Beowulf Essay Assignment - Kenwood Academy



Beowulf Essay Assignment

The first draft of your essay is due TUESDAY October 12th; the final draft is due Thursday October 14th. Late essays lose 10 points a day. No essays will be taken after November 8th. Essays will be collected at the beginning of class only. No essays will be accepted over email! Essays must be typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman Font. Final drafts will not be accepted without outlines and reviewed first drafts.

Essay Requirements: This essay must be a five paragraph essay. Each paragraph must contain at least 7 sentences. You must have two quotations in each body paragraph – one from Beowulf and one from your secondary source. You must do an outline (using my outline format) and a first draft.

Part I: Choose a topic

Topic A: Hero

Use the poem, your notes, and a secondary source to prove that Beowulf is a good example of a hero.

|Who: |Beowulf |

|What: |is a hero |

|Where: |in Beowulf |

|When: |Anglo-Saxon England |

|Why/How: 1. |he fights for a noble cause |

| 2. |he follows a code of honor |

| 3. |he possesses strength and courage |

Example thesis statement: In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf possesses the characteristics of a hero because he fights for a noble cause, he follows a code of honor, and he possesses strength and courage that is greater than anyone else.

Topic B: Vengeance

Different characters seek vengeance in the poem. Use the poem, your notes, and a secondary source to discuss the reasons and ways that the characters seek revenge.

|Who: |characters in the poem |

|What: |exemplify vengeance |

|Where: |in Beowulf |

|When: |Anglo-Saxon England |

|Why/How: 1. |through Beowulf’s actions |

| 2.|through Hrothgar’s actions |

| 3.|through Grendel’s mother’s actions |

Example thesis statement: In the epic poem Beowulf, the idea of vengeance is exemplified through the actions of Beowulf, Hrothgar, and Grendel’s mother.

Part II: outline the Beowulf essay

A. look at the example to review the outline form

Sample thesis: In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf possesses the characteristics of a hero because he fights for a noble cause, he follows a code of honor, and he possesses strength and courage that is greater than anyone else.

|PTBM |EX |Primary Quotation |Secondary Quotation |

| |helps the Danes when no one else |“ | |

|He fights for a noble cause |could | | |

| |rescues Herot from Grendel | | |

| |avenges Esher’s death | | |

| | | | |

| | |(Beowulf, ln. ) | |

| | |“ | |

|He follows a code of honor | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | |(Beowulf, ln. ) | |

| | |“ | |

|He possesses strength and courage | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | |(Beowulf, ln. ) | |

B. Write an outline by: THIS NOT

• using notes from class THIS

• holding a piece of paper in landscape orientation with the red margin at the top

• writing the thesis statement above the red margin line (put your heading at top right)

• using a straight edge and taking up the entire sheet with four columns and three rows

• filling in PTBM’s from the thesis statement’s how/why’s

• writing each PTBM in 5-7 words - not a sentence, a point - not plot

• developing each ex with 2-3 examples from the plot that support your Point To Be Made

• adding primary quotes that support the PTBM’s and are about 2-4 lines long

• checking that each quote has “ “ and (Beowulf, ln. ) at the end (1 per box)

• using format so that when the text skips to a new line and starts with a capital letter, put a / between and write the capital letter to show this line break (this is like poetry)

• double checking all quotations are exact

• double checking that all examples and quotations really support the PTBM’s and make sense

PLEASE WRITE LEGIBLY AND USE THE ENTIRE PAGE

THE OUTLINE MUST BE COMPLETED BY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010

IT IS WORTH 10% OF YOUR ESSAY GRADE!!!

Part III: Draft the essay on the computer

A. Follow this drafting process for each support paragraph:

• Write PTBMs as the first sentences using strong verbs

• Add the examples next with 2 to 3 sentences that fully explain how your PTBM supports your “what” in the thesis

• Introduce the quotations with lead-ins such as: Beowulf’s heroic legacy is shown in his introduction as “Edgetho’s brave son” (ln. 2021).

• Explain the quotation

• End each paragraph with an interpretation of how this paragraph supports your thesis

• Save the paper on a disk and to e-mail

• Follow the same format for support paragraphs 2 and 3

B. Write your introduction and conclusion last by following this format:

INTRO CONCLUSION

general statement of “what” re-worded, restatement of thesis

1-2 sent. Summary

explanation of “who” review of PTBMs

thesis final analysis of “what’

C. Use standard conventions for typing as listed below:

– Write a five paragraph essay

– Type a Works Cited page using standard guides given in class

– Type the paper (no paper will be accepted unless it is typed!)

• 12 point font

• double spaced

• use default font (Times New Roman)

• black ink

• 1 inch margins

• 1 “tab” indentation to show a new paragraph

• no extra space between paragraphs

• Heading in top right corner of the first page – no cover sheet!

• Title on top line after heading – no bold, no large font, no italics except in title of poem Beowulf

Part IV: Revise! Revise! Revise!

o Have peers and others read the essay using the peer revision rubric

Part V: Edit and Proofread

o Remove all contractions – you can’t have any

o Remove all first and second person – I, me, my, you, your, etc.

▪ Replace with: this author, this writer, one, the reader

o Refer the Beowulf as a poem and the author as the poet

o Circle all the be verbs and try to remove at lease ½ of them by using strong verbs

o Read the essay aloud to hear grammar errors

o Have the essay read aloud to you to hear errors

o read a final copy that is printed out – not just the one on the screen

o use spell check and grammar check

Part VI: Write a great title

– write down the major themes of your essay (love, hate, power, terror)

– use a thesaurus to find some alliterative words that you can use

– start with a short alliterative phrase

– put in a colon

– tell the who and what from the thesis

– end with the title

ex: For an essay about heroes –

Brave and Benevolent Men: The Hero in Beowulf

Part VII: Turn in the paper

– look at the rubric to be sure you earn full credit – try to earn as many points as possible

– review the assignment sheet for details about late papers and absences

– the essay will not be accepted without

o 5 paragraphs

o typed draft with significant comments by peer and author

o typed final draft

o typed Works Cited with 2 sources matching parenthetical citations

o thesis as last sentence of introduction

o outline and use of the format from the outline in the essay

Final Submission Order

Top Rubric

Final typed draft

Typed Works Cited

Hand written or typed outline

Typed draft(s) with revisions

Bottom Peer Revision Rubric

Answer the following questions in your own words using your own opinions. Please write in complete sentences!

1. What makes a hero?

2. What is vengeance and how/why can it be used?

Answer the following questions in your own words using your own opinions. Please write in complete sentences!

1. What makes a hero?

2. What is vengeance and how/why can it be used?

Answer the following questions in your own words using your own opinions. Please write in complete sentences!

1. What makes a hero?

2. What is vengeance and how/why can it be used?

heading

Beowulf Outline

| |PTBM |EX |Primary Quotation |Secondary Quotation |

| | | | | |

|SP I | |helps the Danes when no one else could |“ |“ |

| |He fights for a noble cause |rescues Herot from Grendel | | |

| | |avenges Esher’s death | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | |(Beowulf, ln. ) |“ ( ) |

|SP II | | |“ |“ |

| |He follows a code of honor | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | |(Beowulf, ln. ) |“ ( ) |

|SP III | | |“ |“ |

| |He possesses strength and courage | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | |(Beowulf, ln. ) |“ ( ) |

Thesis: In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf possesses the characteristics of a hero because he fights for a noble cause, he follows a code of honor, and he possesses strength and courage that is greater than anyone else.

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