write a paper for the grade you need?A great option when selecting a topic is choosing a historic one such as Beowulf and providing your fresh take on it. It’s also a story that’s over a thousand years old! On the surface, it seems to be the traditional good vs. evil story, with Beowulf as the hero. Yet, when you scratch the surface, you can start to see a wealth of topics that can be discussed, leading to excellent essay options.
One thing to bear in mind is that there already has been a wealth of information and analysis that has touched upon the numerous topics, themes, interpretations, and assumptions Beowulf has to offer. After all, it’s been around for centuries. Therefore, writing a completely new analysis of the story itself could be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile.
The themes that are highlighted throughout the story are timeless, and they have also been there to help influence many future stories that continue even in modern times. These themes can relate to what it means to be a hero, the significance of the villain in the story (Grendel), and how important reputation was back then. You can even delve into how fame is here today and gone tomorrow and how quickly it is forgotten, which the story focuses on, too.
As it’s a popular topic, you need to consider the angle you want to go with when discussing Beowulf, or alternatively, you can analyze someone else’s work. It’s all about critiquing professionally and ensuring you reference relevant information. Not only is it worth putting the microscope over this overall topic to pick out an interesting theme, but it also helps you learn more creative skills with topics.
There are numerous options, so the below is only a taste of what you can write about:
• Character analysis of any of the characters in the story
• Good Versus Evil – A conflict that is timeless
• The impact of Beowulf on modern literature
• Comparison of Beowulf to other heroic archetypes
• Beowulf and the legacy it left behind
If you are still struggling with your assignment, the examples on this page can push you to create the essay outline and start writing.