beowulf comic strip assignment

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May 18, 2018

Classroom Teaching Guide

Beowulf by Gareth Hinds

Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf is a new version of an ancient story. He takes the plot and characters from the epic poem and brings them to life in the form of a graphic novel. In a hundred and twenty pages, you can experience the essence of Beowulf’s extraordinary story, from his first fight with Grendel to his final fight with the dragon. With Hinds’ adaptation, the text takes the background, leaving the dark and bold illustrations in center stage. The images alone tell a harrowing story, with the text offering just enough context to highlight the gravity of every single fight.

In Hinds’ own view, working on Beowulf gave him “the chance to explore one of the traditional comic-book genres – the superhero story – in a more timeless way, without the skintight suits and some of the other wacky conventions of that genre”. The graphic adaptation is a wonderful amalgamation of old and new, a perfect tool for exploring all sorts of ideas and themes in the classroom.

Beowulf is, among many things, a testament to the power of story-telling and to the impact that certain stories have on us. It is a legendary story of resilience, heroism, and the human spirit. The original story has been used in classrooms for decades, but adding the graphic novel to the curriculum brings the possibility for all sorts of new discussions and projects.

Grade Level Recommendations

This title is best suited for older high school students or college students due to its violent images and sometimes complicated language.

Content Concerns

Beowulf is violent and bloody. While a lot of the violence is focused around the monsters in the story, there is plenty of violence against the humans in the story as well. However, if your students can handle a bit of gore, this story is a worthy read.

Literary Analysis

• When Beowulf first introduces himself, he says, “I am Beowulf, kinsman to King Hygelac. Many deeds of note have I done in my life.” Does this come off as pretentious to students, or does it potentially display a different character trait?
• What might be significant about the order in which Beowulf faces his foes? Does it matter that the dragon comes after Grendel and Grendel’s mother? Why or why not?
• Compare each of Beowulf’s foes. What is unique about each one? What might they have in common? See if your students can explore them as fully-developed characters, rather than just monsters for Beowulf to slay.
• Ask students to brainstorm why this story might be so popular, even after hundreds of years. What specific elements are appealing or classical in nature?
• What do the small amounts of text convey? Do they provide a certain tone or backdrop for the images? Does the writing feel like mythical or legendary writing, or does it feel more modern and contemporary?
• In the first two fights, Beowulf fights alone. In the final fight, Beowulf is accompanied by Wiglaf. What might be the significance of this, or of Wiglaf’s overall character?
• The three chapters in the book have titles, which can be found on Hinds’ website. Chapter 1 is titled “With Grimmest Gripe”, Chapter 2 is “Gear of War”, and Chapter 3 is “Doom of Glory”. What can students glean from these titles? Why might they have been left out of the final book?

Art Analysis

• Similar to action sequences in movies, there are long chunks of time in the book without any text. There’s just the images on the page. What effect does this have? What do these extended sequences suggest about the larger story, about the characters involved?
• The first full-page illustration we see of Beowulf is on the page opposite the Author’s Note. This illustration shows an older, beaten down Beowulf from the last chapter of the story. What effect does placing this image at the very beginning have on the rest of the story?
• Look at the image towards the end of chapter two, where Beowulf emerges from the moors covered in blood, with a broken sword and the head of Grendel in his mouth. Examine the fine details on this page, like Beowulf’s facial expression and the expression on Grendel’s disembodied head. What do these details convey? Is there more to it than abject horror?
• The last chapter of the book has a completely different color scheme than the first two. Colors are much more subdued and less numerous. What is significant about this? What might this imply about the events in that part of the story?
• Ask students to point out the images they find to be the most beautiful, as well as the most terrifying. Discuss the emotional impacts of these images.

Further Projects

• Introduce students to the Hero’s Journey, or the monomyth, which is a common template for how heroic stories are generally structured. This link may be helpful in explaining the concept of the monomyth: http://mythologyteacher.com/documents/TheHeroJourney.pdf
• Ask students to write out the elements of the Hero’s Journey that they see in See how well it fits with the structure. Does this surprise your students? Why or why not?
• Have students create their own comic strip based on another text they’ve read. It can be a single panel or a longer project, like a full page. Allow students to use their preferred mediums – some students may want to create the strip digitally or with photos rather than drawing or painting.
• Ask students to create their own backstory for one of the foes. This can be a short creative project, possibly just one or two pages in length. Have them answer what it would really be like inside the head of one of these characters. What is daily life like for them?

