Assignment 2- Beowulf/Epic Poem

• SAT Word of the Day
• SAT Question of the Day
• Grammar Practice/Comma Splice- Do online activity and then get worksheet from teacher.
• Epic Poem- an epic is a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero's deeds.
The following is a practice in using multiple sources to answer questions:
From Literature Book:
Characteristics of an Epic
• Hero is a male of noble birth.
• Hero's character traits reflect important ideas of society.
• Hero performs courageous-sometimes even superhuman--deeds that reflect values of the era.
• The actions of the hero often determine the fate of a nation or group of people.
• The setting is vast in scope, often involving more than one nation.
• The poet uses formal diction and a serious tone.
• Major characters often deliver long, formal speeches.
• The plot is complicated by supernatural beings or  events and may involve a long and dangerous journey through foreign lands.
• The poem reflects timeless values, such as courage and honor.
• The poem treats universal themes, such as good and evil or life and death.
From Wikipedia:
• About Beowulf- Anglo-Saxon epic poem (AD 700-1000)
Grendel and his mother (monsters) are described as descendants of the Biblical Cain (Cain and Able were brothers-Cain killed his brother). Beowulf leaves Geatland in order to find and destroy Grendel, who has been attacking the mead hall (place to eat and meetl) Heorot, killing and eating anyone he finds there. 


Grendel attacks the hall after having been disturbed by the noise of the drunken revellers. One cryptic scene in which Grendel sits in the abandoned hall unable to approach the throne hints that his motives may be greed or revenge. After a long battle, Beowulf mortally wounds Grendel by ripping his arm off. 


Grendel dies in his cave under the swamp. There, Beowulf later engages in a fierce battle with Grendel's mother, over whom he triumphs. Following her death, Beowulf finds Grendel's corpse and removes his head, which he keeps as a trophy. Beowulf then returns to the surface and to his men at the "ninth hour" (l. 1600, "nōn", about 3pm).^[1] He returns to Heorot, where he is given many gifts by an even more grateful Hroðgar.
From Literature Book:
Now Read,  Beowulf's Last Battle p. 52. Read the entire page including the preface above the story.  Make a new page on your blog called Beowulf.  Answer the following questions:
1.  What do these lines foreshadow about the outcome of Beowulf's last battle?
2.  What do Beowulf's remarks reveal about his personality and attitude toward danger?
3.  From the list of characteristics of an epic poem, why is Beowulf an epic?
4.  Name a comic book character today that would be considered a hero and give his characteristics and super powers. (Use the Internet to gather your information.)
Write your answers in correct grammatical form, make sure you use lines from the poem to support your answers.