Beowolf Questions

Prelude

1. Shield became the ruler of the Danes despite being an orphan. He got the throne through the strength in battle. When he died he was cast out to sea on a boat filled with treasure, and everybody mourned his death. Shield is Hrothgar's great-grandfather. 

Heorot is attacked

1. Hrothgar's magnificent achievement was the hall that he had constructed, Heorot. It was attacked by Grendel with horrible results. Grendel the nightmarish beast would attack the hall every night killing the men inside, and terrorized Hrothgar's rule for twelve years. The Danes tried to offer him gold to stop, but he still continued as the Danes prayed to Pagan gods for the attacks to stop.

The Hero Comes to Heorot

1. When Beowulf hears of Grendel he decided to go try to stop him, so he sailed off with a group of warriors to help Hrothgar. 

2. When the Geats first reach Denmark they meet one of Hrothgar's guards on the coast. He questions the group of armed warriors and they say that they will help Hrothgar, so they are allowed to land.

3. Hrothgar's herald is Wulfgar who tells them that they are very brave men. He tells to same to Hrothgar, specially mentioning Beowulf's strength. Hrothgar is very happy to hear the news and trusts Beowulf to help him. Yes, it is surprising that Hrothgar knows Beowulf since they come from different cultures separated by the sea.

4. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he will kill Grendel with his bare hands. Hrothgar settled a feud that Beowulf's dad had started.

Feast at Heorot

1. Unferth accuses Beowulf of vanity and losing to Breca in a contest. Beowulf explains that he was busy killing nine sea monsters, and declares his strength. Then he accuses Unferth of being responsible for the death on his family. This does indeed show Beowulf's arrogance and will to prove himself to others.

2. During the feast Queen Wealhtheow greeted everyone including Beowulf, and she thanked god he had come.

 The Fight with Grendel

1. Instead of arming for battle Beowulf disarms for battle, removing his armor and putting away his sword.

2. Grendel kills a man grotesquely when he enters the room then goes after Beowulf. Beowulf grabs Grendel and Grendel thrashes around trying to break free. Beowulf tore off Grendel's arm as he tried to escape. He does escape, but loses his arm, a fatal wound.

Celebration at Heorot

1. Beowulf is like Sigemund because he is a hero who saved others from a monster and he's not like Heremod because Heremod was a selfish king who never protected his people, unlike Beowulf. 

2. Hrothgar considers Beowulf as a son, and gives him a sword, a shield, a golden set of armor, and a helmet. Unferth has nothing more to say as Beowulf is clearly a hero. 

3. Finn's (leader of the Frisians) step brother (leader of the Scyldings) dies in battle, and his second in command makes truce in the war with the Frisians. With the truce the Scyldings stayed with Finn over winter, eventually killing him and leaving back with his sister Hildeburh. Using a woman to heal relations is not a good idea.

4. Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar not to give the throne to Beowulf. 

5. The necklace Beowulf is given, Beowulf eventually gives to his uncle Hygelac. Wealhtheow asks Beowulf to look after and care for her sons.

6. So many men remain in the beer hall because they don't know the danger to come, that Grendel's mother is soon coming to find revenge.

Another Attack

1. Grendel's mother has come to Heorot because she is angry about the death of her son. It is not for the same reason that Grendel had, she has come in anger and vengeance for her son.

2. Hrothgar is in great sorrow after Grendel's mother takes the kings advisor and close friend, Aeschere. Hrothgar offers Beowulf chests of gold and riches to slay the evil monster and free them yet again from evil.

3. The mere is like a lake, except it has water that boils and is full of sea serpents and dragons. No man has ever reached the bottom of the mere and very few have ever gone near it. It is where Grendel and his mother have their den.

Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother

1. Beowulf tells Hrothgar to respond to Grendel's mother by sending Beowulf and his men to slay her so that they can be free from the demons.

