Bringing Beowulf to Life
Lessons and Classroom Activities to Complement the Beowful Movie
Students and teachers are excited about the recent film release of Beowulf. These activities bring the epic poem to life in the high school English classroom.
Beowulf has made the big screen, providing a unique opportunity to bridge the yawning gap between contemporary entertainment and Anglo-Saxon epic poetry. How can English teachers maximize this connection?
Discuss Heroism
Heroism is a timeless concept; most students can name a family member, friend, or celebrity figure they identify as a hero. Have students write for 10 minutes about a heroic figure in their lives, then pool their ideas to develop a list of heroic qualities that we value in society today. Keep this working list visible in the classroom as you begin Beowulf; students will have many opportunities to reflect on how heroic values are similar and different in the epic poem.
A mini-lecture on Anglo-Saxon values might be fitting; you can discuss the hero’s loyalty to a king, his physical prowess, and his bravery in the face of danger. Look for examples of these heroic values as you read Beowulf.
Students can complete a Venn Diagram highlighting similar and different heroic values across the ages. To encourage students’ artistic talents, have them create a poster collage using visual images and words to illustrate heroic concepts.
Use Drama
It’s no surprise that Beowulf has evolved into a popular action movie; the story contains so much violence, gore, and battle that students can quickly cut through difficult language to recognize the captivating action. Acting helps students visualize text.
Cast one student as Grendel and several as soldiers, then have them act out Grendel’s first attack on the mead hall. Include simple costumes to add visual appeal. Other dramatic scenes include Beowulf’s arrival, Unferth’s taunting account of the swimming match and Beowulf’s response, and Beowulf’s battle with Grendel.
Extend the unit and add a technology component by having students make movies of their scenes and edit them in iMovie, Windows MovieMaker, or another similar film program. This will give them firsthand preparation for watching the movie as well.
Draw
Many students will recall “the monster under the bed” they feared as children, and most develop a vivid picture of Grendel as they read the poem. Have students draw full-color caricatures of Grendel or choose a particular scene to develop into a 5-frame comic strip.
Write An Epic
After discussing Anglo Saxon poetic devices such as kennings, compound words, alliteration, and appositives, have students use these devices to write their own epic poem focusing on an important person or event in their lives. Some students might write about running the winning touchdown in a football game, but others might develop a character sketch of a heroic family member or friend. As long as they model the stylistic techniques studied in Beowulf, they can’t go wrong.
Compare Movie and Poem
Roger Ebert gave Beowulf three stars; reading his review prior to viewing the film will help frame students’ critique of it. Ebert’s review can be used to discuss the genre of movie review writing, and can help students prepare to view the movie as “informed consumers.” Directors of the Beowulf film took some liberties with plot, so have students chart similarities and differences in the movie and poem, then discuss why they think the directors chose to make the changes they did.
Web Resources
Check out the Beowulf Movie Website, this ReadWriteThink lesson, and WebEnglishTeacher for further ideas.