Further Reading

• Consider having students read a translation of the original poem in order to compare the graphic novel and a version of the original text, such as Seamus Heaney’s translation or Francis Gummere’s, which Hinds references in the Author’s Note.
• Look at Gareth Hinds’ other graphic adaptations of classics. You can compare these with their original texts, or just discuss the adaptations. Gareth Hinds’ other graphic novel adaptations include The Odyssey , The Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe , Macbeth , and King Lear .
• Examine more modern interpretations of the epic poem, such as the 2007 film or the 1971 novel by John Gardner, Grendel .

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How to Make Beowulf Relevant and Meaningful for your Students

• Instructional and Assessment Strategies , Reading Instruction

My first year of teaching, I was given several sections of senior English and told that I had to teach B eowulf . Since senior English is a graduation requirement in my state, this was a daunting task.

As a new teacher, I had no idea how to make such a long, dense, and old text relevant for my students. In fact, I was so discouraged, I really railed against the text to anyone who would listen.

Ultimately, it took me a long time to figure out how to engage students in Beowulf , which is why I want to share these strategies with you. These are tried and true activities, lessons, and ideas to engage students in the study of Beowulf .

This post this post may contain affiliate links .  Please read the  Terms of Use .

Building Anticipation for Beowulf

My students love to talk, and they have opinions about everything big and small! For this reason, I love using anticipation guides! With anticipation guides, students have a chance to sink their teeth into some great topics while building interest and buy-in.

For Beowulf , I use this free anticipation guide . Ideally, I give students 3-5 minutes to record their initial reactions to each statement. Then, students find a partner and spend 1-2 minutes reflecting on the first statement. After 1-2 minutes, they rotate to a second partner to discuss the second statement and so on.

This has proven to be an engaging strategy for students because they get to share their opinions. It’s also a beneficial strategy because students have the chance to hear other people’s perspectives. Chatting with a constant string of new classmates also encourages students to get to know one another, building classroom community along the way.

Throughout our study of Beowulf , we may revisit the statements on the anticipation guide several times. We consider how our opinions have changed. And we consider how the statements have appeared in the text.

Writing to Understand Beowulf

Making Beowulf relevant is one of the most important parts of engaging students in the text. Because the text is so old, students sometimes struggle to appreciate how the themes continue to resonate. Beowulf’s flaws are not unfamiliar nor are the cultural values the text represents.

Throughout our study of Beowulf , I often use these journals to help students connect with the text. Since I am such a believer in bell ringers , these journals are often part of our entrance routine during our study of Beowulf. To stretch these journals, sometimes we write our journals on one day and share them with elbow partners on the second day. Then, on the third day, we discuss the topic as an entire class or through silent discussion .

As Beowulf progresses, there are lots of opportunities to try creative writing. Here are some fun creative writing opportunities:

• Write Beowulf’s introduction to Hrothgar using contemporary language
• Write and decorate Beowulf’s family or royal crest
• Practice persuasive language with a battle cry
• Mourn Beowulf’s passing with a eulogy

Visualizing as Engagement

Visualization strategies are also a great way to engage students in Beowulf . The descriptions and imagery in the text are strong, so they provide students with opportunities to show off their imaginations!

To help students understand the heroic archetype, I often have students create their own comic strip. In fact, this is the exact assignment sheet and rubric I use for this activity! Just click the link , and you can make a copy to put in your own Google Drive. My students usually have a great time with this activity, and it helps them internalize the traits of the hero’s journey!

Incorporating artwork is another great way to help students visualize the text. I have spoken so many times about how difficult it is to address CCRA.7, especially when you consider that the 9-10 standard specifically calls for different mediums.

To help my students grapple with this standard, I have collected a variety of artistic representations of key scenes from Beowulf . Sometimes I use these visuals throughout our reading of Beowulf , often in the place of bell work. Other times, I use all of them at the end and ask different student groups responsible for different images.

Food Days and Celebration

Hospitality is such an important part of Beowulf , so that’s the perfect excuse to host your own classroom feast! Since eating is such a central part of the Feast of Joy and Hrothgar Honors Beowulf , it’s easy to incorporate a classroom food day!

During your feast, students can celebrate their own achievements. This is the perfect time for students to present their comic strips. As “entertainment,” students could also use this time to make or present their battle cries, family crests, or introductions!

Differentiating Beowulf

More than anything, differentiation is key to engaging all learners in the study of Beowulf . As a new teacher, part of my frustration with Beowulf came from not understanding how to make this text accessible for all learners.