2. The warriors find the severed head of the adviser for the king, who had been killed the previous night by Grendel's Mother. This puts the soldiers into an uneasy and frightened state of mind.
3. Beowulf puts on mail and  takes the sword Hrunting into battle, which was the sword of Unferth, which he had said that he will shape glory with the sword, and not fail until death.
4. As Beowulf enters the mere, Beowulf is grabbed by Grendel's Mother and there is a fight between the two. He swings Hrunting into the side of the Mother's head, to no effect, then discards the sword to fight bare-handed. After Beowulf finds the massive sword to slay the Mother, he notices that the realm is filled with treasure and artifacts, in which would lay much riches, but Beowulf cared not.
5. The sword of Unferth is cast aside and then retrieved after the battle with Grendel's Mother because it is not strong enough to pierce her skin.
6. The Woven mail that he had put on himself before the battle had deflected the blow from the knife of Grendel's Mother. Then he got back on his feet and found the extremely large sword that would slay Grendel's Mother.

7. Beowulf decapitated Grendel’s mother with an enormous sword too large for any ordinary man that he grabbed from the hall. He chops off Grendel’s head and takes it with him as a trophy for his victory. When he does this, the sword melts from Grendel’s poison blood.

8. When Beowulf returns to the surface, only his loyal followers remained as the rest had assumed he had died fighting the beast and returned to Heorot. His men had not expected him to return and they rejoiced with joy when he did.

Further Celebration at Heorot

1. When Beowulf decides to leave, he gives Hrothgar the sword he had discovered in the hall while fighting Grendel’s mother.

2. Hrothgar has a message for Beowulf about Heremod. He tells us that Heremod is the father of Scyld and that he had died in battle while trying to defend his people, which is something that Beowulf had just succeeded in. The whole point of bringing up Heremod seems to compare and contrast Beowulf and Heremod.

3. He returns Unferth’s sword to him as he leaves, the swords name was Hrunting and it was ineffective against Grendel’s mother.

Beowulf Returns Home

1. He will be the king of Geats, receive many treasures, and make peace with other nations. It’s a very hopeful future.

2. Hygd is very young and beautiful. She is wise while Modthryth  is very evil and merciless.

3. He wants to end the feud between the Danes and Ingeld. Ingled will devoice the daughter and attack Hrothgar.  An old warrior will convince Ingeld to fight. No because hero’s are supposed to be always act with honor. 

4. He reports his adventures in a very exaggerated way. He’s honest about the story but he explains it in a way that builds himself up more. It’s not that expected because he’s supposed to a noble hero but he is concerned about glory so it makes sense.

5. Beowulf gives most of his treasure to Hygelac and Hygd and in return Hygd gives him treasure and land for himself. 

The Dragon Wakes

1. Part 2 takes place forty winters (forty years) later.  Hygelac has died and  there is now a dragon.

2. Thief has stolen his gold (cup). The man was poor and hungry. It was left there by a man from an ancient race who realized he like his ancestors would die and therefore buried the treasure.

3. The dragon just rampaged through the land trying to find the thief and destroys his throne hall.

4. He believes he has angered God. He makes a new shield to fight the dragon.  He will fight it alone. He will die.

5. He dies against the Frisians. Beowulf was able to get away but he mourned for his death. He was offered the thrown. He did not out of respect for Hygelac.

6.   Heardred is killed while fighting the Swedes.  Beowulf avenges him by killing Onela, the Swedish king.

7.  Beowulf brings eleven men (he is “one of twelve”) with him to meet the dragon.

8.  Hygelac’s oldest brother Herebeald was killed by a relative (Haethcyn).  An arrow missed its target and him Herebeald, killing him.  King Hrethel was devastated.  There is a lengthy portion detailing his lamentations.  War breaks out between the Swedes and the Geats.  Beowulf avenges Hygelac’s death by defeating Daeghrefn in front of “the legions”.

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon

1.  Beowulf tells his companions to wait back while he fights the dragon.  He reasons that he is the only one among them that has any hope of killing it.

