Question for September 2, Beowulf (72-100)

The section of the poem beginning on page 72 and continuing to the end is much darker than the earlier parts of the poem. Select and discuss one event (or predicted event) that signals the decline of Beowulf and/or the Geatish clan. To what do you attribute this decline?

Question for August 31 (Beowulf, 61-72)

Discuss the supernatural and/or religious elements in today's reading. Is the outcome of the battle with Grendel's mother determined by God, fate, or Beowulf's own actions? Support your answer with at least one quotation from the poem.

Question for August 29, Beowulf (47-61)

Is Beowulf a braggart? That is, does he boast too much about what he has done and will do? Discuss your answer, referring to at least one passage from today's reading and one other student's comment on the reading. (The first student to post does not need to refer to any other student's comment, obviously.)

Welcome to English 205 (2:00 MWF)

Welcome to English 205-005. This is our class blog. Each week I will post three questions about the assigned reading. You will post a comment on one of these questions. Usually, you will post a 250-350 word comment which both quotes from the text and references a comment by another student. This week, however, our purpose is simply to find the blog and select a pseudonym (your blog name). So comment in a sentence or two to one of the following questions, using the pseudonym you've selected. Do not use your real name or anything that might enable another student to guess your identity (no geographic origin, club membership, sports team, hobby, etc.) Remember--your keep your pseudonym a secret! Here are the questions: 1. Who is your favorite British author, and why? 2. Have you read Beowulf before? If so, what was the most memorable thing about it to you? 3. Which era of British literature is your favorite (or least favorite), and why? Post your short comment below, before Monday's class.