Assignment: write an essay of 1000 words minimum, 1500 words maximum (4-6 pages typed, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font) in which you develop an argument about one of the topics below.
Please avoid the three-point thesis, in which one body paragraph corresponds to one of the three points or subtopics given in the introduction. Papers set up this way might look well organized, but they almost always lack focus and depth.
Swords in Beowulf. What do the detailed descriptions of swords suggest about the role of artisans and weaponsmiths in this warrior culture? What’s important about the dual status of these items as valuable treasures on the one hand and useful tools on the other? (e.g., the sword that Hrothgar gives Beowulf is described as “both precious object and token of honor� [l. 1023]).When and why do swords let Beowulf down? Given that the poet was Christian (even though Beowulf the character is pagan), what might the poem suggest about the value, reliability, and durability of swords as material things? (Why) does it matter that the dragon’s hoard – the treasure burned and buried with Beowulf at the end – includes some swords?