2.  The first time Beowulf faces the dragon, his shield, helmet, and sword fail him, and he is wounded.  His companions all flee the dragon, except for Wiglaf, who stays to help.  He tells the others that Beowulf chose them as his companions because he believed them to be great warriors, and that they should not abandon him now in his time of need.  He rushes in to aid Beowulf.

3. The second time Beowulf meets the dragon, the dragon bites him on the neck—leaving a mortal wound.  Wiglaf ultimately impales the dragon. 

4.  Beowulf tells Wiglaf to bring the dragon’s treasure to him.  Beowulf thanks God for the treasure.  Beowulf wants to be buried in tower on a high cliff by the water.  He wants sailors to see the tower and remember his name.

Beowulf’s Funeral

1. The warriors see Wiglaf trying to reviveBeowulf. Wiglaf gets mad at them for leaving Beowolf. Wiglaf expects the Geatsto be attacked and their nation destroyed.

2. The messenger announces that Beowulf is dead.Ongentheow and his men make fun of the Geats. Hygelac comes to the Geats withreinforcements. Ongentheow retreated once he saw more men. Ongentheow wascornered by Hygelac and was killed. The messenger says that the treasure iscursed. Beowulf can’t be cursed because he had never been greedy. The finalimage is of a dragon.

3. Wiglaf tells the crowd how great Beowulf was atfighting.

4. The dragon was pushed off the edge of the cliffinto the ocean because it was evil.

5. The Geats mourned and sung and everyone was sadduring the ten day burial.

6. The Geats say that Beowulf was a kind man. It isnot something you would usually call a war hero who is killing a lot of people.

Beowolf Reading Notes

• A story focused on an epic story of a king
• In relation to the king, it dealt with his prosperity, his son, and his burial.
• It is difficult to know much about how Beowolf was written
• It has been remade so many times the truth and context are uncertain
• Beowolf is inspirational due to his attitude and moral that even when fighting with Grendel, he was brave and didn't use any weapons
• This story was once told through oral tradition
• Telephone: a game where the original context is lost in meaning- same result as the retelling of Beowolf 

My University

Todays' day in English and independent learning was short and hard to focus. With only about 30 minutes and 10 of those used to write the journal, it was hard to work on anything else. None-the-less I got to start reading the beginning of Catch-22. I needed to start reading this anyways so I made use of my time. If class relied on learning independently everyday I don't think I would do very well. I live on structure and objectives to complete and follow, because I am a very forgetful and scattered person. Without this structure and assignments, I would easily fall behind and get lost in what I was supposed to do and not do. For that reason I would rather have a teaching approach or a collaborative environment. 

"This Life is Your Life"

http://youtu.be/qDh99ecwwgg

Textbook Notes

• - English/England is not a true language or race. Many various groups created this language together.
• Britain was the apparent ruler of the world, but little did we know that they were conquered by other groups such as Germans, and Romans
• Lancasters replaced Plantagenet and there were many Henry's
• Preston talked about this in class: A reference from Lancasters in Game Of Thrones. (which I also noticed.
• There was great literature during this time period
• Medieval dramas
• Canterbury Tales-- Geoffrey Chaucer
• Black death killed many and caused a decline 

