Literary Analysis Essay: Essay needs to be fully-developed and cohesive, not just answers to the questions posed for consideration. Be sure to use specific lines and textual evidence to support your points.
Write about how the author of Beowulf goes about developing and characterizing one of the monsters that Beowulf battles. Choose either Grendel, Grendel's mother, or the dragon.
Look back over the passages in Beowulf that describe this monster, and gather evidence on how he/she is described. Consider these questions:
How does the storyteller, in the words he uses to describe the creature and Beowulf's interaction with him/her, also shape our feelings toward him/her?
What accounts for this monster's evil?
What does this monster seem to represent symbolically in the story?
What does the battle itself represent?
Finally, in a well-developed essay, write about how and why this monster is included in the epic tale, and what makes him/her worthy of being included.
Rubric:
Essay will be graded for quality of analysis, use of lines and/or direct quotes to support your thoughts, structure of your essay, and grammar/mechanics.
DUE ON MONDAY
