VOCAB #3

accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgement of merit
The ultimate accolade is getting a huge trophy.
acerbity: expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way
The customer made his displeasure known with acerbity.
attrition: the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure
The council is trying to wear down the opposition by attrition.
bromide: a statement that is intended to make people feel happier or calmer but that is not original or effective
His speech had nothing more to offer than the usual bromides about how everyone needs to work together.
chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism
Chauvinists can get really annoying after they talk about patriotism.
chronic: persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
I have chronic pains in my wrist.
expound: present and explain systematically and in detail
He was expounding a powerful argument.
factionalism: a group or clique within a larger group
There is often social factionalism in our schools.
immaculate: perfectly clean, neat, or tidy
He wore an immaculate white suit.
imprecation: a spoken curse
She hurled her imprecations at anyone who might be listening.
ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable
The ineluctable facts of history.
mercurial: subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
His mercurial temperament.
palliate: make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause
Treatment works by palliating symptoms.
protocol: the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette
What is the protocol for making a sandwich.
resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous
She was resplendent in a sea-green dress.
stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval
The institution was stigmatized as a last resort for the destitute.
sub rosa: happening or done in secret
The committee operates sub rosa.
vainglory: excessive pride especially in one's achievements
The vainglory he displayed was getting old.
vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists
The last vestiges of colonialism.
volition: the faculty or power of using one's will
Without conscious volition she backed into her office.

MASTERPIECE IN PROGRESS

Lately I have playing my guitar a lot and listening to music all the time. I've found that I really and truly love listening and making my own music. This got me thinking. Is it really hard to make a successful career in music? I don't necessarily have to be a singer or play the guitar, I think it would just be fun to be a music producer. I already have some experience in music from working the sound board for my churches band every Sunday and at practices. What other positions are there in the music industry that I may be successful in? It may not even be a career that comes from music. Even if it was just a side job that made my day a little better, I think it would definitely be worth it.

BEOWULF ESSAY

The values that are most prominent in society are often shown in the literary pieces that are created by that society. These values can sometimes be shown through a heroic character such as Beowulf in the old English story Beowulf. Just as old English societies had literary pieces where heroes displayed the values of that society we have heroes that display our societies values today. A good example of this is the fictional character of Superman in the many comic books that were written about him.

            

            Beowulf exemplifies the heroic traits and the literary techniques of its time. It exemplifies the heroic traits that were important to the society at the time through the character of Beowulf. The heroic traits that are most defined by Beowulf are strength, bravery, and confidence. Those three traits were often what people wanted to be in the Old English time period. Since most people were fighting off invaders during this time period they often tried to have the three traits that Beowulf has. Beowulf was just created by this society to exaggerate the traits that were most important to them. Beowulf also did not use as many literary techniques as are used in today’s literature because English was still a language that was developing.

           

            Superman and Beowulf are both fictional heroes but there came from two different societies and time periods which lead to many differences between the two. One major difference between the two heroes is the way that they handle beating their enemies in battle. Beowulf talks about how great he is and makes a big ordeal out of beating his enemies while Superman is way more humble and actually hides his true identity from the public. This shows a major difference in the way our society and the society that created Beowulf, viewed heroes and what they expect of them. In Old English times, heroes were supposed to be proud and show everybody how great they were but now in today’s society we think the opposite.  Today we believe that are heroes should be humble and we think poorly of them when they are arrogant in anyway.

           

             Heroic traits and values are often exemplified in the literary pieces that are created by society. Beowulf shows us the characteristics and values that the Old English society aspired to have in their heroes and warriors. While today we have a completely different set of values that we look to have in our heroes and we convey this through our literary works in characters such as Superman. The definition of a hero has not changed over the years but the way the stories are told and the way the heroes act have definitely reflected the changes in our society over the years.

            

LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1

1.) In 1984, Winston Smith lives in London which is part of the country Oceania. The world is divided into three countries, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone’s behavior, even their thoughts. Winston does not like living in under the Party. Winston hears rumors of a group called Brotherhood, that is composed of a group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government. Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, which is considered a crime in Oceania. While walking home one day, Winston runs into O’Brien, an inner Party member, who gives Winston his address. O'Brien is supposed to be part of the Brotherhood and Winston would like to join. Since Julia hated the party as much as Winston did, they went to O’Brien’s house together where they were introduced into the Brotherhood. O’Brien is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is actually a trap for Winston. The owner of the store below Winston and Julia's apartment was also a spy for the Party. Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love which is a sort of rehabilitation center for criminals accused of a thought crime. There, Winston was separated from Julia, and tortured until his beliefs coincided with those of the Party. Winston eventually cracks and denounces everything he believed him, even his love for Julia, and was released back into the public where he wastes his days at the Chestnut Tree drinking gin.

