest warriors,
fourteen of them,
and that crafty sailor
led them to the land's brim,
to the ship."
This story realtes to hero stories in my culture alot. All heros have to be brave, and fearless, Beowulf was both of those.
"They spoke of Beowulf's
glorious deed, often saying
that no man under the sky's
expanse, North nor South
between the seas, no man
who bore a shield, was more
worthy of a kingdom."
I liked how Beowulf went out in style. He was still brave after many years of being king. Most kings would stay at home while their warriors fight, but beowulf was the first one in battle. He never lost a battle, he won his last battle and then he died.
I also liked how his funeral went, the people did everything that Beowulf requested. The new king was the only warrior that stepped up to help Beowulf, so i thought he was deserving of the throne. Fire took Beouwulfs life and it was god's will that Beowulf died and i liked that it was fate.
"Those were the aged king's
last words, thoughts from
the heart, before he tasted
the funeral-fire,
that hot, hostile flame.
His heart departed, his soul,
to seek glory."
I think i adressed these standards by comparing litteary works from older times to new literature. I took qoutes from beowulf for dirrect evidence.
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