I CAN READ

I had 10-14 mistakes in about 5:53. I can read ... slowly. at least

http://youtu.be/vWqe6_N3oOA

My Opinion Isn't (A) Right

After reading the article before class and all the discussion about whether or not we have the right to our opinion, I actually kept all my frustration of the topic inside. This topic stated that no one has a right to their own opinion. That's really really interesting, no actually, it's horrifying. The words this article brings to me can best be described as, bull shit. It isn't fair for someone else to tell you what or what not to believe. It  is your responsibility keep your own viewpoint about what people say and what articles tell you. Remember that just because someone has an opinion, that doesn't make it justifiable. You can't justify an opinion by merely stating that the idea is correct. I'm not necessarily saying that people have a right to force an opinion or run around the world getting in people's faces shouting what they believe, but taking away opinions is taking away free will. Does this article mean that I can't believe in God? Does it mean that I no longer can think for myself? Then count me out. Telling someone that they don't have a right to an opinion is an opinion. "An opinion is a judgement, viewpoint, or statement about matters commonly considered to be subjective." David Foster Wallace shared the same viewpoint as I do in his book/speech titled "This Is Water." In it he provided insight through his powerful words, "education is not so much about filling you up with knowledge as it is about, quote, "teaching you how to think." he later says "to get in a place like this isn't really about the capacity to think, but rather about the choice of what to think about." Looking through this perspective I think we all have a right to our own personal ideas and just because I believe something, it doesn't mean I'm a sales man trying to buy your right to an opinion. It is completely up to you to disagree or agree with me, but I think that there is no definite "right" answer. I am humble enough to accept the fact that my thoughts may or may not be true, but I still have the right to my own opinion and so does everyone else. The ideas in the article make me feel alienated and it also sounds like I'm forced to accept the fact the I apparently don't have an opinion. This is what David Foster Wallace dis-promotes, someone else telling you what you believe and what you do or don't have.

Vocab #1

adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

The man was in a hurry to tell his story so he had to adumbrate it quickly.
apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Sometimes society considers celebrities to be apotheosis.
ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
Some who are very serious about religion are ascetic.
bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
That looks very bauble, its falling to pieces.
beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
The woman was trying to beguile the man with her good looks.
burgeon - verb grow and flourish
The plant needs sunlight to burgeon.
complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction;number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
The blue shirt complements the girls pretty blue eyes.
contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
The contumacious six year old was refusing to go to bed.
curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
That man yelled at me for standing on his lawn, that a curmudgeon thing to do
didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
The teacher was didactic and lectured on the same point for two hours.
disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
Shaun's friend was disingenuous, he secretly wasn't a friend at all
exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
The judge exculpated the man from traffic school.
faux - adj. not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
That fur coat is faux, not even a real animal.
pas - noun (ballet) a step in dancing (especially in classical ballet)
The dancer missed the pas, which threw off the whole show.
fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely
I was only two seconds late, don't fulminate me
fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap;pompous or pretentious talk or writing
The essay was quite ridiculous and contained fustian language.
hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
No one likes him, because of his hauteur personality.
inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
The mother inhibited her son to go to the midnight show.
jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
The woman talked non stop about her jeremiad.
opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
Seeking extra credit the opportunist student, completed the assignment early
unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
The man was unconscionable when it came to money, he bought everything and anything.

Reflection on Week #1

1. My experience in this class shouldn't be affected by anything. I'm currently using my parents laptop for all the blogging assignments and hopefully soon will be getting my own laptop. After I get my own laptop I will be able to upload videos and have a computer that is better formatted for blogging. For the mean time, it might be difficult for me to get videos posted, due to the fact that the laptop I have been using is built more for sound and video. I'll be able to make it to class everyday and nothing else will be conflicting.

2. One of my most recent experiences that changed the way I view things was at a camp called Woodleaf. The camp is ran by Young Life and was a full week spent without cell phones. Throughout the week, I greatly improved my social skills. I went to this camp not knowing anyone and this caused me to force myself into uncomfortable situations to make friends. I did this successfully and slowly struggled to learned the names of about 40 other kids from SLO county. After this experience I learned that I had to open myself up to others to receive the love and acceptance I desire. Surprisingly enough, it was the best week of my life. I made life long friends in Young Life that I met at camp and learned the true meaning of "sometimes you can be in a room full of people and still feel alone." That explains how I was living before camp. After going to camp I feel connected to people and I'm not afraid to be myself and to be the weird human that I am. I never realized how important other people were to my life until I went to this camp. I learned that length of a friendship has no comparison to meaning within a friendship. It was helpful to my growth in life and I loved the in depth conversations that I was able to have. Woodleaf made me the happiest that I have ever been. I hope that others can one day view life the way I do. There is much more to life than this.