2.)George Orwell uses this story to portray how dangerous a totalitarian government can actually be. Under this government people no longer have any rights and nothing can happen privately. In this book, Orwell sets up a perfect totalitarian state and used Winston as an example that even the most independent thinkers can be broken by this type of government. This story shows that  once this type of government takes over it is nearly impossible to get rid of it.

3.)I sensed a very pessimistic tone throughout this book. Winston quickly expresses his hate for Big Brother, by writing it in big bold letters in his diary. "His pen had slid voluptuously over the smooth paper, printing in large neat capitals - DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER over and over again, filling half a page."
Winston doesn't even try to make himself heard because he knows he will be punished as soon as he does and early on in the story you can feel him sort of giving up, as shown by this quote. "Curiously, the chiming of the hour seemed to have put new heart into him. He was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody would ever hear. But so long as he uttered it, in some obscure way, the continuity was not broken. It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage." 
Winston realizes that the proles are the countries last hope because they make up eighty five percent of the population. "If there is hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be granted."

4.)
Foreshadow: In the beginning of the story Winston says, "people who go into the Ministry of Love come out, but disappear soon afterward." At the end of the story Winston is sent to the Ministry of Love and comes out, but as a totally changed person. (7)
Metaphor:  "If there is hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be granted."(60)
-The Proles represent the lowest working classes of society (the proletariat) and they also serve as a metaphor for hopelessness.
Personification: "If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happened that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death,"
 (126).
- It was scary how much control the Party had.
Allusion: “Big Brother is watching you”(5)
- Allusion to the idea of Stalin looking over the people of the Soviet Union.
Foreshadowing: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." (5)
- Hinting that something is wrong.
Irony: “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength,” (17).
- The three slogans of the Party.
Repetition: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the future controls the past,” ( 248).
- He uses repetition to keep readers interested.
Flashback: "It was no use, he could not remember: nothing remained of his childhood except a series of brightly-lit tableaux, occurring against no background and mostly unintelligible."
-The reader learns that Winston is constantly struggling to remember his past, and that he often fails.
Climax: "Stand out in the middle of the room. Stand back to back.Clasp your hands behind your heads. Do not touch each other." (183)
-Winston and Julia getting caught by the thought Police.

Vocab #2

accouterments: additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity

EX: Do you have all of your accouterments for riding your bike?
apogee: the highest point in the development of something; the climax or culmination

EX: The big battle was the apogee of the book.

apropos: with reference to; concerning

EX: I went to a baseball game yesterday; apropos, have you played any lately?

bicker: argue about petty and trivial matters

EX: There is no need to bicker over such stupid things.

coalesce: come together and form one mass or whole

EX: We need to coalesce all the papers that were turned in yesterday.

contretemps: an unexpected and unfortunate occurrence

EX: Falling half way down the cliff was sure contretemps.

convolution: something that is very complicated and difficult to understand

EX: The calculus is very convoluted.
cull: select from a large quantity; obtain from a variety of sources

EX: I made sure to cull so my stats were accurate.

disparate: essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison

EX: Me and my dog are disparate.

dogmatic: inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true

EX: You are dogmatic and a liar.

licentious: promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters

EX: You are a licentious man.

mete: dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment

EX: Your punishment will have to be mete.

noxious: harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant

EX: The baby crying is very noxious.

polemic: a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something

EX: I wrote a polemic to the President.

populous: full of residents or inhabitants

EX: LA is a very populous city.

probity: the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency

EX: He's has probity and is a very nice man.

repartee: conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies

EX: His speech was very repartee.

supervene: occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such a way as to change the situation

EX: Sorry that we had to supervene the wedding because of the weather.

truncate: to shorten by cutting off a part; cut short

EX: I wish we could truncate the homework.
unimpeachable: not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized; entirely trustworthy

EX: He is so smart that he is practically impeachable.

