BEOWULF JOURNALS
During this unit, you will need to complete at least two journals per week on the Beowulf poem for a total of eight or more journals. You should hand them in as you finish them. Make sure to head them correctly and number them! The heading belongs in the heading space, not on the lines. I will not keep track of what journal number you are on. These journals will count toward your journals for the quarter.
I expect thoughtful and clearly written answers. Each entry should be a page long. You should start writing on the second line, and finish with about four lines left on the bottom of the page. You may, of course, write longer journals. Extra large handwriting or excessive spacing will count against your score. Each journal is worth five points.
You may choose which of the following prompts to write about for your journals:
1. What is a hero? Explain your definition and give examples. What is courage? How would most people today define courage?
2. What qualities do you believe a good leader should have? Name some modern leaders. What are the characteristics you admire about them?
3. What does it mean to be loyal? Tell about a time you were loyal or someone was loyal to you.
4. Why is reputation important? What factors influence a person’s reputation?
5. Why is generosity important? What does it mean to be generous? Tell about the most generous person you know.
6. Retell the early events from the coast guard’s point of view. Consider how he feels about the importance of his job, the desperate situation of his country, and the arrival of these fearsome foreign warriors.
7. Consider the events early events from Beowulf’s point of view. Write a diary entry giving his reasons for coming, his first impressions of Heorot, and his reaction the Hrothgar’s greeting.
8. Write a complete description of Grendel (or another character of your choice) using details given in the poem and other from your own imagination (1/2 page!). Use the other ½ page to draw a detailed picture of your description.
9. Describe Heorot as you picture it from the poem’s description and your imagination. (1/2 page!). Then draw a picture to go along with this description on the rest of your page.
10. Describe Grendel’s lair. How does is compare to Heorot? You may use ½ the page to draw your description.
11. Who is Unferth, and why is he so hostile toward Beowulf? Why is he allowed to speak that way?
12. Write a narrative (or diary entry) from Wealhtheow’s point of view. You should include her impressions up to the end of the celebration of Beowulf’s first battle. Include her hopes for the future, her reactions to Beowulf’s first battle, her response to the celebration, and so on.
13. Wealhtheow, Hygd, Hildeburh, Grendel’s mother—what do the women in Beowulf do?
14. Tell the story of the battle between Grendel and Beowulf. Be sure to include how Beowulf felt about watching the Geat near him die, how he felt during the fight, a blow-by-blow description of the battle, and how he felt about not being able to kill Grendel.
15. Describe the dragon in detail for ½ page. Then draw your detail on the other ½ page.
16. Where does the dragon come from? Why does he attack the Geats? Is the dragon a greater or lesser threat than Grendel? Why does Beowulf go fight him?
17. Describe the last battle from the point of view of Beowulf, Wiglaf, or one of the Geat that witnessed the event. Be descriptive.
18. Imagine that you are one of the knights who attended Beowulf’s funeral. Describe, in a letter home, the factual details along with your personal feelings at the scene.