Modern Genre

Today people read stories of teenage vampires falling in love, witches and wizards battling evil, and a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world with a fight to the death. What do all three genres have in common? They are all fantasy or adventure, in other words, something that people read in order to escape from their monotonous, boring lives of the real world. If Chaucer were writing today, he would definitely include the genres: thriller, adventure, fantasy and sci-fi. Romance is another genre involved in almost all genres today, because you can't have a good story without a little love and heartbreak. Chaucer would include all of the genres in order to create an outrageous story, that still conveys his theme.

Most interesting person

The most interesting person I know is my grandma. What makes her interesting is that she had sixteen children and handled all the finances of their household, which was unlikely in her time. But the most interesting part is that she still keeps my grandpa wrapped around her finger because of how great she is. After properly raising sixteen children, she still involves herself in the lives of her sixty-six grandchildren. If that isn't enough, she is also able to buy a $25 gift for every single grandchild on Christmas and birthdays, even the married ones. Chaucer would describe my grandmother as a sweet old woman, with kind eyes, a soft, angel-like voice, and strong hands. Chaucer would point out that she is completely self-less, genuine, loving, hardworking, and optimistic. In Chaucer's eyes, my grandmother would be described as morally good because she does not have a scent of evil about her and is always giving to others without expecting something in return.

Upper class

The stereotypical upper class in our society today, is to have a lot of money, a big house, expensive cars, and name brand clothes. Some people get to be upper class by good old hard work; however, others steal  their fortune by cheating. But a majority of people get to where they are by the people they know. Upper class people are usually doctors, lawyers, businessmen/businesswoman, and politicians. Our society feels that the upper class accumulates their wealth from the pockets of the middle class. Upper class people are usually disliked by the rest of society due to a burning jealousy of the luxurious lives they are able to live. Chaucer also believes that the upper class cheats the lower class, but like society today, he also believes there are genuinely good people out there who fairly earn their extraordinary livings.

Baba Brinkman

Although Baba Brinkman raps, which is the vulgar tongue of our time, I think that educators should feel the same way about him as Chaucer, because the message is the same. Brinkman utilizes his special talent with words to deliver messages of classical literature to today's society, in a way that most people can understand. In the same way, Chaucer sends a message to the society of his time, in a way that they can understand. I think that educators accept Brinkman's unique works more than the rest of society, because many teens that listen to rap, are not looking for important messages that Brinkman points out. I'm sure Chaucer got laughed at just as much as Brinkman because they are different, and even though they are from different times; society then and now still tends to shy away from "not normal". However, Brinkman may follow the same path as Chaucer and become even more famous and significant after his death.

entertainment

I would have enjoyed scop performances because they were one of the only few forms of entertainment. The scop performance we watched in class was very intense and the music mixed with his emotion, eye contact, and pauses, really delivered a powerful punch. I don't think most people would like that type of performance, especially people my age, because we are used to very action packed and Hollywood style performances. I think Beowulf loses meaning when it is performed, because parts have to be added to make it lengthier, while parts have to be taken out if they are decided as unimportant. However, the message in Beowulf is best expressed in a simple way, a man or woman who uses their voice, body language, and eye contact to survey the message of Beowulf. That was the original way it was meant to be performed in the first place.

Beowulf Good King

After Beowulf slays Grendel and Grendel's mother, he returns home to Geatland where he becomes king. I think Beowulf was a good king because he ruled Geatland for fifty years; so, if he wasn't a good king he would have been overthrown by the Geats. Another reason that points to him being a good king, is that he fearlessly goes to battle the dragon, even in his old age, for the safety of his people. "I remember how we sat in the mead-hall,drinking and boasting of how brave we'd be when Beowulf needed us, he who gave us these swords and armor: all of us swore to repay him,..." this quote shows the gratitude that many felt toward Beowulf for all he had done for them. However, there are also signs that point to Beowulf not being the greatest king. For one, it seems that Beowulf did not only go to sleigh the dragon for the safety of his people, but also for fame and glory, "But I will fight again, seek fame still." The text almost suggests that Beowulf was self-centered, and that is why all of his men, except Wiglaf, abandoned him, and left him to die alone. This abandonment could also show lack of faith, or is it just people being people?

Dragon

Grendel and the Dragon are both monsters feared by the people except for Beowulf, because they share many similar qualities. They are both larger and stronger than humnas, have sharp claws, large fangs, red eyes, and worst of all, eat humans. The dragon is a monster, something the Anglo-Sxons are not used to seeing, so they are mystified by the pwers it might possess. Something else that makes the dragon unliked, is that no ordinary human can beat him, and maybe not even Beowulf, which make the dragon that much more terrifying. What else makes the dragon unliked is that it bothers the people and the people just want peace.