Textbook Notes p.31-60

From Tristia Ovid

-Despises the common theme of death races (referring to gladiator games and/or the continuous war between the Romans and their enemies) -Feels like a barbarian not being able to communicate with people of the new land, had to use body language -Was exiled from Rome -"Injured the power of Caesar the god," in result was sent to assimilate with the Scythian race as a punishment -Believes she deserved to be exiled but not to such a city
Far Corners of Earth by Tu Fu translated by David Hinton Describes a shift from the Chiang-han mountains where clouds begin to hover over to "a new waste of highway." Gradual decline in mood.


 Beowulf -portrays the Anglo-Saxon culture of eighth century Britain -Beowulf: sword-wielding slayer of monsters, upholder of the right, warrior-chieftain-finally written down in eleventh century -main themes: bravery, loyalty, heroism -The Electronic Beowulf Project revived the burnt original manuscripts of Beowulf.
Epic: a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that celebrates the deeds of a legendary or heroic figure  -hero battles for the order of his world -story told in serious matter with sophisticated language Legendary hero: a larger than life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales
Important words/vocab (pg. 37) Kenning  Caesura  Reparation Solace Purge Writhing Massive Loathsome 
-the warrior (seafarer) leader claims he is the son of Ecgtheow who's widely known and honored by many
-the warrior got wind of the "monster" that tortures and haunts the Danes and demands that he and his men attempt to defeat this "scathing", "dark ill-doer" monster 
-agreeing with the plan, his men marched to the village/palace in which Hrothgar loved
-some men were assigned to gaurd the boat and escort the others to the palace, protecting the boat from their foes; "gaurd it kept o'er the man of war..." 
-the men can see the shimmery, glistening, gold palace from afar
-the men who were assigned to gaurd the boat and also escort the other men then return to the boat where they spend their time being on the look out
Chapter 5:
-the men, while marching, observe the shiny, well-decorated streets and atmosphere of Heorot
-the men were approached by a proud, curious warrior who stopped the men and asked what their purpose of arrival was
-Beowulf, the leader of the men, and Wulfgar(the warrior described above) discuss the matters. Wulfgar directs the leader and his men to the throne of Hrothgar
-Wulfgar asks Hrothgar to speak to the men
and exclaims that Beowulf appears to be a strong, firm leader; "In weeds of the warrior worthy they, methinks, of our liking, their leader most surely, a hero that hither his henchmen has led." 

- Higlac was the king of the Geats and Beowulf's feudal lord and uncle as well as a very strong man

- Higlac heard that Grendel violently forced and demanded a boat to be fitted out for him to go see Higlac

- Beowulf chose the mightiest, bravest, and best men of the Geats he could find to accompany him on his journey to Hrothgar (14 men total)

- He knew the sea would lead them straight to that distant, Danish shore

- They sailed their boat and arrived fully dressed in mail with the best armor and uninvited

- Hrothgar's lieutenant met them on the shore, demanding to know who they were and why they came unannounced

- He asked Beowulf to immediately explicate their reason for their visit before they take action against them

- Beowulf explained who they were and that they were there to hunt Grendel and protect the people and their King from the monster

- The mounted officer believed their words and that he and his men would guard their ship and protect it, saying that any warriors who battle Grendel successfully should go home bearing their love

- Once Beowulf and his men arrived at Herot, they were called in to see the King

- Beowulf arose and went to meet Hrothgar with some of his men, ordering a few to remain behind with their weapons

Vocab

- reparation: (n.) something making up for wrong or injury

- solace: (n.) comfort; relief

- mail: (n.) flexible body armor made of metal (in this context)

-Beowulf and his men arrive at Herot and are called to see the King 

-Beowulf ordered some of his men to stay with their weapons, while he took others and himself "into Hrothgar's Presence"

-Beowulf describes himself to the kind to make him seem more favorable, by saying things like "They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me ride form the darkest of war, Dripping with my enemies' blood."

-Beowulf over does it on the compliments to the king then asks for the kings permission to "purge all evil from this hall" (including Grendal, who Beowulf is willing to go into great battle against) Beowulf is willing to die for his cause and exaggeratedly says so. 

The Battle with Grendel 

-Grendal came from the marsh and journeyed to Herot and was met harshly with Herot being so firmly defended. 

-Grendal stormed through the doors quickly, saw the young and sleepy soldiers lining the halls, grabbed one and killed him, snapping shit and drinking the blood. 

-Grendal clutched Beowulf but was suprised by his strength and attack. Grendal's first reaction was to run but Beowulf didn't let him go. 

-Beowulf and Grendal battled violently. Herot shook and trembled, it was built to only come down in fire but the battle was a much great force. 