Over the years, I’ve tried so many different versions of Beowulf . I’ve tried the Gummere, the Heaney, and the Raffel. Each had its strengths, but none quite matched what I wanted or my students needed.

Now, after nearly ten years, I’ve settled on three differentiated versions of the text.

• First, I’ve heavily abridged and modified Northland Heroes (1909) by Florence Holbrook. In this version, most of the episodes are condensed to 1-3 pages, and everything is in prose. This is the perfect version for students new to English, for students who need a modification, and/or for students who are not reading at grade level. Grab it here !
• Second, for students who are ready for a more intermediate text, I’ve adapted Hero-Myths and Legends (1910) by M.I. Ebbutt. This one is not as heavily modified or abridged, and it moves back and forth between verse and prose. This is the ideal version for students who are more confident and capable readers but who are not ready for (or do not have the time for) the most advanced version. Grab it here !
• Finally, for my honors students, I have an advanced version adapted from Chauncey Brewster Tinker’s 1902 translation . While I have done some light modifying of this text, it is the most complex and includes all the digressions. It also provides students with some great opportunities for literary criticism . This may be the best version for students reading Beowulf for college credit and/or as part of advanced coursework. Grab it here .

As a new teacher, I never would have been able to juggle different versions of Beowulf . For this reason, I put together this free unit plan to give you an idea of how I pace this unit. This is the resource I wish someone had given me as a new teacher.

Beowulf Resources

All of my Beowulf resources are packaged together in the Beowulf bundle . To save you some time and money, I’ve packaged together everything you need to teach Beowulf. This includes:

• Unit Planner
• Anticipation Guide
• Visualizing Beowulf
• 10 Beowulf Journals
• Beowulf Family Trees
• Hero and Anti-hero Think Sheet
• Beowulf Background Notes and Stations
• All 16 parts of Beowulf at beginner , intermediate , and advanced levels .

Photos by Steinar Engeland , Lisa Obenauf , Anton Poznyak l Adrian Moran on Unsplash

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Jake Murel | September 20, 2018

Santiago García and David Rubin’s graphic novel is not the first comic adaptation of the Old English poem Beowulf , nor will it likely be the last. This latest iteration is, however, the most adventurous. Previous adaptations—i.e. those by Gareth Hinds, Stefan Petrucha and Kody Chamberlain, or Stephen Stern and Christopher Steininger—are far tamer, both in violence and creative exploration. While past adaptations vary in artistic style, all adhere to a fairly standard comics layout and often border on functioning as nothing more than illustrated transmutations of the original poem. In contrast, much like the eponymous Scandinavian hero himself,García and Rubin prove themselves more adventurous.

The reason behind the extant proliferation of Beowulf comics is perhaps two-fold: 1) the poem’s canonical status in Western literature, and 2) its slew of monster battles inclines it to American comics, a medium that gained notoriety primarily through portraying super-human confrontations. Somewhat expectedly, battle sequences between Beowulf and the poem’s monstrous triptych litter García and Rubin’s 200-page graphic novel. Some readers may suspect such blood-and-guts action simply panders to the basest sentiments of a mass audience. After all, the comic contains enough loosened organs and blood to make Frank Miller’s 300 appear conservative. But Rubin’s innovative art wards off such judgements, capitalizing as it does on the comic medium’s potentialities.

In fact, inset panels appear to be one of Rubin’s favorite techniques, and he utilizes them for more than representing multiple perspectives. Another two-page spread, this one depicting Beowulf’s entrance into the Danish village, is similarly splattered by a multitude of inset panels. This time, however, each panel highlights a different detail of the larger scene, e.g. villager eyes, crow wings flapping, a dog’s growl, etc. Rather than represent these myriad details inside a single large image, Rubin cordons each off into its own panel contextualized against a sequential backdrop. The technique allows readers to absorb the whole event of Beowulf’s advent while drawing attention one-by-one to its disparate details. People typically focus upon details one at a time, and splitting details up into individual panels mimics that focalization inherent to lived experience, thereby helping to recreate Beowulf’s sensory world. Whether employed to focalize details or represent diverse perspectives, Rubin’s use of inset panels often helps immerse the reader further within the story.

The sexual addition is not a problem in itself. The problem is that this addition is never made a part of the story in any way. If García and Rubin want to add this sexual nuance to the Grendel-Beowulf battle, that’s all well and good. But in taking creative liberties with an adaptation, any alteration should be justified, meaning it should be significant to the adaptation in some way. As it stands, Grendel climaxes onto Beowulf and the story moves on. Beowulf shares no similar sexual encounter with either monster or human, and the sexual occurrence never develops into any larger motif or theme. Grendel’s sexuality could be removed, and the story would not change. It’s an irrelevant addition.

