Posted: November 30th, 2015

Beowulf, Hrothgar, or any of Hrothgar’s soldiers would be the antagonist.

Essay 2

1200-1500 words (1200 is the minimum)

Write a clearly focused, well-supported, and well-organized paper on the following topic:

This semester we have become familiar with the concept of the Hero’s Journey. For this essay, we will be flipping this idea around and discussing it in the context of our antagonists. An antagonist is someone who actively opposes someone or something. If the Hero’s Journey has typically looked at protagonists—the leading character or characters in a work—I would like for you to use the Hero’s Journey model to discuss one of your antagonists and discuss whether or not he or she finds redemption, being saved from sin or error.

To do this you must select a work that we’ve read after the midterm. Then, using strong clear examples from the texts, plot out your antagonist’s journey along the path that we associate with the Hero’s Journey. When (or if) they find redemption, analyze which part of the Journey they were on when they found that redemption, and discuss this in relation to at least one overall theme of the work.

It may be beneficial to try and look at each character in context. Depending on the point of view of the characters, the antagonist could change throughout the work. For example, in Beowulf if you are using Beowulf as your protagonist, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the Dragon would be the antagonists. However, if Grendel is the protagonist of the work, then Beowulf, Hrothgar, or any of Hrothgar’s soldiers would be the antagonist. You must pick one antagonist to analyze, so be very clear which character and how his or her point of view may affect the way that character’s actions are viewed. Do not change antagonists throughout the essay—pick one and stick to it.

You must do the following in this paper:

1. write a clear, precise, and specific thesis statement that makes your opinionated claim obvious;
2. avoid mere plot summary; assume your audience is already familiar with the texts;
3. express consistent, clear, and well-developed opinions throughout the course of the paper;
4. choose one side to argue—do not be wishy-washy in your approach;
5. incorporate no fewer than four direct quotes total into your argument;
6. explain how each quote contributes to the point;
7. avoid the use of long quotations;
8. document all specific references to the text, whether quoted or not, in MLA format.
9. document any references to sources other than the text, whether quoted or not, in MLA format.
10. follow all required formatting specifications, listed below.

Word Count: exact count as given by the word processing program, not an estimate

Title of Paper (try to be creative)

Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is one of the most important sentences in the entire paper. It not only tells which text(s) you are analyzing, but it also gives a strong sense of direction for the rest of the paper. It must come at the end of the first paragraph. A thesis statement should:

1. Be written as the final sentence of the first paragraph.
2. Reveal which text(s) you are analyzing.
3. Present an argumentative statement about the text(s). An argumentative statement is opinionated and can be supported by fact (in the form of textual examples).
4. Offer an order of analysis that the rest of the paper can follow (although, a three-pronged thesis is not required and is not always appropriate).

Style and Format of Paper

1. The paper must be completed on a word processor using regular-sized white paper.
2. Page numbers must be placed in the upper right hand corner.
3. All margins around the text must be 1”.
4. Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
5. Double space throughout, including the information on the first page, the title, and the Works Cited page. Turn off the added space between paragraphs.
6. You must have a separate Works Cited page; it must have a page number.
7. There is no need for a separate title page.
8. Use the present tense when writing about what happens in a literary work (e.g., “Polonius expects his son Laertes to understand the lesson hidden in his speech.”)
9. Be sure your paper answers the topic. Papers on unrelated themes will not be accepted.
10. Finally, staple your paper.