·        He was the strongest man, Beowulf was going to kill the "monster"

·        Beowulf's men woke up to Beowulf fighting Grendel and were ready to fight, if needed; they were courageous, but Grendel was pretty indestructible against them and he could easily beat them all

·        But, he(Grendel) was now declining, dying, and had been defeated

·        His shoulder bone broke, a sign of the battle being over

·        Beowulf won "glory, Grendel escaped" to his den though, to die a slow and miserable death

·        Beowulf was very prod, the Danes were happy and his accomplishments were listed; he ended Hrothgar's people's problems

·        Beowulf hung Grendel's "arm, claw, shoulder and all" on the rafters; it was basically a trophy of the victory and proof of the win

Pg. 49 The Monsters' Lair (there was a celebration of Beowulf's victory, but Grendel's mother kills Hrothgar's best friend and takes Grendel's claw, Beowulf hears from the king about the underwater lair)

·        The king is talking the whole time

·        peasants in fields saw female and male creatures and told the king's wise men

·        Grendel they named the man one, no one knows if there were any before them or any other creatures like them

·        The creatures lived in a secret wolf den with rocks and a waterfall to an underground lake (my visual interpretation of the text) It's very dark, roots hanging from the top, no one knows how deep

·        The king wants Beowulf to kill the mother, Beowulf is his only help and hope of "being saved", he will reward him with gold and treasure for winning

Pg. 50 The Battle with Grendel's Mother (Beowulf decides to kill her and goes to the lake)

·        (Beowulf is speaking to the men) To Hrothgar, if he(Beowulf) should die during battle, he wants Hrothgar to be "Father and protector" of his comrades. He wants Higlac to have the things Hrothgar gave him. To Unferth, who questioned his bravery before the Grendel battle, he leaves his "famous old sword" <symbolic value

·        He jumped into the lake without others responding

·        Sank for "hours" before reaching the bottom

·        Grendel's mother saw him, her "welcome" was trying to kill him, but his armor was too strong to penetrate

·        She carried him to her home, he couldn't get out his weapon

·        the fight brought other monsters swimming to see...

-She brought him into her home which nothing could attack them in

-He attacked her but realized he couldn't hurt her

-They continue to fight, and she draws a blade on him, her only son, but she hit his armor and he was unharmed

-He then struck her across the neck and rejoiced at her death

-He then picked up his sword and went to find Grendel but found him dead

-Beowulf then left taking nothing but Grendels head and the jeweled sword

-The Geats rejoiced when Beowulf returned

-They then gifted the Danes with Grendel's head

·        Beowulf honored by Hrothgar

·        He becomes king

·        rules Greatland for 50 years

·        Dragon comes into kingdom when Beowulf is an old man

·        he decided to slay the beast 

·        before battle, tells his men about the royal house 

·        wanted to fight without any armor, then realizes the dragon breathes fire 

·        believes he's the only man who can do it. 

·        wants to claim dragon's riches

·        dragon attacked with breathe first

·        his armor held up, then started to melt

·        first time in life, he fought with fate against him

·        his sword broke in two, but got a stab into the dragon

·        Beowulf fell back, dragon attacked, breathed fire at him, he suffered

·        once king, now a beaten warrior 

·        all other men fleed without helping him

·        only man that stayed was Wiglaf, Wexstan's son

·        Wiglaf's mind was made up, he raised his shield and drew his sword

·        Onela got armor from the king. 

·        Wexstan kept the shining gifts for his son but was killed. 

·        His heir, Wiglaf, inherited the treasures. He went into war with Beowulf and was strong and courageous. 

·        Wiglaf brought the soldiers together, telling them Beowulf had given them the swords, it is time to defend with them. It is better for them to suffer than to cause agony to the king. He yelled encouragement and went into the dragons deadly flames. 

·        Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon. The Beowulf is wounded and is dying. He asks Wiglaf to retrieve the treasure the dragon was protecting. 

The Spoils

·        Wiglaf goes into the cave. Finds lots of gold and sparkling things. He grabs as much as he can and takes it to the dying king. 

·        Beowulf says he gave his life for this treasure, use it to help and lead his people. 

·        He said he wanted to be burned high at the waters edge so sailors could see this tower and call it Beowulf's tower. He gave all he had to Wiglaf and said their family had been swept away as warriors and now he was following them. Then he died. 

·        Wiglaf is mad at those who deserted Beowulf

·        The Geats burn his body. 

