Beowulf - Perfection Learning

Unit One◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆from Beowulf The Battle with the Dragon/The Deathof Beowulf by Burton Raffel, translator, pages 46–58Epic PoetryResponding and WritingBeowulf has become the ruler of a kingdom and has ruled for many years. Now an old man, he prepares forhis final battle against a dragon that is wreaking havoc in his kingdom. With Wiglaf’s help, Beowulf slaysthe dragon. However, the dragon mortally wounds Beowulf, who leaves the kingdom to Wiglaf as a rewardfor his loyalty and bravery.Vocabularyreproach blame; disgracescorning refusing with contemptjackal wild dogexiles people banished from their native landflushed reddened from emotion or exertionhaltingly in a way that’s hesitant or waveringAfter You ReadLiterary Lens: ForeshadowingForeshadowing:“Then he said farewell tohis followers, Each in histurn, for the last time”“And everything hiddenin that tower, will be mineOr war will sweep me to abitter death!”“Fought with fate againsthim, with glory Denied him.He knew it, but he raisedhis sword And struck atthe dragon’s scaly hide.”“Wiglaf showed hiscourage, his strength andskill, and the boldness hewas born with.”“I’d leave my armor to myson, Now, if God had givenme an heir,”➪Effect:Signals Beowulf will neversee his followers again, butdoesn’t know how theywill react to his deathDon’t know if he will getthe treasure or how or ifthe Geats will end up atwar with the dragonWonder if fate or magicwill save Beowulf or helphim kill the dragon even ifit means his deathSignals that Wiglaf kills thedragon and hints that hemight take Beowulf’s placeas king if Beowulf does dieSignals that Beowulf mightmake Wiglaf king becausehe has no real heirExplore Context: TraditionsStudents’ paragraphs should mention that manymodern Christian traditions such as those involvedin the Easter and Christmas holidays have roots inpagan traditions. Paragraphs should also includeadditional information that students collected fromtheir research.Apply and Create: Graphic ThemeStudents’ graphic stories should address a universaltheme from Beowulf, such as good triumphing overevil. The graphic stories should include modernreferences to the existence of the theme they choosein the world today. For example, students maychoose a story from a local newspaper about acitizen who protected someone from a mugging.Read Critically1. Why do Beowulf’s men desert him? Whatconclusions can you draw about them based ontheir actions? Beowulf’s men desert him becausethey know he will not be able to slay the dragon.They are afraid of getting killed and of losing theirhero and ruler.2. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrastthe young Beowulf with the old Beowulf. Howhas he changed? In the beginning, nothing canhurt Beowulf, and he can defeat any villain. Nowhe is old, and his weapons are not strong againstthe dragon. He knows he will fail, but like before,he is not afraid to die and still hopes for fame andglory.3. Why does Wiglaf help Beowulf? What do hisactions foreshadow? Wiglaf believes in thecode of the warrior and will not leave his leader.His heroism foreshadows his greatness and hisreplacement as new king of the Geats.Writing a SummaryHave students write a summary of the portions ofBeowulf they have read in this book. Remind themthat a summary should include only the mostimportant parts of the story.Many Voices: British Literature Traditions and Change 49