Nonetheless, that this one image is my primary criticism against García and Rubin’s Beowulf adaptation may actually testify to its overall quality. The Beowulf narrative is essentially a quasi-divine man’s conquest of three monsters, and a story like that can easily divulge into cheap theatrics fueled by blood-and-guts thrills. In contrast, Garcia and Rubin have produced a visually stunning and innovative adaptation of what could have easily been a stock comics narrative. Their graphic novel is worth reading, not only as the adaptation of an Old English epic, but as a beautifully executed comic on its own. It is, in this reviewer’s opinion, the best comics adaptation of Beowulf to date.

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Review: BEOWULF, a graphic novel by Santiago García and David Rubín

BEOWULF, a graphic novel by Santiago García and David Rubín

If you are looking for a graphic novel that gives a quirky edge to the epic poem, Beowulf, then check out the all-new English translation of the graphic novel version. Originally published in Spain by Astiberri, this new edition is by Image Comics . Written by Santiago García and illustrated by David Rubín, this is a fresh and bloody take on the oldest surviving long poem in Old English (circa 1000 AD).

There’s that scene in Woody Allen’s 1977 masterpiece, “Annie Hall,” with Alvy talking to Annie about her English lit courses. He advises her to take anything but Beowulf. That was the common view on the prospect of reading the Viking epic in its original Old English. But attitudes evolve. An interest in Tolkien and such helps. Robert Zemeckis directed a pretty decent Beowulf movie in 2007. The fact is that Beowulf has influenced countless great works of fiction in numerous mediums. What is distinctive about this new graphic novel is how much it revels in the gritty and gruesome.

Beowulf makes his case.

Our hero is the brave warrior, Beowulf. He’s on a quest to kill the monster known as Grendel, right? In that task, he succeeds. All seems well until he has to confront the wrath of Grendel’s mother–and beyond! If you’ve read this in high school or college, you know it’s pretty rough going for Beowulf. Santiago García’s script and David Rubín’s artwork mean to up the ante.

Consider the fight between Beowulf and Grendel. There’s definitely a contemporary sense of provocation here as Grendel is depicted as having a devilish zeal to inflict pain. In fact, he sexually assaults Beowulf. It is one of the most unusual scenes I’ve read in comics this year. Done with a certain level of restraint, you could possibly miss it if you were quickly scanning through pages.

Use of floating panels.

This is an intelligent and imaginative adaptation. While not without a generous dose of blood and gore, the creators here aimed to tap into the power of the original work. The pacing of the narrative and the robust art make this a highly accessible read. There are interesting touches running throughout like the floating panels within panels offering various points of view and/or an inside look into a character. This has a thoroughly contemporary sensibility and decidedly provocative. Recommended for mature readers.

BEOWULF is a 200-page hardcover, in full color. Direct market release date is 12/21. Book market release date is 12/27. For more details and how to purchase, visit Image Comics right here .

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Tagged as Beowulf , comics , Comics Reviews , English literature , Entertainment , Fiction , Game of Thrones , graphic novels , Image Comics , J.R.R. Tolkien , Media , Pop Culture , Publishing , Spain

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Book Report Alternative: Comic Strips and Cartoon Squares

• Resources & Preparation
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Students examine graphic novels and comic books and discuss  the important components of the genre, such as captions, dialogue, and images. They then use an online tool to create a six-panel comic highlighting six key scenes in a book they have read. By creating comic strips or cartoon squares featuring characters in books, students are encouraged to think analytically about the characters, events, and themes they've explored in ways that expand their critical thinking by focusing on crystallizing the significant points of the book in a few short scenes.

Featured Resources

Comic Creator : This online tool allows students to easily create and print comic strips.

Comic Strip Planning Sheet : Use this worksheet for students to plan their comic strips before using the online tool.

From Theory to Practice

This activity invites the student to think symbolically. The students choose key scenes for their characters and books, find landscapes and props that fit the scenes, and compose related dialogue. These student representations of the books, with their multifaceted texts using symbols, images, texts, and metaphor, succeed in the classroom because they provide a snapshot of the students' comprehension of the ideas in the texts. As Vokoun describes, the alternative to a traditional book report "allows students to create something unique and show their understanding of what they read."

Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

Graphic novels and comic book versions of well-known books for inspiration and comparison (optional)

• Comic Strip Planning Sheet
• Comic Strip Rubric

Preparation

• Before this lesson, students will read a book independently, in literature circles, or as a whole class.
• Ask students to bring copies of the book that will be the focus of their comic strips to class for reference.
• Make copies or overheads of the planning sheet and the rubric.
• Practice the steps for using the Comic Creator with your computers.
• Visit the Website of Scott McCloud , author of Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics , for background on the genre, inspirations, and sample comics. Additional information can also be found at  Integrative Art: American Comic Strips from Pennsylvania State University.

Student Objectives

Students will

• identify appropriate landscapes, characters, and props that relate to the events and characters in the books they've read.
• interact with classmates to give and receive feedback.
• explore how audience, purpose, and medium shape their writing.
• Share the example graphic novels and comic books with students and explain the assignment, pointing out each of the parts that are included.
• What are the important characteristics of a caption? What do the words in the captions tell you about the scene depicted?
• What kind of landscape makes sense for the scene?
• What props can you associate with the scene?
• How kind of dialogue bubble makes sense for the interaction?
• What connects one scene to the next in the comic strip?
• Once you're satisfied that students understand the assignment, demonstrate the Comic Creator student interactive and discuss its relationship to the Comic Strip Planning Sheet . Be sure to cycle through the options for characters and dialogue bubbles to show students the range of options available.
• Have students begin work with the Comic Strip Planning Sheet to plan their book reports. Students can work individually or in groups on this project.
• Encourage students to interact with one another, to share and receive feedback on their plans for comic strips. Since these comics will be shared in the class as well as in the library, hearing the feedback and comments of other students helps writers refine their work for their audience.
• Students can continue working on the project for homework if desired.
• Remind students of the goals and elements included in this project. Answer any questions students have.
• For the comic title, name the scene (or scenes) that will be depicted.
• For the comic subtitle, name the book where the scene is found.
• Include your name or the names of the members of your group as the authors of this comic strip.
• Choose the six-frame comic strip. (Alternately, have students choose the one-frame cartoon square and focus their work on an important scene in the book).
• In each of the six frames of the comic strip show a significant event from the book.
• Under each picture or cartoon, write a caption that provides additional detail on the scene.
• Print at least three copies of your finished comic strip.
• While students work, again encourage them to interact with one another, to share and receive feedback on their plans for comic strips.
• After the comic strips are printed out, students can decorate them with markers or other classroom supplies.
• As students finish, ask them to turn in two copies of the comic strip (one for you and one for the librarian-the third copy is for the students to keep).

Student Assessment / Reflections

For more formal assessment, use the Comic Strip Rubric which is tied to the elements included in the planning sheet. On the other hand, nothing is as useful as the feedback that they'll receive by sharing their comic strips with their peers. Informal feedback from students who read the comics and search out the related book are excellent feedback for students.

• Lesson Plans
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In this article, Versaci details the many merits of using comics and graphic novels in the classroom, suggests how they can be integrated into historical and social issues units, and recommends several titles.

The Comic Creator invites students to compose their own comic strips for a variety of contexts (prewriting, pre- and postreading activities, response to literature, and so on).

Students create a short, humorous story with at least one action character, and then use online tools to make a flipbook.

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• Kindergarten K

TEACHING RESOURCES

Beowulf by michael morpurgo 9-11.

In fifth-century Denmark, a murderous monster stalks the night, and only the great prince of the Geats has the strength and courage to defeat him. Beowulf's terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous firedragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. Artfully retold and magnificently illustrated, this companion volume to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is made instantly accessible to children by a formidable children's book partnership.

Writing Outcomes

• Journalistic writing
• Newspaper Article
• Biographical Writing

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Lesson Planning

Teaching resources, vipers discussion guide.

Amy's Wandering

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FREE Beowulf Resources and Study Guides

April 24, 2014 By: amyswandering comment

Can you tell we are tackling Beowulf next week? I am amazed at the number of quality resources available for free! This list includes research pages, writing assignments, history lessons, and literature guides.

Updated 08/12/22

Beowulf Resources

Beowulf: Still a Hero

An Introduction to Beowulf

The Beauty of Anglo-Saxon Poetry: A Prelude to Beowulf

Audio – Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children by H. E. Marshall

The Making of Monsters

Reading Literature in Translation: Beowulf as a Case Study

Beowulf in Hypertext

Beowulf on Steorarume

Beowulf: A Research Guide

Beowulf Quizlet Flashcards

Electronic Beowulf

Beowulf for Kids

Beowulf Literature Guides

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