Beowulf Argumentative Paragraph

Due September 15th

Directions: As a college prep class, making arguments and developing analysis about the text we read is a skill we're going to try to hone. Instead of having you write a complete essay, I'm going to have you write a well-developed paragraph where you make a claim about Beowulf and support that claim using evidence from the text.

Guideline

1. Examine Beowulf holistically as a text or examine a certain part. Make a claim/argument about some aspect that isn't obvious and literally. A bad argument for a paragraph would be Beowulf helped Hrothgar by ridding two monsters for him; It's obvious and doesn't allow much room for any critical thought.

Here are some potetial topics:

-Gender Roles and How Beowulf tries to teach the listener/reader how an Anglo-Saxon woman should or shouldn't behave

-Functions of the "side stories" with in the Beowulf text

-Beowulf as a Christlike figure

-Beowulf's transformation to aider to Hrothgar toward inhabiting the role of Hrothgar himself

-How Beowulf fulfills/doesn't fulfill the Anglo-Saxon hero model

-Message Beowulf tries to deliver about life and death

-Beowulf as an evangelizing tool to pagan listeners

-Is pride Beowulf's downfall?

-Use of foil character to teach lessons about codes of behavior for Anglo-Saxons

- Beowulf's biggest strength is not in brawn but his brains and wit

-Beowulf doesn't want to be king that a follower

-Messages and Meanings of Heirlooms in Beowulf

-Analysis of Beowulf and Lord of the Rings as comparative texts

-Hospitality and gifts contrasting with vengeance and violence

-Fatalism within Beowulf

-plus, many more that I know you can think of

2. Organization- While there isn't a formula for writing this paragraph, here is a structure that might work well.

Topic Sentence- Argument; Complex or Compound Sentence probably

Introduction of example/reason 1-

Illustration to support example/reason 1 from text

Introduction of example/reason 2 from text-

Illustration to support example/reason 2

Introduction of example/reason 3

Illustration of example/reason 3 from text

Tie Up Sentence to for paragraph


If you use a comparison/contrast or cause/effect structure for your pargraph, you're orgainzation will be different. Use appropriate transition word depending on the structure you use; Use specific examples from the text, not generalities i.e. Beowulf was a brave guy.


3. Sentence Structure-Vary your sentences; Try to use structures that we've model in our sentence composing strategies. Specifically, try to use introductory adjective or adjective phrases.

4. Vocabulary- Use at least two of the vocabulary words from Group 1. Boldface these within the paragraph.

5. Tone- Write using a formal voice. What does this mean? Avoid using "you" or "I" in the paragraph; don't use slang or colluquialisms i.e. Beowulf was "the man", he was "cool", Grendel thought he was "all that a bag of chips", and Beowulf gave scoop about Hrothgar to Higlac.