ENGL 2322 - Bernard - Spring 2012  

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Sutton Hoo Burial Helmet 600-630 Bronze; gold; garnet Cast; worked Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo. England London. British Museum. ©Kathleen Cohen brtm0924 Restored.

Essay Assignment I

Length and Format:  3-5 pages, MLA style, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, typed or word-processed, 1 outside, critical, peer-reviewed source published no earlier than 2005, correctly cited and documented in MLA format

Pick any ONE of the following questions to write your essay on.

1.  Write an essay that argues who is more heroic--Beowulf or Sir Gawain.  Draw on information from both of the poems and make a statement of what you think is most heroic--the epic hero in the form of Beowulf or the romantic hero in the form of Sir Gawain.

2.  Compare or contrast the setting in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  Which setting most accurately depicts the mood and the atmosphere of the poem?  Which setting helps the poem the most? 

                No matter which question you choose, this is still a formal essay.  As such, it should have an introduction with a clear thesis, body paragraphs that support that thesis, and a conclusion that ties together the paper as a whole.  I do expect you to proofread carefully, avoid spelling errors, and prevent grammatical and mechanical errors.  Please also keep in mind that a paragraph for college writing must have at least 5-6 sentences.  When revised, this essay will have a works cited page that will follow proper MLA guidelines.