Beowulf/Grendel debriefing
Any final thoughts? Please share!
posted by erdecker @ 3:22 PM
4 comments
JM AP English Government
A resource for John Marshall's Advanced Placement English and Government class. Woo-hoo!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
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- Name: erdecker
- Location: Lanesboro, Minnesota, United States
Enchanted April at Roc Rep Jan 2016 (Sound Design). Donnybrook's Dilemma Murder Mystery Jan 10 (Donnybrook actor). Valentine's Murder Mystery at Plummer House Feb 13 (actor). Ole and Lena in Love at Rochester Sons of Norway March 19 (Director).
4 Comments:
I really enjoyed discussing Beowulf and Grendel, and it was definitely a good idea to split up the classes into smaller discussion groups! Some of the discussion became a bit repetitive though. For future discussions, we need to make sure that people are introducing new ideas that move the discussion along rather than making a bunch of circular arguments. Book discussions rule! Can't wait to dive into "Brave New World"...
I was gone on the day of the symposium, so here comes "Thoughts on Grendel and Beowulf" by Danielle Block. One thing I read in the study guide that really struck me was when it quoted a scholar as saying "The most intriguing aspect of Grendel is the background we recieve on primary characters such as Hrothgar, Wealtheow, Unferth..." I totally agree with this. When I read the part in Grendel about how Hrothgar meets Wealtheow and how she is basically given as a peace sacrifice, it really helped one understand her character more. From then on, when she showed graciousness, it was not simply the grace of a queen, but the grace of a woman who chose not to begrudge the means by which she was torn from her family and thrown into alien territory. She is much more of a symbol of valor and beauty after Grendel gives us her background. I also like the touch Gardner put in there when he had the small, sobbing children run after her when she was leaving. It was very melo-dramatic and kind of made my day. The whole thought of this huge army at the doorstep of a kingdom...all these important people...and these kid's parents don't care if they run down in the middle of all of that. But he got his point across, so it worked out.
It was interesting to me that the same basic story but from two different view points can be so drastically different. In Beowulf we learn about the heroic code. Throughout the book we learn that the heroic code includes loyalty to warriors, courage, generosity and hospitality, all which Beowulf and most of the warriors possess. But in Grendel, Grendel talks about how he stepped over a dead body and how the body was killed by his own people. Even the difference between Beowulf in Beowulf and Gredel (but I wont go into that since Tim already did) was huge. The contrast that I thought was interesting is the meaning of life in the two books. In Beowulf the meaning of life was to be a great warrior by following the heroic code and live prosperously. In Grendel, you feel as if there is no meaning to life, and it is all just pointless. The way Grendel described humans made me think of the State of Nature where men are beasts. When comparing and contrasting theses two works, I was reminded that I cannot judge or form an opinion on something until I have seen both sides of an issue.
I liked how the different books exAmened the perspectives of both, i still see things in black and white, i very seldom see any gray area. In my mind Grendel will always be the "evil" monster and Beowulf a heroic person. I see Grendel a monster because he kills, a person may be crazy, but if he kills someone he is still a murderer. Beowulf is a hero because he risked his own life for the sake of others,he may have recieved fame and fortune as a result but that does not make his sacrifice any less significant, just the same a person who gives up his life, or sacrifices himself in another way, for another and recieves no recognician is as noble as the first.
-becky b
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