In-Class Essay
Form and Content
With
Beowulf Sample
Introductory Paragraph (take note)
• The introductory paragraph sets up the material to
be used in the development of a complete, formal
literary analysis. It must contain the following:
– Title (how is the title of a novel indicated when the essay is
handwritten?)
– Genre
– Author
– Brief Summary (2-3 sentences)
– Thesis Statement
The Thesis Statement (take note)
• In a short literary analysis, the thesis statement
should be the final sentence of the introductory
paragraph. This sentence, must contain a Subject
and what will be Proven / Argued in regards to the
subject.
• [After this initial essay, I will expect an even stronger
thesis statement which will include How the
argument will be developed]
Beowulf sample introduction & thesis
The epic poem, Beowulf, as translated from
old English by Burton Raffel, demonstrates the
classic battle between good and evil and the need
of the Anglo-Saxon world for the ultimate hero.
Beowulf possesses multiple characteristics of the
epic hero. He demonstrates tremendous
strength, both physical and emotional, as well as
a willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater
good as he battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother,
and, finally, the dragon.
Form and Content (follow up)
• The previous introduction contained all of the mandatory
components. Please note that it was short—did not contain
wasted words and useless ideas, and it ended with a clear
thesis which contains an argument (something to prove) and
the method to prove it.
• The introduction also used a convention of MLA writing—an
indentation. Please remember, in MLA, paragraphs are
indented rather than separated by entirely skipped lines. [just
a note, format problems will cost the writer to lose points.]
Body Paragraph(s) (take note)
• Body paragraph(s) is/are used to develop and explain
the validity of the argument set up in the thesis
statement. A body paragraph must contain the
following:
– Topic sentence which needs to connect the content of the
body paragraph directly to the thesis statement. The topic
sentence must contain:
• The subject of the body paragraph
• What component of the argument (thesis) will be proved to
provide support.
– One or more direct quotes [with lead-ins] from the
literature to provide support / evidence for the thesis
statement
– Analysis / explanation of the quotations to show How,
Why, What About the quote proves the thesis is true.
Beowulf sample body paragraph [slide 1]
Of Beowulf’s many heroic traits, two of the most
prominent are his emotional and physical strengths shown
by remaining clear and focused in the heat of battle.
Unable to defeat Grendel’s mother with either man-made
weapons or to obtain physical superiority through sheer
strength, he “saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy / Sword,
hammered by giants, strong / And blessed with their magic,
the best of all weapons / But so massive that no ordinary
man could lift / Its carved and decorated length. He drew it
/ From its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt, / And then,
savage, now, angry / And desperate, lifted it high over his
head / And struck with all the strength he had left, / Caught
her in the neck and cut it through” (lns 1557-1566).
Beowulf is able to assess his situation and take the
opportunity to
[slide 2] body paragraph continued
do what no other man possibly could—obtain the giant’s
sword and wield it against the dangerous monster. Because
the sword is “so massive that no ordinary man could lift
[it]” Beowulf proves to be extraordinary in his physical
abilities; he also does not demonstrate difficulty in gaining
the sword as he merely “drew it from its scabbard” and
“broke the chain on its hilt.” There is no indication of
struggle with the size or weight of this sword. He further
illustrates his heroic strength by finding it within himself to
focus his emotions during the height of the battle when he
is “savage, now, angry / And desperate” in the seconds
leading up to the decapitation of the beast. The rapid
changes in Beowulf’s demeanor show both his humanity
and his character as a hero. Rather than stay in a more
[slide 3] body paragraph continued
animal “savage” frame of mind which would help
him to channel his energy and instincts to
survive, Beowulf becomes both “angry” and
“desperate.” Both of these latter emotions
combine power with something more—for anger
a defined focus and for desperation a signal of
fear—forcing Beowulf to control his emotions
and act through them or beyond them and use
the combination of the three to destroy the
enemy with efficiency and prejudice.
[slide 4] full body paragraph
Of Beowulf’s many heroic traits, two of the most prominent are his emotional and physical
strengths shown by remaining clear and focused in the heat of battle. Unable to defeat Grendel’s
mother with either man-made weapons or to obtain physical superiority through sheer strength, he
“saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy / Sword, hammered by giants, strong / And blessed with their
magic, the best of all weapons / But so massive that no ordinary man could lift / Its carved and
decorated length. He drew it / From its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt, / And then, savage,
now, angry / And desperate, lifted it high over his head / And struck with all the strength he had
left, / Caught her in the neck and cut it through” (lns 1557-1566). Beowulf if able to assess his
situation and take the opportunity to do what no other man possibly could—obtain the giant’s
sword and wield it against the dangerous monster. Because the sword is “so massive that no
ordinary man could lift [it]” Beowulf proves to be extraordinary in his physical abilities; he also does
not demonstrate difficulty in gaining the sword as he merely “drew it from its scabbard” and “broke
the chain on its hilt.” There is no indication of struggle with the size or weight of this sword. He
further illustrates his heroic strength by finding it within himself to focus his emotions during the
height of the battle when he is “savage, now, angry / And desperate” in the seconds leading up to
the decapitation of the beast. The rapid changes in Beowulf’s demeanor show both his humanity
and his character as a hero. Rather than stay in a more in a more animal “savage” frame of mind
which would help him to channel his energy and instincts to survive, Beowulf becomes both
“angry” and “desperate.” Both of these latter emotions combine power with something more—for
anger a defined focus and for desperation a signal of fear—forcing Beowulf to control his emotions
and act through them or beyond them and use the combination of the three to destroy the enemy
with efficiency and prejudice.
