Monsters play a big role in Beowulf, as well as countless other narratives. There's nothing like a good monster scene, replete with danger, fear, horror (and often blood, guts, and gore) to get the adrenaline pumping and the narrative chugging right along.
Grendel and Grendel's mom are model monsters: non-human, vengeful, powerful, dangerous, minutely sympathetic (an important trait), and most importantly of all, losers in the end.
Briefly talk about your all-time favorite monster from the world of either books or movies, explaining why that particular monster is so monstrously perfect. Then talk briefly about either Grendel or his mom. Are they, in fact model monsters? Or is there more to them than that? How do you view them, both as an individual monster and as an element in the larger poem? As always, line references please.
As my gift to you, your comments will not be due until Friday, April 15 at midnight.
Now that we've finished reading four texts, it's time to draw some parallels between either characters or plot elements (i.e. entities or events) of at least two different narratives. We've discussed some of these in class already. Anne Elliot and Odysseus (the various stages of a homeward journey). Anne Elliot and Penelope (the strong woman who holds things together). Weston's speech to Oyarsa and Elizabeth's diatribe about Mr. Elliot (the speech that needs translating and clarifying). The journeys of both Odysseus and Ransom (they come full circle, but the men are changed in various ways).
Now it's your turn. Discuss a new parallel from our texts, being sure to first give us the location of each (especially if it's a single unique scene). Then present a clear argument for why the two characters/events/dialogues/landscapes/etc. are, in fact, similar and comparable. NOTE: you must each write about a different parallel. You can use the same characters/scenes as a previous post if necessary, but you must draw out a new point of comparison and analysis. In other words, read previous posts carefully.
