September
8th Homework Assignment
Choose
One
Option One:
Step 1:
·
Go through your music collection and find a song or a part of a song whose
lyrics could be Beowulf’s theme song. Do the same for Grendel.
·
If at all possible, find a way to bring the songs in to class
on Monday. Extra credit will be given out if you can do this.
Step 2:
·
Type up the lyrics to both songs on a sheet of paper.
Step 3:
·
Write a paragraph for each song wherein you explore the lyrics and relate
them to the text. Tell me why, in concrete and detailed terms (i.e. use quotes), you think this would be an appropriate song
for Beowulf or Grendel.
Let’s Recap:
On Monday, you should bring in:
1 song about Beowulf
1 song about Grendel
1 sheet with the lyrics to both songs.
1 page with 2 paragraphs on it where you relate the character to the song.
Oh yeah… and if you find a
song on the internet…you should pay for it. Stealing songs from online is illegal. (Yes, I have to say that.)
Option Two:
Look at Grendel’s motivation for his crimes. Can you place yourself in his shoes? Write a 1 page (at least) mock
epic of the encounter between Beowulf and Grendel from Grendel’s point of view. Try to see your work as a sort of reverse-interpolation…telling
the story as it really happened.
Option Three:
The scribe who wrote Beowulf never signed his/her name to the work, an anomaly for the time. Why do you think
he/she would have done this? Use the interpolation and asides in the text to get ideas about who the scribe was. Write a one
page (at least) paper about who you think the Beowulf scribe was, and why he/she did not sign his/her name to the text. Feel
free to get creative.
Assignments are due on Monday, September 13th and are worth a considerable
amount of points. Please do not forget!!!
