Movie Analysis Title: BEOWULF

CHARACTERS IN BEOWULF: lfhere - a kinsman of Wiglaf and Beowulf schere - Hrogar's closest counselor and comrade, killed by Grendel's Mother. Banstan - the father of Breca. Beowulf - an early Danish king and the son of Scyld, but not the same character as the hero of the poem. Beowulf - the eponymous hero of the Anglo-Saxon poem. Breca the Bronding - Beowulf's childhood friend who competed with him in a swimming match. Dghrefn - a Frankish warrior killed by Beowulf. Cain - biblical character described as an ancestor of Grendelwho is infamous for killing his brother Abel, the first murder. Killing your kin was the greatest sin in Anglo_Saxon culture. The Dragon - beast (Old English, wyrm) that ravages Beowulf's kingdom and which Beowulf must slay at the end of the poem. It is the cause of Beowulf's death. Eadgils - a Swedish king also mentioned extensively in the Norse sagas. Eanmund - a Swedish prince, and the brother of Eadgils. Ecglaf - Unfer's father.

Settings: 5th or 6th century Scandinavia. (Scandinavia is the part of Europe that includes Sweden and Denmark.)

Beowulf Plot Analysis Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice. Initial Situation King Hrothgar and the Danes are at the mercy of the marauding demon Grendel, who keeps attacking Heorot Hall. Not only is this what's happening at the beginning, which should tip you off that it's the initial situation, it's also an obvious set-up. A wild demon attacking a defenseless group of people? It's time for a hero to come on the scene and put this to rights. Conflict A Geatish warrior, Beowulf, throws his armor and weapons aside and fights the demon Grendel in a wrestling match to the death. Complication Grendel's mother shows up to avenge the death of her son. This is just the kind of frustrating thing that happens to you when you're a heroic Geatish warrior. Here you are, going all-out and wrestling a demon to the death, and just when you think you've won and you have a few minutes to get drunk and celebrate, the demon's mom comes along and gets her panties in a twist because you killed her kid. We love mothers, but they do seem to make things complicated sometimes. Climax Back home in Geatland, Beowulf must defend his people against a marauding dragon. Just when you think Beowulf is going to live happily ever after, he has to face his greatest challenge yet: a fifty-foot-long firebreather. If anything screams "climactic battle scene," it's the arrival of a dragon. Suspense Beowulf hangs out on the side of the dragon's barrow, recalling his past glories and wondering if he's going to die fighting the dragon. If you're tempted to yell, "Just get on with it!" at this point, you're not the only one. Beowulf hangs out for several hundred lines, talking about his past glories and

wondering if he's going to die while fighting the dragon. Still, it does help to build suspense, because it makes us wonder, too. Denouement Beowulf is mortally wounded, but manages to kill the dragon and win its hoard of treasure. It's a double-whammy: Beowulf dies, but so does the dragon. After that, it's obviously all downhill, so this is definitely the denouement.

Conclusion The Geats give Beowulf a splendid funeral and prepare to be attacked by their neighbors.

Sample introduction speech Ladies and gentlemen, I am (say your name) and I am the (say your title in relations to why you're introducing the speaker, for example, you are president of an organization). I am so pleased to be with you tonight and to have the chance to introduce our guest speaker, (say speakers name). He / She is the (say speaker's positions in relations to why they're speaking). He / She has been one of the main proponents of this program for several years, and it a true stand out in this field. He / She has a great understanding of the program and a great appreciation of what it takes to truly make (state theme or topic of event or conference) continue on a path of progress, and a remarkable vision of the future of (State topic). Besides that, He / She (Add a few interesting personal notes here. Mention if the person was the first to do something, if they have published anything, have held impressive positions, done impressive things, etc. Use the speaker's bio or ask them or their staff for this information). Finally, he / she is also just a fascinating person and we're all in for a treat today. Without further ado, please join me in welcoming (name of speaker

Tips for introducing a guest speaker 1. Don't talk too long. Keep your introduction to between 45 seconds to 3 minutes. 2. Bios are a great place to get information. Almost all speakers will have a bio online or the event planner may have a copy of their bio. You can also search their name online for other interesting tidbits about them, but do not to include something that may be controversial or potentially embarassing to them, unless you ask them first. 3. Ask the speaker what he or she would like you to say in their introduction. If they are very high-profile and hard to speak with personally, ask their staff or administrative assistant for information. 4. If possible, find out what the speaker plans to focus on in advance, so you don't imply they will be speaking about one thing when they will actually talk about something else.

5. If it is a professional forum, do not talk about the guest speaker's family unless you ask them first. 6. Try to find transcripts of other speeches they have done online. Often the introductory remarks will be included and you can use them to frame your own remarks.

Sample Introductions Example One: "Our speaker today is Patricia Nelson. Ms. Nelson is the Librarian at the Business Link : Business Service Centre. In her job she deals with small business owners and those thinking of starting a business to help them find the information they need to start or run their businesses. In her spare time she has served as a Board Member with Edmonton Community Network, and as a volunteer trainer teaching people how to use the Internet and create web pages. Based on her knowledge, enthusiasm and experience she is eminently qualified to speak to us today about Business Resources on the Internet. Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome, Patricia Nelson". Example two: "We are delighted to have a very special person with us today to give us a presentation. Jeff Singh is a Professional Engineer, a graduate of the University of Alberta. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard in 1995. Upon graduation from the University of Alberta, Mr. Singh worked for the Alberta Energy Department as an energy supply analyst. He then moved on to a position with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers as a policy analyst involved with negotiating royalty rates with the provincial government. Following that Mr. Singh has worked with Amoco Oil in numerous locations around the globe. He has worked on several international committees analyzing petroleum production and supply trends and forecasts. We are delighted to have Mr. Singh with us today to present his findings about royalty payment options in various countries and world forecasts for supply and demand in the coming decade. Please help me welcome Jeff Singh".