3. I am really excited about certain aspects of this class. I've always been interested in blogging and video but have never learned to use it. I have a GoPro, but haven't yet made my first video. After taking this class, I will be much more familiar and fully learning to expand my capabilities. Also I will be focused on sharing ideas and writing. Until starting this class I never learned how fun this could be. I'm actually having fun writing this right now! My life will definitely be positively affected by learning more about computers and interaction.

1987 AP Exam

1. C
2. A
3. C
4. E
5. D
6. D
7. A----E
8. C----B
9. E
10. E----C
11. D
12. A----B
13. B
14. D----C
15. E----A
16. C----B
17. C
18. B----E
19. B----A
20. B
21. D----E
22. C----E
23. A
24. D----A
25. E----C
26. A----E
27. D
28. E----C
29. A
30. B
31. A----D
32. E----B
47. E----B
48. D----A
49. C
50. D
51. B----C
52. B----D
53. A----E
54. E----B
55. D----A
56. B
57. C
58. B----D
59. D----E
60. D----B
61. E----A

19/47--Either a high 2 or a low 3.

7. By "dealing in scraps" the authors means to have focused narrowly on practical problems. The key concept here is being able to relate scraps to focused narrowly.
14. Janie felt resentment towards her mother and grandmother, but the concept I misunderstood was that she moved on from this. I thought that she still held anger.
19. This question I had especially many difficulties. I couldn't determine the meaning of "wear the bays" which meant to claim re-known as poets. The context refers to poetry and I should have chosen that answer based solely on that.
28. My second choice was the answer to this question. I wasn't sure and narrowed it down to 50/50 but picked the wrong answer. This was one of few questions that could have secured a score of a 3.
48. I knew the answer to this question, but somehow got distracted and thought the answer was too obvious so I chose another.
60. This one I completely guessed on and expected to miss. I was lost in the question.

Montaigne/Austen Essay

Montaigne Verses Austen

As stated in David Foster Wallace's "Good Old Neon", what bubbles up inside of us is far too complex to even try to explain; there's just too much to try to reason with. Montaigne is on the same page as Foster. By reading through Montaigne, you can easily tell that his mind just jumps all over the page with topics unfathomable, sometimes. Jane Austen, however, has a completely different style of writing than Montaigne.

It seems as though Montaigne's ideas connect with Foster's. Foster believes that it is almost impossible to discuss what crazy notions go on inside a human's mind. "What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words...". The way that Montaigne presents himself is also like this because his ideas are all over the place. Montaigne's style is a "window", so to say, because as you read, you see through his ideas, and come up with your own based off of what you are reading. It is quite interesting when you think about these things because it is like he is a trigger for the imagination. Everything that goes on in our minds is triggered by what we are reading as our eyes scan the pages of Montaigne's most inner, scattered thoughts.

Then there is Jane Austen. She is the epitome of a very organized, structured writer who understands how to prioritize her thoughts much differently than Montaigne. Of course, her novel was much less complicated than Montaigne's. One cannot even begin to compare any piece of writing with the ideas that flowed so abruptly throughout Montaigne's. Austen had the style that required old-fashioned ideas based on the lifestyle and time period her novel was taken from. Montaigne's ideas are timeless, churning new ideas in fresh minds every time someone else bites off a piece. As scattered and disconnected as Montaigne's thoughts were, they do serve a bigger purpose, to me, than Austen's novel that held its plot.

Overall, the ideas behind David Foster Wallace's and Montaigne's are extremely alike. They are connected in ways different and the same. Austen and Montaigne, however, are day and night. Organized plot verses messy ideas is as opposite as you can get! But Foster's statement gets me thinking, will it ever be possible to manage all the thoughts we conjure up inside of us?

