Honors English IV 2016-2017 Summer Assignment
Mr. Walter
Required Texts:
Beowulf. Translated by Burton Raffel. ISBN 9780451530967. Books-a-Million link:
http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6303368011025&query=beowulf+raffel&where=Books
Grendel. John Gardner. ISBN 9780679723110. Books-a-Million link:
http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6303368011025&query=Grendel&where=Books
Your summer assignment will consist of three parts:
I. In-class assessment
II. Beowulf assignments
III. Grendel assignment
I. In-Class Assessment
Be prepared to take a test on Beowulf and Grendel on the second day of school. The test will have
questions about plot, characterization, theme, tone, figurative language (simile, metaphor, symbolism,
etc.).
Make sure you are familiar with the three forms of irony, as there may also be questions of that nature.
It is perfectly fine if you consult an outside source, such as Enotes, for information. However, all of your
written work must be original. Just using these sources will not prepare you if you do not also read the
texts.
II. Beowulf (all written assignments due first Friday of school)
Read Beowulf and complete the assignments below. You will need to do a little outside research to
answer some of these questions. This research can easily be done online. Make sure you follow the
writing guidelines listed in the last section of this sheet.
Chapters 1-10:
Write a detailed paragraph that includes textual evidence in which you discuss how the poem Beowulf
exemplifies Anglo-Saxon culture. Use the Beowulf text for textual evidence.
Chapters 11-20:
Write a detailed paragraph that includes textual evidence in which you discuss how Beowulf
incorporates Judeo-Christian religious values.
Chapters 21-30:
Write a detailed paragraph that includes textual evidence in which you discuss how Beowulf
incorporates mythology into the story.
Chapters 30-43:
Write a detailed paragraph that includes textual evidence in which you discuss how the character named
Beowulf fulfills the characteristics of the epic hero.
Kennings:
What is a “kenning”? Give three examples of kennings from the story. Put them in their appropriate
narrative context and explain what makes them a kenning.
III. Grendel (Due first Friday of school)
The book Grendel is a modern take on the ancient Beowulf story. The major difference is that it is told
from the point of view of the monster Grendel, instead of the hero Beowulf.
Write an essay in which you contrast the character of Grendel in Beowulf with the character of Grendel
in John Gardner’s Grendel. I’m not going to give you a length, but you should pay attention to the
following points:
1. The character of Grendel appears in both Beowulf and Grendel. How does the Grendel Grendel
differ from the Beowulf Grendel?
2. Why is the character of Grendel different in the book Grendel? Look for reasons and causes. Be
specific
3. Specifically address the Grendel character’s motivation for his actions. How is it different in
Grendel?
4. How does Grendel exemplify modern American culture in ways that Beowulf does not?
5. I would recommend carefully considering the role of Grendel’s mother. She also very different
from one book to another. How does this affect the character of Grendel?
Writing Guidelines for Beowulf and Grendel Assignments






Length: You should write enough to effectively explain and support your points without adding
unnecessary or repetitive information.
Grammar/Punctuation: More than a mistake or two with spelling, punctuation, etc. is too much.
Remember that you are writing academically, not texting or tweeting.
Originality: Absolutely every sentence, except for textual evidence that you put in quotes with
an attribution (explaining where you got it from), must be your own original work. Just changing
the wording of something you read somewhere else is still plagiarism.
Providing Textual Evidence: Get in the habit of supplying textual evidence for everything you
write that is based on literature. You’ll be doing this all year long.
Write as though you are the teacher, not the student: You will hear me say many times that
you should assume that I, your reader, am not familiar with the material (even though I am). In
order to show me that you understand what you are saying, you need to teach it to me.
NEVER ASSUME I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. IF YOU DON’T WRITE IT, I DON’T KNOW IT!