The Farewell

·        The Geats built the tall and strong tower Beowulf requested, his ashes sealed inside. All the treasure was left at his grave deep in the ground. Twelve men road around the tower telling of their stories and sadness and of his greatness. They said there was not other king worthy of such praise. 

Prologue

·        -A King named Scyld the Scefing was a wealthy man who was looked up upon by the people of his town.

·        -Nobody challenged him, he was better than everyone else

·        -Had a son and named him Beowulf.

·        -Son was looked up to and was generous to all the people of the town. 

·        -Ship created to hold dead body, very wealthy items, 

·        -Description of armor and expensive weapons.

·        -Ship sent to sea, talk about a flood

·        -People mourn for the death of the child.

Chapter 1

·        -A new person came to the thrown named Healfdean. 

·        -Was a strong leader

·        -Had four children Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halga, one not living 

·        -Heorogar was known for his bravery on the battle field.

·        -A hall was built in his honor 

·        -Something of evil comes from "moore land" to hurt the happiness 

·        - Cain awakens evil creature to ruin the fun. 

Vocab

·        -march-rieve- A disturber of the border, one who sallies from his haunt in the fen and roams over the country nearby. This probably pagan nuisance is now furnished with biblical credentials as a fiend or devil in good standing, so that all Christian Englishmen might read about him. "Grendel" may mean one who grinds and crushes.

·        Ettins-Giants

Chapter 2 

·        Went to house and found group of people mourning the death of a person 

·        The next morning Grendel found out his servant of 12 years was murdered

·        That night Grendel looked for the person who killed his servant and was determined to get his revenge

·        The murder wasn't hard to find and Grendel found who he thought killed his servant

·        There was another person continuing to murder people ruthlessly 

·        People said he still lurked the "moorlands" but nobody said where this place was because they were so afraid 

·        People prayed that they wouldn't be killed by this person but also prayed he would be forgiven by god 

Chapter 3 

·        Grendel seen as a hero and people thought his valor should be recognized by the king 

·        Grendel chosen to lead a group of 14 men (called the Geats) to sea 

·        He and his men found the place they were sailing to - Danes 

·        Get off boat armed with weapons and shields 

·        Met by a warden ("scylding clansman") on horseback that was armed 

·        Warden explains that his job is to protect the people of Danes from sailors who land there

·        He also explains he had never seen people come there and be so obvious that they were warriors

·        Warden tells them that he is praying for them on their voyage 

Chapter 4:

Characters: 

The Geats- Beowolf’s clan, Beowolf born around 495

The Dantes- residents of Denmark, Scylding is Anglo Saxon lineage

The Swedes- lived in Sweden north of Geats

Finnsburh- The Fight at Finnsburh overlaps with Beowolf estimated time period and so studied together, example of Germanic heroic lay describing warriors experiences in war

Grendel- monster Beowolf killed and symbolic of when bad Cain killed good Abel (revenge), Beowolf is cause of trouble because rebel, Grendel’s mother is constant vengeful and represents cycle of war even when enemy seems to be defeated

I don't know if needed (above) but it was on the website and the characters are kinda confusing to know who are people talking but I think with rest of notes it will hopefully make sense! Thanks again for all your participation!!!

Chapter Six (VI)

·        Hrothgar is talking of Beowolf and only legends have been told (like rumors in today’s world) of how strong and great Beowolf is

·        They thank god (grateful) for having him send Beowolf to relive them of Grendel and his destruction

·        Grateful for someone/thing that they haven’t even met yet, they just know rumors and stories about.

·        Like society today when we want to ay someone for their service but really we should just be grateful for their service and sacrifice to be there rather than having to pay them to make ourselves feel better about “hassling them”

·        heros don’t get hassled, they just go out and do because that’s their “job”

·        People get mad about Beowolf not taking the money and gold but why should he? He did a good deed and shouldn’t it just be left to that?

·        Beowolf gets message that Hrothgar will accept him and his kin in his own kingdom for Beowolf’s bravery

·        Beolwolf replies by giving story of his own battles and how he came to be known as a strong man. He fought animals and his foes, many at a time, for his people (the Geats) and to avenge them (symbol of hero)

·        Beowolf knows his duty, in specific to defeating Grendel, and knows that he must use only himself and no other armor

·        knowledgeable of situation and knows what needs to be done. Doesn’t put brawn over brains

·        “So, from thee, thou sovran of the Shining-Danes, Scyldings'-bulwark, a boon I seek, and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not, O Warriors'-shield, now I've wandered far, that I alone with my liegemen here, this hardy band, may Heorot purge!” - I am not sure what he means by I have wandered too far?