Poetry #1

1. The commercial borrows the poem "The Laughing Heart" by Charles Bukowski without giving credit.
2. In displaying this poem a heavy sense of irony forms when the poem says you should be yourself and make your own decisions, but persistently persuades you to buy something. It seems that your choice is heavily persuaded and influenced by a commercial telling you what to buy.
3. The author's reputation is reflected by showing normal Americans that he chooses  to represent. He is frequently known to be a representative of Americans in poverty, and the poem can be interpreted to relate to blind problems of those people.
4. To find this information I utilized the Google search engine and started by typing in key words of the poem. After doing this, I chose two reliable web pages and checked them with each other to guarantee the author name and poem title was correct. I then searched "Charles Bukowski's reputation,"and found one web site called poetry foundation that helped me answer questions 2 and 3.

Essay #1

"Exile" is a word that is commonly used to express the forceful human experience of seclusion and abandonment. This word has been given a negative connotation due to feelings that sometimes involve racist actions, lonely living, and sadness. Living in exile and being told to relocate is scary. It often leaves the individual overpowered with despair, wishing and hoping that one day they will be able to return back home. The Poisonwood Bible contains more than this single-minded approach when referring to the cut off from home. This novel contains five view points of five different women that experience "continental drift" when moving from white society to the African society of the Congo. Each of the women tell their story and showcase the different reactions to the Congo that are both alienating and enriching. Nathan, the father of the family of six is portrayed through all of the women to be evil in his intentions. He represents alienation along with his daughter Rachel, while Leah and Adah represent enrichment.

Furthermore, repulsion and an unwillingness to adapt is one viewpoint involving exile. Nathan and Rachel both display different aspects of alienation, but can still be categorized together. Nathan is first viewed as a minister to the Congo who is sincerely attempting to revive Jesus into the heart of natives. This persona quickly fades as his true personality is revealed. Nathan Price has the attitude of his way or no way, which is first shown in his attempts at baptism. He disregards the obvious fears of the people concerning the river and claims that he needs to save the village. Later in the novel it is revealed that a week before the Price family arrived a girl was killed by a crocodile in the river. The minister continues to press for a baptism and is angered by it. He aggressively demands to break the culture of the Congolese, which is ironic and unsettling due to his title in the church. This viewpoint displays a cultural lesson and the respect that is needed towards others who think and believe differently. Nathan tramples on these lessons and can be viewed to symbolize racism, which refuses a respect to those who are a different race and background. Rachel has a similar view, but yet separate. Rachel is disgusted while living in the Congo and resents her separation from her perfect life. She remarks all the "flaws" in the African culture and continues to only think of herself as the best. This view is most strongly presented in the rampage of the ants and her thoughts only involve herself. She resembles a diverse view point and one of the few viewpoints that constantly judges the Congolese, which provides a significant contrast to enrichment when discussing exile.

In contrast, another view includes enrichment and growth in a new society. Two of the children, Leah and Adah, have a positive outlook on their experience in the Congo. Leah continues to be optimistic about the sincerity of Jesus and the good that can be done through her family's work. She is uneasy in her new situation, but continues to view only the positive aspects of the village. Through Leah a dynamic novel is established that contrasts her character to Nathan. They serve as foils and help to better develop the plot and provide different points of view. Similarly to Leah, Adah is also benefiting from her experience. Adah relates and is reborn in the Congolese culture. In a society marked with handicapped women, Adah feels for the first time that she is in insider. It is shown at the end of the book that she only developed her limp from a habit. This symbolizes the harm that one can feel when in their own society and the relief that is experienced when relocated to a place in which growth is inspired. All points providing evidence that exile can provide enrichment.

In The Poisonwood Bible, family members directly contrast to each other to provide a robust and varied perspective. This viewpoint adds to the theme stating that even though 100 people can live through the same event, there are 100 different ways to look at the event. When involving "exile" which most commonly has a negative connotation, there can also be relief and growth in a new environment. The work as an entirety is reliant on two contrasting view points, proving that there are many ways to tell a story and not any view is necessarily the "correct" one.