Description
For your first essay, choose one of the topics listed below, and write at least one thousand words on it. If none of the topics appeals to you, then see me to clear a topic that you may wish to select on your own.  You must, however, clear that topic with me before you begin working on the paper.Your essay is to be argumentative in its approach. That is, you are to create a thesis statement that reflects your interpretation of some aspect of the work (or works) you've chosen. The thesis must have a specific focus. Once you have clarified this thesis, choose passages and incidents from the text of the work (or works) to argue that yours is a valid interpretation of whatever topic you've chosen.

In your writing, I'm looking for a reasonable tone and for logical explanations and connections within the work or works. I don't want an essay based on emotions, and I don't want to know what you think about heroism, romance, or any other particular topic. Rather, I want to know what you think the writer is saying about the topic you choose. Please be sure to make that distinction. In addition, I want critical thinking that reflects intelligence and thoughtfulness. To convey this serious tone, you should use formal diction, as if you were writing a business letter, yet you should not be so formal that you are stuffy. What I don't want is an informal essay written in a chatty style. In another words, adopt a tone something like the following: "The poet of Beowulf conveys his belief in Christian ethics, while he also acknowledges the characters' pagan backgrounds." You should avoid the following style: "What is the poet of Beowulf trying to do here? I'm not really sure, but you get the impression that he's putting down pagan values and saying go for it to Christian values."

The essay should use direct quotations from the text or texts to support your points. You should use the standard MLA form of documentation that is included in the back of the Diana Hacker text, Handbook for Writers, which all of the English composition courses use on campus. If you're in doubt about this format, then follow my link above.

Format of the Essay
In writing your essay, I want you to adhere to the standard format for manuscripts; that is, type the paper, and be sure to double-space it; please be kind to my aging eyes and use a twelve-pitch font. A readable text is important, so don't rely on a weak ink cartridge. In the upper lefthand corner of the first page, include your name, English 243, Essay #1, and the number of the topic you've chosen. If you've created your own topic, with my approval, please write out that topic at the top of the page. Be certain to create a title for the paper that connects with the thesis. On the second and succeeding pages, include your last name and the page number (Alvarez 2, Alvarez 3, etc.) in the upper right hand corner.  For additional hints about how to write a paper about literature follow this link.

Confine your direct quotations to no more than approximately fifteen percent of your paper. And don't waste a great deal of time summarizing the plot of a work. We've all read the works you will be writing about. As a general guideline, you should include about two-to-three sentences of analysis for each sentence of summary. If you do little more than summarize the work, you will earn no higher than a "D." I want to know how you interpret this work and how you evaluate it. As long as you are willing to support your points with evidence from the text, don't hesitate to say "The writer is saying this about . . . ." Do the best you can with this paper. No one can ask more of you.

Due Date
The due date and late date for the essay are listed on the syllabus.

Topics

1. One critic of Beowulf argues that the central character of the poem possesses the two characteristics of an epic hero: fortitude and wisdom. Create an essay in which you clearly define what these terms mean in relation to the poem, and then argue that you agree or disagree with that critic's assessment of Beowulf.

2. In the early parts of the poem, Beowulf triumphs in the two challenges he confronts, the first against Grendel and the second against Grendel's dam.  However, the third challenge--against the dragon--leads to Beowulf's death.  For what thematic reason does the poet have Beowulf triumph over two demons and die as a result of a battle with the third?

3. Repeatedly the poet of Beowulf either states or implies that the presence of wyrd (Fate)is prominent in the characters' lives.  Yet Hrothgar, the wise old king of the Danes, tells Beowulf the story of King Heremod, whom God had "marked . . . from the start / for a happy life" but who chose (through Free Will) the other path and became a "pariah king."  Create an essay in which you argue that either Fate or Free Will is more prominent in the lives of the principal characters in this poem.

4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is often referred to as a medieval romance.  In class, we have discussed the characteristics of the medieval romance as opposed to the epic poem.  However, for this essay I want you to argue that Sir Gawain is not a romance, that it does possess the characteristics of an epic poem like Beowulf.

5. The quest motif appears throughout literature. In this motif, the heroic character is usually on a journey to find something tangible--the Holy Grail or the Green Chapel in which the Green Knight will meet Sir Gawain.  As the quest develops, however, we begin to realize that the physical pursuit of a thing or place is rarely as important as the psychological or spiritual meaning behind it.  Provide your interpretation of what that psychological or spiritual quest is in Sir Gawain--and whether or not the knight attains that intangible goal.

6. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Green Knight is a curious figure.  He insults King Arthur and his court at Camelot, he is grotesque in appearance and behavior, he manipulates Sir Gawain into a tenuous position with his wife, and he lives in the wild North, a different landscape from the idyllic South in which Camelot is located.  Yet despite these negative characteristics, the Green Knight by the end of the poem develops into a sage-like figure, not a demon so much as a judge of Sir Gawain--and a forgiver.  Argue what you believe the role of the Green Knight is in the poem--and what the poet intends for him to symbolize in this allegory.