1/17/20 Kayla Wong PD1

01/17/20 Modern Mythology 2020 Kayla Wong #16 Period 1 Aim: How does Beowulf’s battle with Grendel demonstrate the murkiness of good and evil? Do Now: Reading check quiz The purpose of this quiz was to help us become more independent learners rather than relying on the teachers. Read Aloud: Does the fact that Grendel uses people as food change our opinion of him? Paulina says that even though there were other food sources in the land such as the farm animals, Grendel still chooses to eat humans. By eating humans, it makes it seem more sadistic than it would’ve been if he ate animals instead. The Poet chose the word “feasting” - apply your knowledge of diction and reevaluate question 1. Brianna says it is shown that Grendel is just eating to survive, but using the word feasting makes it seems Paulina says that it is already implied that Grendel was eating people but by using the word feasting makes it even more sadistic than it already was as Grendel could have ate other food sources, the animals on the farms of the land instead of humans. Makes feasting as gorging Ms. Fusaro says the irony that Grendel only grabs people in the mead hall instead of the outside. Grendel is irritated by the people in the hall as they are having their feast. He is flipping the tables by eating them in the place where they were feasting. Almost as if they were putting a mirror on this. Why could none of their weapons pierce through Grendel? What if we consider the metaphorical representation of what he is? What is significant about the fact that Beowulf could only defeat Grendel with hand to hand combat? Grendel casted a spell on their weapons which makes it useless against him. This forces them to have a hand to hand battle against Grendel and none of the warriors can withstand it except Beowulf. Matthew says: He is a descendant of Cain. The importance of hand to hand combat is to show honor and strength of Beowulf as a warrior Lillian says that in a sense it elevates Grendel and his sense of evil. Everyone can have weapons, but Beowulf is someone who was born with unnatural strength and it is only fit for someone with an unnatural sense of evil Ms. Fusaro, metaphorically what are the other beings that Grendel could have been? Matthew, Grendel could’ve represent the people who are jealous of the people inside the halls eating a feast Nick, could relate it to any person or the idea of kinship and all their customs in general. Kills the people in the place where they all feel at home or is comfortable there. You can’t defeat a feeling with a weapon but rather with their body, and that is why hand to hand is so important Whole Group Discussion: How do you feel about voyeurism associated with crime and punishment? Would you go to a public hanging today? Does it function as intended, as a warning, or does it do something more? Paulina says that in America where their are public lynchings to people where they perceive the person as a criminal. Since the beginning of history, they have always had public beheadings and killing where people would watch as a source of entertainment Student Reflection: In class I learned the purpose of the poet using the word feasting and the importance of hand to hand combat instead of using weapons to defeat Grendel. We learned about this because there is something more about what Grendel represents other than being a human eating monster. Grendel is a descendant of Cain and it shows the theme of how children pay for the sins of their parents. Other than that there is also the representation of what Grendel is, he represents the could be related to the people who are jealous of those inside the hall and the importance of hand to hand combat is that you can’t defeat feelings with a weapon but rather with a body.