·        He knows he might die in battle and respects the “rules” of battle and lets his family know that if he is to die in battle, they shouldn’t worry about burying him properly.

·        Practical but still with hope that he will win the battle with faith

Chapter Seven (VII)

·        Hrothgar retells story of brother’s, Heorogar, death.

·        Killed by war between Wylfings and Scyldings over money and gold

·        Shows destruction of materialistic world and consequences of it

·        “Then was this mead-house at morning tide dyed with gore, when the daylight broke, all the boards of the benches blood-besprinkled, gory the hall: I had heroes the less,” - descriptive language of how warriors died trying to defeat Grendel. Revenge Hrothgar wants. Passionate

·        Sit to eat after this gruesome story, shows culture and how they take death as a apart of life but then want revenge for wrongful deaths as do we in today’s world

Chapter 8 (VIII)

·        Always refer to seafarers to tell a rumor or story, Why?

·        Enferth (son of Ecglaf) questioned Beowolf’s ability to actually fight Grendel and told of story where Beowolf and “rival” Breca swam the seas together and then Breca got out of the sees unharmed but he worries that Beowolf is not strong like Breca.

·        Questioning of strength is key in hero battle/adventure because it makes the hero think about his/her strength and if they really can achieve their goal

·        Also gives background to Beowolf and adventures

·        Questions that Beowolf will do anything without really thinking about it or consequences

·        Beowolf reinforces that he is ready and states that he was a child and didn’t know better but he did bring swords for protection

·        He stayed by Breca until the very end until it was impossible to stay together because of the seas tearing them apart

·        Beowolf defeated the beast of the sea and that shows give evidence behind why he is worthy of fighting Grendel

·        He supports this accusation on inadequacy and backs up his point with evidence as seen in today’s culture with giving effective opinions and if you want people to believe you then you give them reasons to

·        He proves himself time and time again which is what a hero has to do because the people are putting their faith into him and they want credibility 

Beowulf Notes:

Chapter 9:

·        Beowulf encounters evil sea monsters that make him feel threatened. So he kills them with his sword. He kills nine of them and they will never bother the sailors again. This is when he was separated from Breca. Reminds me of Moby Dick in a sense.

·        He fought a difficult battle and the tides ended up taking him to the land of the Fins.

·        Breca was on of Beowulf’s closest kin, but he left Beowulf in the sea where he had to fight giants on his own, but Beowulf doesn’t wish war with him. Beowulf believes that his bad will come to him.

·        Grendel is the son of Ecglaf. Grendel was very jealous of Hrothgar so he brought him humiliation. Now Grendel would “rot in hell”. (Dante’s Inferno)

·        Beowulf fears no feud with the Danish; he will fight, murder and eat with them and the next day finds out the strength of the Geats.

·        Beowulf will fight with them and Hrothgar, jewel-giver, is pleased with his will to fight. The queen snickers at this but still continues to wear her gold and carried the cup of the hall.

·        The queen walked around the hall, first giving the king a drink (Hrothgar), and then giving the rest a drink. She was so happy that Beowulf had committed to fight with the Geats and if he didn’t help win the battle he would die in the process.

·        The queen thanked the lord for her Savior, Beowulf.

·        The son of Healfdene wants to get to bed, but speaks with Beowulf before he goes. They speak of the hopeful glory for the battle the next morning. Beowulf will remain in the hall bequeathing, or giving the power over to him. Healfdene’s son would obtain the power over the hall, which was called Heorot Hall, for the night. ( A will? In case he died in battle the next day, Healfdene would inherit the power?)

Chapter 10

·        Hrothgar and Wealhtheow, the queen, go to bed, but have a guard watch their room in order to prevent the monster from getting to them. The monster being Grendel. (Frankenstein was a monster to everyone)

·        Beowulf retires for the night and has a guard watch his armor, but he challenges the monster to a battle without armor or weapons. He says the gods will decide who is right.

·        Everyone laid down to rest not fearing of dying or not returning home the next day. Although many people had not made it back, they had no worries.

·        Metaphor of one man being different than the rest to god ruling over man-kind. Was Beowulf starting to earn the reputation of a god?

·        Beowulf was the only man to lie awake looking at the wandering shadow in the hall. Beowulf could only think of the upcoming battle and would not sleep.