NOTE: The Paper #1 assignment is in the post below this one...don't forget to scroll down!
For Wednesday: Beowulf, pp.95-136 (try to finish!)
Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: 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, and why are they significant to the story?
Q2: If we read this poem as a Christian poem (as Beowulf himself seems to), why does God abandon kings like Hrothgar and Beowulf? Why is he allowed to fail in his final fight against the dragon, considering its significance to his kingdom? Or are we supposed to read this as a failure of Fate?
Q3: What is the significance of Wiglaf’s speech towards the end of the poem? How might he echo other characters in the poem, especially that of Hrothgar much earlier? Is it possible that he offers a sense of the poet’s own ‘theory’ on the poem?
Q4: Taken as a whole, 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? In other words, is this poem a celebration or a warning? A fond look back, or a testament to the ills of pagan civilization?
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