suggested beowulf essay topics

Here is a list of the essay topics you created based on your careful reading of previous AP essay prompts, your analysis of the text and a brief lecture, and your imaginative collaboration in yesterday's conversations.  Please provide feedback in the comments, we'll decide on one (or a combination) by Friday.

• Using Beowulf as an example, explain the definition of an epic.  Include an analysis of theme, historical context/background, and language.
• Do Beowulf's character traits truly embody the ideal hero?  Is there anything lacking in his character?
• How do modern representations of honorable heroes differ from the ideal portrayed in Beowulf?
• How would Beowulf and its protagonist be perceived by modern readers?
• Is Beowulf's extreme desire to vanquish his enemies a positive or negative attribute?
• Is the static character of Beowulf a signal that it lacks realism or reinforces ideals?
• When does confidence become arrogance? 
• Why do we strive for honor?
• What does Grendel's character reveal about what society perceives as evil?
• How do gender roles in Beowulf compare with those of other great works?  Select one or two of "comparable literary merit" and compare.
• How does Beowulf's view of honor compare with that of other heroes? 
• Compare and contrast Beowulf's character with that of Odysseus.  What can you infer about the societies from which they came?
• Analyze the structure and literary techniques in Beowulf that portray the deeper meanings of the text.
• How do Beowulf's acts of heroism create and/or confirm his fate?
• What qualities distinguish Beowulf as a hero, in comparison to a "mere mortal" or a god?
• Are Beowulf's superhuman qualities a reflection of the author's/public's aspirations?
• How are external forces such as fate or God represented in Beowulf?
• Is Beowulf a static or dynamic character?  How does his consistency and/or development define him as a hero?
• Select a modern text that may be regarded as an epic in our culture.  How is it similar to or different from Beowulf?
• How does Beowulf's setting influence the plot?
• What makes Beowulf the Original Hero?  Why has this story endured for so long?
• How would Beowulf be different if it were told from a feminist perspective?
• Is Beowulf's confidence cocky or arrogant?  Is this an objective character trait, or is seeing this as a positive/negative really just a subjective judgement of his/our culture?
• How has society's standard of what makes a hero changed over time?  Is it easier or harder to be a hero today?
• How does Beowulf fit Joseph Campbell's idea of the monomyth?
• Describe the main theme/s of Beowulf and explain the literary techniques that portray these ideas.
• In what ways do Beowulf's weaknesses make him a hero?