Saturday, August 29, 2009

Question Stems Week 4 (2 for Dillard)--Conclusions

What can you conclude about the poet's attitude toward the behavior of Beowulf's comrades other than Wiglaf.

Question Stems Week 4 (2 for Dillard)--Comparison

How does Wiglaf compare to a younger Beowulf?

Question Stems--Drawing Conclusions

What can you conclude when the sword dissolves after Beowulf decapitates Grendel?

Question Stems Week 4 (2 for Dillard)--Comparison

Does Grendel or his mother seem more evil and why?

Question Stems Week 4 (2 for Dillard)

How would you compare Beowulf's final battle with his previous two battles?

Essential Question--Comparison

What connection does modern man have to the Anglo-Saxon culture?

Essential Question--Understanding Other Cultures

Why have so many cultures created their own folk heroes?

Essential Question--Understanding Other Cultures

What aspects of a culture are preserved in the folk heroes of that culture, and how are they preserved?

Essential Question--Conjecture

For what causes do people risk their lives and why?

Essential Question--Comparison

What do classical and modern day heroes have in common?

Friday, August 21, 2009

Conjecture

How might the story change if Grendel's father arrived on the scene? Elaborate.

Main Idea

What would be an appropriate new title for the battle with Grendel and why? Defend your proposition.

Details

Which details of the battle with Grendel justify the title of epic hero given to Beowulf and do you agree that his title is justified? Why or why not?

Stylistic Quality

What is the effect of the Beowulf poet's use of exaggeration to describe our epic hero and how did the poet create this effect?

Inference

Why have so many cultures created their own folk heroes?

Comparison/Contrast

What do classical and modern day heroes have in common and why is this important as a topic of discussion?

Beowulf Life-Lesson Question

For what causes do people risk their lives, and why?

Comprehending Figurative Language

What does the author mean by saying, "his misery leaped/ The Seas," and can you suggest other ways he may have expressed this idea? Please elaborate on why you created your idea the way you did, and explain how you came to your particular creation.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Inferences

What can you infer about Grendel after learning that he was "Conceived by a pair of those monsters born / Of Cain"? Elaborate on the possiblities.

Mood

How do you describe the mood of the story once Grendel enters it?

Understanding Author's Use of Figurative Language

What does the author mean by saying "his misery leaped/The Seas"? Elaborate.