From Beowulf
Name: _______________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Per:____________
Directions: The following graphic organizer is for The Wrath of Grendel and The Coming of Beowulf. Using the questions below, read the lines listed and paraphrase them.
Reading Strategies Lines | Question(s): | Your words | 34-40 | What are the main ideas in these lines? | | 125-131 | What are the men doing? Using your own words, what images are being conveyed in these lines? | | 264-279 | What are Beowulf’s plans in these lines? | |
Literary Analysis of The Wrath of Grendel and The Coming of Beowulf
The Epic (Early epics capture the cultural and religious values of the people who created and retold them)
Common features of epics include the following: * The hero battles forces that threaten the order of his world. * The story is told in a serious manner, often in special, elevated language.
The Legendary Hero (larger-than-life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales) * Beowulf’s boastful, self-confident, feats of strength, and victories in battle make him a classic legendary hero. * He upholds the values of his culture (loyalty, bravery, and honor) and can teach modern readers a great deal about Anglo-Saxon’s view of the world.
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Directions: Complete the following questions on a separate sheet of paper: 1. What does the story of Grendel’s origins suggest about the beliefs of Anglo-Saxon culture? 2. Terrorized by Grendel, Hrothgar and his followers face “Twelve winters of grief.” How does the length of their suffering increase the epic feeling of this tale? 3. How do the word choice and other stylistic features of the watchman’s speech add a serious, epic tone to his question? 4. What does Beowulf’s way of identifying