Form and Content (follow up)
• The first sentence is the topic sentence. It has a clear
connection to the thesis [it states what part of the thesis
will be developed within the paragraph], and it guides
the content of the paragraph. Nothing may appear in the
paragraph that does not fit under the “umbrella” of the
topic sentence.
• Again, the paragraph is indented to indicate that all of the
material contained within it is part of the same purpose.
• The quote has a lead-in [which functions to place the
material inside of the larger body of the work AND to
help set up the analysis]. A strong lead-in will alleviate
the need to summarize an entire scene.
• The quote follows the form determined by—yes, that’s
right—MLA.
Form and Content (continued)
• The analysis of the quote does NOT simply restate
the quoted material.
• The analysis takes the quoted material apart (pieceby-piece) and asks HOW does this quote support the
topic / thesis; WHY does this quote support the topic
/ thesis; WHAT ABOUT this quotes supports the topic
/ thesis? The answers to these questions provides
the analysis.
The Conclusion (take note)
• The function of the conclusion is to actually draw or
come to a conclusion—in a science class this would be
the final step to a lab report. What has actually been
learned? How has the argument (experiment /
hypothesis) been proven and successfully defended?
• Do NOT begin a conclusion by writing “In Conclusion”. . .a
speech may have this, but a literary analysis should not.
• A conclusion should not introduce new material, AND it
should not be a simple summary.
• Please Note: in this class, should the writer be unable to write a
conclusion due to a genuine lack of time, there will be no
punishment assessed.
Beowulf sample conclusion
Heroes function on a variety of levels and
for multiple purposes. Heroes—whether real
or a product of fiction—allow people to have
hope and believe in a future which is
otherwise uncertain. Beowulf embodies the
needs of his society—a brave and dedicated
leader whose refusal to surrender allows his
society to imagine an existence even beyond
the lifespan of the hero, himself.
Possible Essay Prompts for Grendel
• You will have two of the following [from slide 2 and
beyond] topics from which to choose:
• Choose one of the following topics on which to write a
well-developed essay with introduction (containing
title, author, genre, a brief summary and ending with a
clearly defined thesis), organized and supported body
paragraph(s) (quotes and in-text citations) and a
conclusion. The quotes MUST come from
different areas of the text [one from each:
chapters 1-4; 5-8; and 9-12] Please staple the
prompt sheet to the answer document. “Chilly fire. . .
chilly fire. . .chilly fire”
[slide 2] essay topics continued
• 1. Define and support that Grendel is an anti-hero.
Examine the notes on the anti-hero traits, and choose
three traits to support and analyze (explain how/why it
matters) the difference this character makes in the
text.
– Deprived of the rules and consequences of society
– Outlaw; has no status in society; must wander on the
fringes
– Rejects values, rules, attitudes of society and political
establishments
– A failure, crude, sometimes stupid or even dishonest
– Often angry
[slide 3] essay topics continued
• 2. Develop a theme for the novel. Defend it using three
quotes (with in-text citations) and proper analysis. You may
want to consider the following themes:
– Isolation (being an outsider) breeds contempt.
– Not all monsters look monstrous.
– Good and evil exist in all “people.”
• 3. Pretend you are Grendel’s psychiatrist. Write a case
history in which you explain his illness and its causes.
There must be at least three quotes—pieces of evidence to
support the diagnosis—with in-text citations for support.
[You will take on the personality of his therapist AND allow
him to answer you as if he is your patient.]
[slide 4] essay topics continued
• 4. Analyze Grendel’s character. How does he change over
the course of the novel? Who (How) is he at the beginning
of the novel, who he becomes (how he changes) in the
middle, and who he has become (how he has fulfilled his
existence) at the end of the novel. Establish three unique
character traits and provide specific quotes and analysis for
each trait.
• 5. Define and defend Grendel as the Hero of the story.
Based on the Epic Hero material as provided in the
handout, can Grendel be labeled an Epic Hero? Examine
the handout and connect Grendel to three of the traits that
qualify him for epic hero status.